JP2009035369A - Forklift - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a forklift capable of rapidly handling a cargo irrespective of the position or the height of the cargo. <P>SOLUTION: The forklift 2 comprises a movable member 3 arranged above a connection member 10 to support a mast 4, a driving means 5 for moving the movable member 3 in the vehicle width direction, and a turning means 7 for turning a fork 6 by turning the mast 4 around the vertical axis. Even when a pallet is directly placed on a floor, the connection member 10 is arranged lower than the height of the fork 6 inserted in the pallet so as to perform the cargo handling of the pallet. The forklift 2 is capable of performing the cargo handling of the pallet even when a fore end of the fork 6 is directed to one or the other of the vehicle width direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a forklift that advances and retracts a fork to the side of a chassis.

A conventional forklift 100 shown in FIG. 10 includes a plurality of wheels 101 and 102 that are separated from each other in the front-rear direction indicated by arrows x, and a front part 111 and a rear part 112 of a chassis are joined together via a body part 113. Has been. Further, a pair of forks 105 is attached to the mast 104, and a movable member 106 supports the lower end of the mast 104.

Both ends of the movable member 106 are connected to the front part 111 and the rear part 112 via the guide means 107. The guide means 107 is such that the guide rail 117 is fixed to the front part 111 and the rear part 112, and the slider 127 that engages with the guide rail 117 is fixed to both ends of the movable member 106. The guide rail 117 extends in the vehicle width direction, and the movable member 106 moves along the guide rail 117 by a drive source not shown in the drawing. As a result, the fork 105
Moves forward and backward in the vehicle width direction.
JP 2000-327287 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-101691

As shown in FIG. 10, the body portion 113 of the chassis is arranged close to one side in the vehicle width direction.
This is because when the fork 105 is inserted into a pallet placed directly on the floor of a warehouse or the like, the forklift 100 advances the fork 105 toward one side in the vehicle width direction and lowers the fork 105 to the vicinity of the floor. This is to prevent the body 113 from interfering. However, when the pallet is placed on one side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the forklift 100, the fork 1 is placed on the pallet if the forklift 100 does not turn 180 °.
05 cannot be inserted.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a forklift that can quickly handle a load regardless of the position or height of the load.

The present invention relates to a forklift for moving a fork attached to a mast to freely move up and down in a vehicle width direction of a chassis, and includes a movable member that supports the mast, and the movable member with respect to the chassis. It is characterized by comprising driving means for moving in the width direction and turning means for rotating the mast around a vertical axis.

Further, in the forklift according to the present invention, the swiveling means has a ring gear fixed to the movable member in a horizontal posture, and a rotating seat for rotatably receiving the mast is provided inside the ring gear. A rotating machine that rotates a meshing pinion is attached to the mast.

Furthermore, in the forklift according to the present invention, the chassis is provided with wheels at the front part and the rear part thereof, the movable member is arranged between the front part and the rear part of the chassis, and the front part and the rear part of the chassis are provided. A connecting member for connecting the fork below the movable member is disposed lower than a height at which the fork is inserted into a pallet placed on a floor where the wheel contacts the ground.

According to the forklift according to the present invention, since the fork can turn around the mast as a fulcrum, the fork can be directed to one or the other of both sides in the vehicle width direction. Further, when the driving means moves the movable member in the vehicle width direction, the mast and fork can be moved in the vehicle width direction together with the movable member. For this reason, when the driving means moves the movable member as described above in a state where the fork is directed to one or the other in the vehicle width direction, the fork advances or retreats toward one or the other in the vehicle width direction.

For example, when the forklift is stopped so that one or the other in the vehicle width direction faces the pallet and the fork is advanced toward the pallet, the fork can be inserted into the pallet. Subsequently, if the elevating means raises the fork and the drive means moves backward, the pallet can be moved onto the chassis. Therefore, the pallet can be quickly handled regardless of the position where the pallet is placed with respect to the forklift.

In the forklift turning means according to the present invention, the ring gear is fixed to the movable member, and the mast is rotatably received by the rotary seat provided inside the ring gear, so the rotating machine attached to the mast rotates the pinion. As a result, the rotating machine turns around the ring gear fixed to the movable member, and the mast rotates around the vertical axis according to the turning of the rotating machine. For this reason, the turning means can turn the fork about the mast.

Furthermore, according to the forklift according to the present invention, the connecting member for connecting the front part and the rear part of the chassis is arranged lower than the height at which the fork can be inserted into the pallet placed on the floor where the wheel contacts the ground. Regardless of whether the fork is facing one or the other in the vehicle width direction,
The height at which the fork can be lowered to handle is not limited by the chassis. For example, when the forklift travels on the floor of a warehouse or the like, the elevating means lowers the fork until the height of the fork reaches a height that can be inserted into a pallet placed directly on the floor, and handles such pallets. It can be carried out.

1 to 4 show a forklift 2 in which a plurality of wheels 13 that are separated from each other in the front-rear direction are provided on a chassis 1 in which a front part 11 and a rear part 12 are connected by a connecting member 10. The forklift 2 is arranged above the connecting member 10 and supports a mast 4, a movable member 3 that supports the mast 4, a driving means 5 that moves the movable member 3 in the vehicle width direction indicated by an arrow y, and the mast 4 that rotates about the vertical axis. Turning means 7 for turning the fork 6 by turning the fork 6.

The front part and the rear part of the chassis 1 are names for convenience of explanation, and do not specify the direction in which the forklift 2 travels. The movable member 3 is attached to the chassis 1 via the slide means 31. Moreover, since the movable member 3 can also play the role which reinforces the connection member 10, it can suppress that the connection member 10 bends with a load. The sliding means 31 includes a front part 11 and a rear part 12 of the chassis 1.
Further, the guide rails 32 extending in the vehicle width direction are respectively fixed, and the sliders 33 engaged with the guide rails 32 are respectively fixed to both ends of the movable member 3. In addition, the movable member 3 has a front portion 1.
The sliding means 31 is not limited as long as it is a joint structure that can be allowed to move in the vehicle width direction with respect to the first and rear portions 12 and has a strength to receive the load of the load supported by the fork 6. .

The drive means 5 is attached to the movable member 3 and includes two rotary machines 8 and 9 provided with pinions 82 and 92 on output shafts 81 and 91, and two strips attached to the front part 11 and the rear part 12 and extending in the vehicle width direction. Racks 83 and 93. The pinion 82 of one rotating machine 8 is meshed with the rack 83 of the front part 11, and the pinion 92 of the other rotating machine 9 is meshed with the rack 93 of the rear part 12. A DC or AC motor can be applied as the two rotary machines 8 and 9 and the drive source described below, but a hydraulic motor that rotates by the hydraulic pressure generated by the pump is applied using these motors. May be.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mast 4 includes a support member 42 having a lower end fixed to a base plate 41, an elevating member 43 supported by the support member 42 so as to be movable up and down, and an elevating means 44. A fork 6 is attached to the elevating member 43 so as to be movable up and down. Reference numeral 45 indicates a rail for guiding the fork 6 in the vertical direction. The elevating means 44 engages the upright feed screw 46 with a nut 47 attached to the elevating member 43, and rotates the feed screw 46 with a drive source not shown in the figure, thereby elevating the elevating member 43 together with the nut 47. It is something to be made.

A pulley 48 is provided at the upper end of the elevating member 43, and a check body 49 that connects the support member 42 and the fork 6 is wound around the pulley 48. When the elevating member 43 moves up, the fork 6 is pulled up by the checker 49 as the pulley 48 moves away from the support member 42. On the contrary, when the elevating member 43 is lowered, the fork 6 is moved up and down as the pulley 48 approaches the support member 42.
Descends to 3.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the turning means 7 has a ring gear 71 fixed in a horizontal posture on the upper surface of the movable member 3, and a rotating seat 72 that rotatably receives the support member 42 of the mast 4. A rotating machine 75 that is provided inside and rotates pinions 73 and 74 that mesh with the ring gear 71,
It is attached to the base plate 41. The rotary seat 72 is a thrust bearing provided inside the ring gear 71. The base plate 41 is joined to the inner race 76. Reference numeral 77 denotes a member for positioning the ring gear 71 on the movable member 3.

The pinion 73 is attached to the output shaft of the rotating machine 75, and the pinion 74 is the base plate 41.
Is attached to a rotating shaft 78 which is supported by the shaft. The rotational force generated on the output shaft of the rotating machine 75 is
It is transmitted to the ring gear 71 via the pinions 73 and 74. Since the rotating machine 75 receives this reaction force, the base plate 41 and the mast 4 can be rotated together with the rotating machine 75 to turn the fork 6.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the forklift 2 includes a steering means 14 for steering the wheel 13,
And traveling means 15 for driving the wheels 13 via a speed reducer. The steering means 14 and the traveling means 15 are unitized. The traveling means 15 includes an arm 1 that cantileveres the axle of the wheel 13.
In 51, a gear or the like for transmitting the rotational force of the drive source 152 is accommodated. When the traveling means 15 stops the forklift 2, the wheel 13 is braked by a braking device not shown in the figure. The steering means 14 has a drive source 141 that changes the direction of the wheel 13 together with the arm 151 by rotating the arm 151 about a vertical axis (such as a kingpin).

The operation of the forklift 2 described above is controlled as follows by a computer functioning based on a command signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter operated by an operator or a program written in a storage medium. For example, when handling a pallet placed directly on the floor where the wheels 13 are in contact with the ground, as shown in FIG.
The forklift 2 is stopped in front of the pallet 16 so as to face 6. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the elevating means 44 lowers the fork 6, and when the fork 6 descends to the same height as the hole of the pallet 16, the elevating means 44 stops the fork 6.

In this state, if the two rotating machines 8 and 9 simultaneously rotate the output shafts 81 and 91 in the same direction to advance the fork 6 toward the pallet 16, as shown in FIG.
The fork 6 can be inserted into the pallet 16. Subsequently, if the fork 6 is raised and the two rotating machines 8 and 9 are simultaneously reversed, the fork 6 can be moved backward as shown in FIG. Thereby, the pallet 16 can be retracted between the front part 11 and the rear part 12 together with the fork 6.

The fork 6 shown in phantom in FIG. 2 has its tip directed to the other in the vehicle width direction. This can be realized by the turning means 7 rotating the mast 4 by 180 °. The driving means 5 can move the mast 4 and the fork 6 in the vehicle width direction together with the movable member 3 regardless of the direction of the fork 6. Further, since the connecting member 10 is disposed lower than the height of the fork 6 inserted into the pallet 16, the forklift 2 can be operated even when the fork 6 has one end or the other in the vehicle width direction. The pallet 16 placed directly on the floor can be handled. The height from the floor to the upper surface of the connecting member 10 is desirably 50 mm or less.

It should be noted that the present invention can be implemented in variously modified, modified, or modified forms based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The present invention is a technique applicable to an automatic guided vehicle or a chassis of a forklift on which an operator is boarded.

The side view of the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows an example of operation | movement of the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view of the principal part of the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The front view of the mast applied to the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The side view of the mast applied to the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the turning means applied to the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured FIG. 7 by the AA line. The top view which shows the other example of operation | movement of the forklift which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The side view of the forklift of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

1: chassis 2: forklift 3: movable member 4: mast 5: driving means 6: fork 7: turning means 10: connecting member 11: front part 12: rear part 13: wheel 16: pallet 71: ring gear 72: rotating seat 73 74: Pinion 75: Rotating machine

Claims (3)

A forklift that moves a fork attached to the mast up and down in the vehicle width direction of the chassis,
A forklift comprising: a movable member that supports the mast; a drive unit that moves the movable member in a vehicle width direction with respect to the chassis; and a turning unit that rotates the mast about a vertical axis. The swivel means has a ring gear fixed to the movable member in a horizontal posture, a rotating seat that rotatably receives the mast is provided inside the ring gear, and a rotating machine that rotates a pinion that meshes with the ring gear. The forklift according to claim 1, wherein the forklift is attached to the mast. The chassis is provided with wheels at its front and rear, respectively, the movable member is disposed between the front and rear of the chassis, and the front and rear of the chassis are connected below the movable member. 3. The forklift according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is arranged to be lower than a height at which the fork is inserted into a pallet placed on a floor where the wheel contacts the ground.

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