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The present invention relates to a module kit for a material handling device as defined in the preamble of claim 1, a material handling device as defined in the preamble of claim 6, and a purchase package arrangement of claim 11.
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The term material handling device in this context may mean a lifting and transfer device which can be used, for example, to load and unload various loads resting, for example, on a pallet. Such devices may be, for example, various loaders, forklift trucks, various stackers, wheel lifters, etc.
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In accordance with known prior art technology, material handling devices, such as forklift trucks, are manufactured at the factory as ready-to-use devices, in which case the production of the frame and various components usually requires welding, machining and finishing. Ready-made devices are usually only suitable for a limited use. For example, if the maximum lifting height of the device is 2 meters, the device cannot be used for bigger lifting heights, and the upright frame with welded to the device frame cannot easily be changed to a higher one. In this case, totally another device is needed. Likewise, a device intended for moving on a flat and even surface cannot necessarily be used on an uneven surface due to the small wheels. Also in this case, another device with bigger wheels is needed.
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Material handling devices according to known prior art technology also have problems related to logistics. Transporting a ready-made big device is difficult and expensive. In addition, ready-made devices require a lot of storage space. One problem is that retailers cannot acquire and keep in stock several devices of different sizes or for slightly different purposes. For cost reasons, they can keep only the most frequently purchased devices, in which case the less frequently needed devices must be ordered separately, which slows down their supply.
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Yet another disadvantage of the material handling devices according to the known technology is that the failure of a component, for example a support arm equipped with a support wheel, may cause a long-term outage of the entire device if it takes a long time to repair the fault.
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The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages of the solutions according to known prior art technology and to provide an easy-to-use module kit for various types of material handling devices. The purpose is also to provide a versatile module kit, the modules of which can be assembled quickly and easily, without welding, into material handling devices suitable for the desired purposes. A further object of the present invention is to provide a material handling device which is easy and fast to assemble into working condition and whose modular components can be easily changed according to different purposes. Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a purchase package arrangement for the material handling device, which arrangement reduces storage and transportation costs and operations and gives more flexible possibilities to use material handling devices.
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The module kit for material handling devices according to the present invention is characterized by what is presented in the characterization part of claim 1, the material handling device according to the present invention is characterized by what is presented in the characterization part of claim 6, and the purchase package arrangement according to the present invention is characterized by what is presented in the characterization part of claim 11. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is presented in the other claims.
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An aspect of the invention is to provide a module kit for a material handling device, which device comprises a control bar, a drive wheel, a vertical frame with a pair of forks to be moved up and down along the vertical frame, and a pair of support arms. Advantageously, the module kit comprises a group of main category modules each equipped with one or more connection interfaces each of which is arranged to be connected to the connection interface of the module next to it.
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Another aspect of the invention is to provide a material handling device, which device comprises a control bar, drive wheel, a vertical frame with a pair of forks to be moved up and down along the vertical frame, and a pair of support arms. Advantageously, the device comprises a group of modules each equipped with one or more connection interfaces each of which is arranged to be connected to the connection interface of the module next to it.
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A further aspect of the invention is to provide a purchase package arrangement for a material handling device, which device comprises a control bar, drive wheel, a vertical frame with a pair of forks to be moved up and down along the vertical frame, and a pair of support arms. Advantageously, the purchase package arrangement comprises basic purchase packages containing main category modules and supplementary purchase packages containing one or more main category modules and/or one or more sub-modules of the main category modules.
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The solution of the invention has significant advantages over the solutions of the prior art.
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Among other things, device manufacturing becomes easier and faster when, instead of manufacturing the entire device, modules can be manufactured in units specialized for their manufacture, and different modules for the same device can be manufactured simultaneously in different units.
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One big advantage is that storage costs are reduced throughout the entire logistics line, from the manufacturer to the retailer and even to the end user. The end user needs only one basic kit and more modules for different purposes can be bought later.
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Another advantage is that if something in one of the modules breaks, the device can still be used for other purposes, for example, by replacing the broken module with another module. It is also possible to replace the broken module with a similar spare module, in which case the purpose of use does not need to be changed.
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In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of examples by referring to the attached simplified and diagrammatic drawings, wherein
- Fig. 1
- presents in a side view an assembled material handling device, such as a loader, according to the invention,
- Fig. 2
- presents in a top view a loader according to Fig.1, and
- Fig. 3
- presents in a top view a module kit of a material handling device, such as a loader, according to the invention.
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Fig. 1 presents in a side view a material handling device, such as a loader, according to the invention, and Fig. 2 presents the same loader in a top view. The loader according to Fig. 1 comprises a group of modules which are connected to each other to form a usable loader. One of the main category modules is a basic module 1 with a control bar 1a to steer the loader by controlling the drive wheel 1b and to control the motions of the loader. The basic module 1 may also comprise driving machinery to rotate the drive wheel 1b.
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The loader further comprises other main category modules, such as an instrument module 2, two support arm modules 3, an upright frame module 4, and a hoisting module 5 with a pair of forks 5a.
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There may be several modules of each type. For instance, there may be different support arm modules for various purposes, upright frame modules of different height and purposes, hoisting modules with various forks. Also, the basic module 1 and instrument module 2 may vary according to the purpose of use.
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The size, structure and instrumentation of each type of main category module may vary, but the connection interface of all the modules for the same purpose of use is similar. Through the connection interface each module can be reliably connected to the module next to it.
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In this way, all the modules can be reliably connected to the loader in the same way easily and quickly. This means that, for example all the instrument modules 2 of different type can be connected to the basic module 1 through the similar connection interface which is compatible with the corresponding connection interface of the basic module 1.
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The simplest connection interface may be a flat bed or wall with necessary through holes for electric cables and pneumatic/hydraulic hoses, and with fastening holes for fastening means, such as bolts and nuts.
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The more sophisticated connection interface may comprise various forms and/or guiding means to guide the opposing connection interfaces precisely in the proper way against each other. The more sophisticated connection interface may also comprise various quick-locking arrangements to fasten two adjacent modules to each other.
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Fig. 3 presents in a top view a module kit of a material handling device, such as a loader, according to the invention. For example, the kit could be a purchase package for a loader. The module kit may comprise a basic module 1, two pairs of support arm modules 3 and 6, instrument module 2, an upright frame module 4, and a hoisting module 5 with forks 5a.
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In case of the embodiment of Fig. 3, for instance, two different pairs of support arm modules 3 and 6 can be connected, one pair at a time, to the same basic module 1. This makes it possible to use the same basic module 1 for several purposes.
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Each main category module has one or more connection interfaces through which the module is reliably connected to a material handling device, such as a loader unit. Some modules are connected immovably to the module next to it, whereas some modules are connected movably to the module next to it. In the loader according to the embodiment example the instrument modules 2 and support arm modules 3 and 6 are connected immovably to the basic module 1 and the upright frame module 4 connected immovably to the instrument modules 2, whereas the hoisting module 5 is connected movably to the upright frame module 4.
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The basic module 1 has on its each side a first connection interface 1g to connect with connection interfaces 3g and 6g of the support arm modules 3 or 6. In addition, the basic module 1 has a third connection interface 1h in its back part to connect with the first connection interface 2h of the instrument module 2.
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Correspondingly, instrument module 2 has a second connection interface 2i to connect with the first connection interface 4i of the upright frame module 4. And further, the upright frame module 4 has a second connection interface 4j to connect with the first connection interface 5j of the hoisting module 5.
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Each connection interface comprises fastening and locking means for connecting two adjacent modules to each other so that at least one direction of movement of the modules relative to each other is blocked.
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As mentioned above some modules are connected immovably to the modules next to them. This means that all directions of movement of the modules relative to each other are blocked. Among other things the instrument module 2, support arm modules 3 and 6 and the upright frame module 4 are such kind of modules. Whereas the hoisting module 5 can move up and down along the guides of the upright frame module 4 but horizontal directions are blocked.
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All the connection interfaces of various modules may comprise quick-locking means and/or screw connection means. Preferably also guiding means to guide the connection interfaces of two adjacent modules, to be placed against each other, precisely to the right place.
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In addition, electricity, compressed air or hydraulic functions may be connected from one module to another through the connection interfaces. And also, data information may be connected from one module to another through the connection interfaces.
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The first support arm module 3 comprises two submodules: a box-like housing 3c and a substantially horizontal support arm 3a with an idler wheel 3b at the front end or free end of the support arm 3a. The housing 3c further comprises an auxiliary supporting mechanism 3d with a height-adjustable auxiliary support wheel 3e and its support structure, and the connection interface 3g at the second end of the housing 3c facing towards the basic module 1.
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At its rear end the support arm 3a is installed slidably at the first end of the housing 3c to be moved lengthwise back and forth through the housing 3c. The support arm 3a is essentially straight and can be pulled and pushed linearly through the housing 3c. The support arm 3a is guided at its rear end through the housing 3c by a guide member having preferably a square cross-section, such as a square tube.
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The diameters of the drive wheel 3 and idler wheel 3b are preferably dimensioned so big that the loader is easy to be moved also on an uneven ground.
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The auxiliary supporting mechanisms 3d makes the loader capable of raising and lowering itself between a lower plane and an upper plane at different levels, by the help of an operator.
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The auxiliary support wheels 3e are arranged to support the loader at the upper plane during raising and lowering the loader.
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In this case the upper plane may be the surface of the platform of a transport vehicle, and the lower plane may be the surface of the ground or, for example, the floor of a building.
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The second support arm module 6 also comprises two submodules: a box-like housing 6c and a substantially horizontal support arm 6a with an arrangement of idler wheels 6b at the front end or free end of the support arm 6a. An auxiliary support wheel may have been placed at the outer bottom of the housing 6c. The horizontal distance of the auxiliary support wheels of the pair of the support arm modules 6 is bigger than the horizontal distance of the idler wheels 6b of the pair of the support arm modules 6. By this way the auxiliary support wheels stabilize the loader and make the loader steadier, especially when lifting a load with the hoisting module 5.
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The housing 6c further comprises a connection interface 6g at the second end of the housing 6c facing towards the basic module 1.
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At its rear end the support arm 6a is installed slidably at the second end of the housing 6c to be moved lengthwise back and forth through the housing 6c. The support arm 6a is essentially straight and can be pulled and pushed linearly through the housing 6c. The support arm 6a is guided at its rear end through the housing 6c by a guide member having preferably a square cross-section, such as a square tube.
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A pair of the support arm module 3 and 6 comprises two substantially similar modules which are mirror images of each other in relation to the lengthwise direction of the support arms 3 and 6.
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Different types of support arm modules 3 and 6 can be construed by combining various housing submodules 3c, 6c with various support arm submodules 3a, 6a.
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The instrument module 2 comprises a group of actuators and various instrumentation to make the loader function as designed. The actuator and instrumentation may comprise hydraulic and/or pneumatic means and also various logic.
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The instrument module 2 also comprises the first connection interface 2h to connect the instrument module 2 immovably to the basic module 1, and the second connection interface 2i to connect the instrument module 2 immovably to the upright frame module 4 as mentioned earlier.
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The upright frame module 4 comprises a vertical frame 4a, a vertical lifting cylinder 4b, and the first connection interface 4i to connect the upright frame module 4 immovably to the instrument module 2, and the second connection interface 4j to connect the upright frame module 4 to the connection interface 5j of the hoisting module 5 as mentioned earlier. The upright frame module 4 also comprises vertical guides for the hoisting module 5 and a mechanism to move the forks 5a up and down along the guides.
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The module kit arrangement according to the invention may comprise multiple upright frame modules, with the main difference being the height of each module.
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The purchase package of the module kit may, for example, comprise two or more upright frame modules 4 of different height, shape and/or structure.
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In the embodiment example above a module kit for a loader is presented where the loader is capable of raising and lowering itself from one level to another level with the help of an operator. The loader may also be a simpler version, for instance the loader that is purposed to use on one level only. In that case the support arm modules 3 and 6 may be simpler because linear back and forth motion of support arms 3a, 6a is not needed.
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The invention also relates to a purchase package arrangement for the material handling device. The purchase package arrangement comprises basic purchase packages containing main category modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and supplementary purchase packages containing one or more main category modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and/or one or more sub-modules of the main category modules.
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In the basic purchase packages the material handling devices according to the invention are sold as modules. In that case the material handling devices are not assembled ready for use, but the final assembly must be done from the modules by the customer.
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At a minimum, the basic purchase package comprises a number of main category modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, which modules are at least required for the assembly of a ready-to-use material handling device. Preferably, these main category modules are, at minimum, one basic module 1, one instrument module 2, two support arm modules 3 or 6, one upright frame module 4 and one hoisting module 5. In the purchase package the modules are functionally separate from each other.
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The purchase package arrangement also comprises purchase packages which contain individual main category modules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. In that case the purchase packages are called supplementary purchase packages. Supplementary purchase packages may comprise one or more individual main category modules and/or one or more sub-modules of one or more main category modules.
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For example, if a customer wants to improve the lifting height of his/her material handling device, he/she can order as a supplementary purchase package an upright frame module 4 that enables higher lifting.
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Similarly, if a customer wants, for example, longer support arms 6a suitable for a flat or even surface, the customer can order only these submodules as a supplementary purchase package.
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It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to the examples described above but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for example, the structures and components of the material handling device and modules may be different from what is presented.