JP2020043056A - Fuel cell-type industrial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a fuel cell-type industrial vehicle in which control can be executed to ensure that the industrial vehicle does not travel while being charged with fuel gas without providing a charging lid on a fuel cell unit and without switching an output signal of a limit switch using a cover door.SOLUTION: A fuel cell-type industrial vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body in which a fuel cell unit 26 is installed, and control means configured to control operation of the vehicle body. The fuel cell unit 26 includes a charging plug 36 which is connectable to a charging socket 41 for supplying fuel gas, and a detection mechanism 45 configured to detect a connection state between the charging plug 36 and the charging socket 41. The detection mechanism 45 includes a sensor 53 having an output signal that shifts in accordance with the connection state of the charging socket 41 relative to the charging plug 36. The control means prohibits operation of the vehicle body when determining, on the basis of the output signal of the sensor 53, that the charging socket 41 is connected to the charging plug 36.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an industrial vehicle, and more particularly, to a fuel cell industrial vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, fuel cells that are clean and have high energy efficiency have attracted attention for vehicles such as industrial vehicles. An industrial vehicle that operates using electric power generated by a fuel cell (hereinafter, referred to as a “fuel cell industrial vehicle”) includes a charging plug for filling a fuel tank with hydrogen that is a fuel gas. The filling plug is provided in a fuel cell unit including the fuel cell. The supply of hydrogen to fuel cell industrial vehicles takes place at hydrogen stations. At the hydrogen station, a dispenser for supplying hydrogen is installed. A hose for supplying hydrogen is connected to the dispenser. A filling socket is provided at the end of the hose. When filling a fuel tank of a fuel cell type industrial vehicle with hydrogen, a filling socket provided at a tip of a hose is inserted into a filling plug of a fuel cell unit and connected.

  The fuel cell unit is provided with a filling lid that can be opened and closed. The filling lid is provided on a side surface of the fuel cell unit so as to cover the filling plug. The filling plug is shielded from the outside when the filling lid is closed, and is exposed to the outside when the filling lid is opened. For this reason, when filling the fuel tank of the fuel cell industrial vehicle with hydrogen, it is necessary to open the filling lid before connecting the filling socket to the filling plug. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique including a limit switch that switches an output signal by opening and closing operation of a filling lid, and detecting an opening / closing state of the filling lid by the limit switch.

JP 2013-237393 A

  Generally, it is necessary to stop the fuel cell industrial vehicle while the fuel tank is being filled with hydrogen. Therefore, for example, when the filling lid is opened by the operator and the opening is detected by the output signal of the limit switch, control may be performed such that the fuel cell industrial vehicle is stopped until the filling lid is closed. desirable.

  On the other hand, a fuel cell type industrial vehicle sometimes has a cover attached to a side surface of the vehicle body in order to improve design. This cover is attached so as to cover the side surface of the fuel cell unit. However, since the above-described filling lid is provided on the side surface of the fuel cell unit, when the cover is attached to the side surface of the vehicle body, the filling lid is hidden behind the cover. For this reason, it is necessary to provide an openable door on the cover in accordance with the position of the filling lid.

  However, when the cover with the door as described above is attached to the vehicle body, a so-called double door in which a filling lid exists on the back side of the cover door is provided. Therefore, when filling the fuel tank with hydrogen, first, the door of the cover is opened, and then the filling lid is opened. Therefore, the filling operation of the operator becomes complicated. It is also conceivable to employ a configuration in which the filling lid is eliminated in order to simplify the filling operation, and the output signal of the limit switch is switched by opening and closing the cover door. However, in that case, there is a possibility that a relative displacement between the cover attached to the vehicle body and the limit switch provided on the fuel cell unit may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to finely adjust the position of the limit switch according to the position of the fuel cell unit and the door of the cover.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a fuel cell unit without providing a filling lid, and without using a cover door, while filling a fuel gas. An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell industrial vehicle that can be controlled so that the industrial vehicle does not run.

  A fuel cell type industrial vehicle according to the present invention includes a fuel cell unit having a fuel cell, a fuel tank provided in the fuel cell unit, for storing fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell, and the fuel cell unit. And a control means for controlling the operation of the vehicle body, wherein the fuel cell unit is a plug for filling the fuel tank with the fuel gas, A filling plug connectable to a socket, and a detection mechanism for detecting a connection state between the filling plug and the filling socket, wherein the detection mechanism outputs an output signal according to a connection state of the filling socket to the filling plug. A sensor that changes, and the control means determines that the filling socket is connected to the filling plug based on an output signal of the sensor. To control so as to prohibit the operation of the vehicle body.

  In the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the present invention, the filling plug is configured to be able to insert and remove the filling socket, and the detection mechanism is pushed by the filling socket when inserting the filling socket into the filling plug. The sensor may include a movable member that moves in a predetermined direction, the sensor may include a movable element that is pushed by the movement of the movable member, and the output signal may change when the movable element is pushed.

  In the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the present invention, the filling plug is configured to be able to insert and remove the filling socket, and the detection mechanism is pushed by the filling socket when inserting the filling socket into the filling plug. A moving member that moves in a predetermined direction, the sensor has a movable member whose pressed state is released by movement of the moving member, and the output signal changes when the pressed state of the movable member is released. The configuration may be as follows.

  The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the present invention may be configured to include an urging member for urging the moving member in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

  In the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the present invention, the moving member may be provided with a tubular portion, and one end of the urging member may be housed in the tubular portion.

  The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle key switch that detects a key-on state, and the control unit detects the key-on state of the vehicle key switch, and performs the charging based on an output signal of the sensor. When it is determined that the filling socket is connected to the plug, the control may be such that the operation of the vehicle body is prohibited.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it does not provide a filling lid in a fuel cell unit, and does not use the door of a cover, it can control so that an industrial vehicle may not run during filling of fuel gas.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a forklift as a fuel cell industrial vehicle according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an appearance of a fuel cell unit included in the forklift illustrated in FIG. 1. It is the figure which expanded the A section of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the detection mechanism from the direction orthogonal to the central axis direction of the filling plug. It is a front view which shows the positional relationship of a filling socket and a pushing plate at the time of assuming that the filling socket was connected to the filling plug. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration and processing contents of a control system of the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the first embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the detection mechanism with which the fuel cell type industrial vehicle concerning Embodiment 2 of the present invention was provided from the direction orthogonal to the central axis direction of the filling plug. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the detection mechanism shown in FIG. 7. It is the schematic explaining the 1st modification of a detection mechanism. It is the schematic explaining the 2nd modification of a detection mechanism. It is a schematic diagram explaining the 3rd modification of a detection mechanism.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the first embodiment, a fuel cell type forklift will be described as an example of a fuel cell type industrial vehicle. In the first embodiment, the directions of “front and rear”, “left and right”, and “up and down” are defined based on a state in which the operator sits on the driving seat of the forklift and faces the forward direction of the forklift.

(forklift)
FIG. 1 is a side view of a forklift as a fuel cell industrial vehicle according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the forklift 10 includes a vehicle body 11, a drive wheel 12 provided at a lower front part of the vehicle body 11, a steering wheel 13 provided at a lower rear part of the body 11, and a vehicle body 11. And a cargo handling device 14 provided at the front of the vehicle. The vehicle body 11 and the cargo handling device 14 constitute a vehicle body of the forklift 10. Further, in the front-rear direction of the forklift 10, the drive wheels 12 correspond to front wheels and the steered wheels 13 correspond to rear wheels.

  The cargo handling device 14 includes a mast 15, a lift cylinder 16, a fork 17, a lift bracket 18, and a pair of left and right tilt cylinders 19. The mast 15 is provided at a front part of the vehicle body part 11. The mast 15 has a pair of left and right outer masts 15a and a pair of left and right inner masts 15b. The lift cylinder 16 is provided at the rear of the pair of outer masts 15a. The lift bracket 18 is provided at the front of the mast 15 so as to be able to move up and down. The fork 17 is attached to a lift bracket 18 and moves up and down together with the lift bracket 18.

  The pair of left and right tilt cylinders 19 tilt the mast 15 in the front-rear direction, and are provided corresponding to the pair of left and right outer masts 15a. The base end of the tilt cylinder 19 is rotatably connected to the vehicle body 11. The tip of the tilt cylinder 19 is rotatably connected to the side surface of the outer mast 15a. The mast 15 tilts in the front-rear direction when the tilt cylinder 19 is driven to expand and contract.

  The cab 20 is provided in the forklift 10. An operator seat 21 is provided in the operator cab 20. On the front side of the operation seat 21, a handle 22, a lift lever 23, and a tilt lever 24 are provided. The handle 22 is a handle for changing the direction of the steered wheels 13. The lift lever 23 is a lever for moving the fork 17 up and down. The tilt lever 24 is a lever for tilting the mast 15 in the front-rear direction. An accelerator pedal 25 is provided on the floor of the cab 20. The accelerator pedal 25 is a pedal for adjusting the rotation speed of the drive wheels 12, that is, the traveling speed of the forklift 10. The traveling speed of the forklift 10 is adjusted according to the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 25.

  A fuel cell unit 26, a traveling motor 27, and a cargo handling motor 28 are mounted on the vehicle body 11. The fuel cell unit 26 includes a fuel cell (not shown). The fuel cell is connected to the fuel tank 31. The fuel tank 31 is provided in the fuel cell unit 26. The fuel tank 31 stores fuel gas necessary for the fuel cell to generate power.

  The fuel cell unit 26 is covered with a cover 29. The cover 29 is attached to a side surface of the vehicle body 11 in order to enhance the design of the forklift 10. The cover 29 is painted in the same color as the body 11. The cover 29 is provided with a door 30 that can be opened and closed.

  The traveling motor 27 is a driving source for rotating the driving wheels 12. Although not shown, the output shaft of the traveling motor 27 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive wheel 12 via a speed reducer. The cargo handling motor 28 is a driving source for moving the fork 17 up and down and tilting. The cargo handling motor 28 causes a lift cylinder 16 and a tilt cylinder 19 to expand and contract by driving a hydraulic pump (not shown).

(Fuel cell unit)
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an appearance of a fuel cell unit provided in the forklift shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. In FIG. 3, the housing of the fuel cell unit is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the inside of the housing is shown in a partially transparent state.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel cell unit 26 has a housing 32. The housing 32 is entirely formed in a rectangular parallelepiped. The fuel cell is provided inside the housing 32. One side of the housing 32 is covered with a plate 33. When the fuel cell unit 26 is mounted on the forklift 10, the plate 33 is arranged facing the side surface of the vehicle body 11. The plate 33 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. A window 34 for filling fuel gas is formed at one corner of the plate 33. The window 34 is formed by cutting out a part of the plate 33.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the back side of the window 34 is a space 35 that is recessed from the plate 33. In the first embodiment, the fuel cell unit 26 is not provided with a filling lid. For this reason, even if the cover 29 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the vehicle body 11 as described above, it does not form a double door. A filling plug 36 is arranged in the space 35. The filling plug 36 is a plug for filling the fuel tank 31 of the forklift 10 with hydrogen. The door 30 of the cover 29 shown in FIG. 1 is provided at the position of the filling plug 36 of the fuel cell unit 26. Therefore, when the door 30 is opened, the filling plug 36 of the fuel cell unit 26 is exposed to the outside. The filling plug 36 is connected to the fuel tank 31 via a fuel gas supply passage (not shown). The filling plug 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A cap (not shown) is attached to the filling plug 36. This cap is attached to the tip of the filling plug 36 so as to close the receiving port 38 of the filling plug 36 except at the time of filling.

  On the other hand, the filling socket 41 is a fuel gas supply socket. The above-described filling plug 36 is configured so that the filling socket 41 can be connected thereto. In the first embodiment, the filling plug 36 is configured so that the filling socket 41 can be inserted and removed. The filling socket 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the filling socket 41 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the filling plug 36. The filling socket 41 is provided at the tip of a hose 42 for supplying hydrogen. The hose 42 is connected to a dispenser of a hydrogen station (not shown), and hydrogen is sent from the dispenser to the filling socket 41 through the hose 42.

  When connecting the filling socket 41 to the filling plug 36, the cap is removed from the filling plug 36 to expose the receiving port 38, and the tip of the filling socket 41 is inserted into the receiving port 38. When the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the connection state between the two is locked by a lock mechanism (not shown), and the fuel tank 31 is filled with hydrogen in this state. On the other hand, when removing the filling socket 41 from the filling plug 36, the lock by the lock mechanism is released and the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36.

(Detection mechanism)
In addition, the fuel cell unit 26 includes a detection mechanism 45 that detects a connection state between the filling plug 36 and the filling socket 41, as shown in FIGS. There are two states of connection between the filling plug 36 and the filling socket 41. One is a state in which the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, and the other is a state in which the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36. That is, the detection mechanism 45 is a mechanism for detecting whether the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36.

  The detection mechanism 45 includes a push plate 51 disposed in the vicinity of the filling plug 36, a hinge 52 movably supporting the push plate 51, and a limit switch that changes an output signal when pressed by the push plate 51. 53, a spring member 54 for pushing back the pushing plate 51, and a limiting plate 55 for limiting the movable range of the pushing plate 51.

(Push plate)
The pushing plate 51 corresponds to a moving member that is pushed by the filling socket 41 and moves in a predetermined direction when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36.
FIG. 5 is a front view showing the positional relationship between the filling socket and the push plate when the filling socket is connected to the filling plug. In FIG. 5, the outer peripheral shape of the tip portion of the filling socket when viewed from the center axis direction of the filling plug is indicated by a two-dot chain line.
The position of the pushing plate 51 in the center axis direction of the filling plug 36 is set so that the pushing plate 51 can be pushed inward at the distal end of the filling socket 41 when the filling socket 41 is inserted into and connected to the filling plug 36. A predetermined distance from the receiving port 38 is set on the back side.

  The push plate 51 is formed with a semicircular escape portion 61. The relief portion 61 is curved in a semicircular shape along the outer peripheral shape of the filling plug 36. The escape portion 61 is disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the filling plug 36.

  On the other hand, the tip of the filling socket 41 connected to the filling plug 36 projects radially outward of the filling plug 36 from the relief portion 61 of the pushing plate 51 when viewed from the center axis direction of the filling plug 36. Placed. For this reason, the filling socket 41 and the pushing plate 51 are arranged so as to overlap each other outside the escape portion 61. Therefore, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the tip of the filling socket 41 comes into contact with the pushing plate 51 in the middle of the insertion, whereby the pushing plate 51 is pushed inward.

(hinge)
As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge 52 has a shaft portion 62 and a pair of wing portions 63 and 64 that can rotate around the shaft portion 62. The push plate 51 is attached to the wing portion 63 by, for example, welding. The push plate 51 is supported so as to be rotatable about a shaft portion 62 of a hinge 52. The push plate 51 hangs from the hinge 52 by its own weight. The wing portion 64 is attached to the bracket 65 by, for example, welding. The bracket 65 is formed by an L-shaped plate. The bracket 65 is fixed to the plug mounting plate 68 by a bolt 67. The plug mounting plate 68 is fixed to the housing 32 of the fuel cell unit 26.

(Limit switch)
The limit switch 53 corresponds to a sensor whose output signal changes according to the connection state of the filling socket 41 to the filling plug 36. The output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned on when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, and is turned off when the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36. Therefore, when the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned on, and when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is outputted. It turns off.

  The limit switch 53 is mounted on a plug mounting plate 68 using a pair of nuts 70, as shown in FIG. The pair of nuts 70 is engaged with a male screw (not shown) formed on the body of the limit switch 53. The pair of nuts 70 fix the limit switch 53 to the plug mounting plate 68 by sandwiching the plug mounting plate 68 from both sides in the plate thickness direction. The filling plug 36 is mounted on a plug mounting plate 68 using a pair of nuts 75. The mounting position of the limit switch 53 in the center axis direction of the filling plug 36 can be adjusted by appropriately loosening and retightening the pair of nuts 70. The limit switch 53 is arranged above the filling plug 36. The limit switch 53 has a mover 71. The mover 71 is movable in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the plug mounting plate 68 (the left-right direction in FIG. 4). The mover 71 is urged in one direction (to the left in FIG. 4) by a return spring built in the limit switch 53.

  Here, of the two main surfaces 51a and 51b of the pushing plate 51, a surface facing the outside of the housing 32 is referred to as a front surface 51a, and a surface facing the inside of the housing 32 is referred to as a back surface 51b. The moving plate 51 is arranged to face the back surface 51b. Further, in a state where the pushing plate 51 is arranged at the initial position (details will be described later), the movable element 71 of the limit switch 53 is arranged close to the back surface 51 b of the pushing plate 51. Then, when the push plate 51 moves counterclockwise in FIG. 4 around the shaft portion 62 of the hinge 52, the mover 71 is pushed by the push plate 51, whereby the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned off. From the ON state to the ON state.

(Spring member)
The spring member 54 corresponds to an urging member that urges the pressing plate 51 in the clockwise direction in FIG. The spring member 54 is arranged between the pushing plate 51 and the plug mounting plate 68 in the center axis direction of the filling plug 36. The spring member 54 is configured by a compression coil spring. The spring member 54 generates a spring force that pushes the pressing plate 51 back to the near side by compressively deforming the pressing plate 51 when pressed by the distal end portion of the filling socket 41 to the back side. Further, when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the spring member 54 generates a spring force for holding the push plate 51 at an initial position (details will be described later).

  The spring member 54 is supported by a support pin 72. The support pins 72 are fixed to the plug mounting plate 68. The support pin 72 protrudes in the thickness direction of the plug mounting plate 68, and the spring member 54 is mounted on the protruding portion. Further, a cylindrical portion 73 is provided on the back surface 51 b of the push plate 51. The cylindrical portion 73 may be formed integrally with the pushing plate 51 or may be fixed to the pushing plate 51 by bonding, screwing, or the like. One end of the spring member 54 is housed in the cylindrical portion 73. The cylindrical portion 73 suppresses the displacement of the spring member 54 with respect to the pressing plate 51.

(Limited plate)
The restriction plate 55 is attached to the plug attachment plate 68. The restriction plate 55 may be formed integrally with the bracket 65, or may be attached to the plug attachment plate 68 as a member separate from the bracket 65. The limiting plate 55 has an abutting portion 74 integrally. The butting portion 74 is arranged on the surface 51 a side of the push plate 51. The butting portion 74 protrudes downward. The movable range of the push plate 51 is limited by the contact of the surface 51 a of the push plate 51 with the butting portion 74 of the limiting plate 55. The initial position of the push plate 51 is uniquely determined by the surface 51 a of the push plate 51 abutting against the abutting portion 74 of the limiting plate 55. At that time, the pressing plate 51 is held in a state of being abutted against the abutting portion 74 by the urging force of the spring member 54. The initial position of the pushing plate 51 refers to the position of the pushing plate 51 when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36. Specifically, the surface 51a of the pushing plate 51 The position of the push plate 51 when the pressing plate 51 is in contact with the contact portion 74 by the urging force.

(Operation of detection mechanism)
Next, the operation of the detection mechanism 45 will be described.
First, when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the pushing plate 51 is pressed against the contact portion 74 of the limiting plate 55 by receiving the urging force of the spring member 54, so that the pushing plate 51 is pressed. Is held in the initial position. When the push plate 51 is at the initial position, the movable element 71 of the limit switch 53 is held in a state of being protruded by a predetermined amount by the urging force of the return spring. Therefore, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned off.

  On the other hand, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the tip of the filling socket 41 comes into contact with the surface 51 a of the push plate 51 during the insertion. When the filling socket 41 is further inserted, the pushing plate 51 is pushed by the filling socket 41 and moves in the counterclockwise direction about the shaft portion 62 in FIG. At this time, the spring member 54 is pressed by the pressing plate 51 and is compressed and deformed. When the push plate 51 moves as described above, the back surface 51b of the push plate 51 contacts the mover 71 of the limit switch 53, and in this state, the mover 71 is pushed by the push plate 51. Therefore, the output signal of the limit switch 53 changes from the off state to the on state.

  When the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36, the pushing plate 51 moves clockwise about the shaft portion 62 in FIG. 4 while receiving the urging force of the spring member 54. At this time, the pushing plate 51 moves until it abuts against the abutting portion 74 of the limiting plate 55 by the urging force of the spring member 54. For this reason, the spring member 54 has a function of returning the push plate 51 to the initial position. On the other hand, the mover 71 of the limit switch 53 moves to the left in FIG. Therefore, the output signal of the limit switch 53 changes from the on state to the off state.

  As described above, in the detection mechanism 45, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned on, and when the filling plug 36 is pulled out from the filling socket 41, the output of the limit switch 53 is output. The signal is turned off. Therefore, by monitoring the output signal of the limit switch 53, it is possible to detect whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration and processing of the control system of the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the first embodiment.
First, a forklift 10 as a fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the first embodiment includes an FC controller 81 and a vehicle controller 82. The FC controller 81 controls the operation of the fuel cell unit 26 and is provided in the fuel cell unit. The vehicle controller 82 controls the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 and is provided on the vehicle body. The FC controller 81 and the vehicle controller 82 constitute control means for controlling the operation of the vehicle body based on the detection result of the detection mechanism 45.

  The limit switch 53 and the vehicle key switch 83 are electrically connected to the FC controller 81. The output signal of the limit switch 53 and the output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 are individually input to the FC controller 81. The vehicle key switch 83 is a switch that detects a key-on state. The key-on state refers to a case where the output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 is on. The output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 switches according to the key operation of the vehicle key by the operator. More specifically, an output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 is output from a stop position to a key-on position by an operator inserting a vehicle key into a key cylinder (not shown) provided around the handle 22 of the cab 20. Turn to turn on, and return to stop to turn off. Therefore, when the vehicle key switch 83 detects the key-on state, the output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 is turned on.

  The FC controller 81 performs CAN (Controller Area Network) communication 85 with the vehicle controller 82 and outputs a power supply line 86 and a permission line 87 to the vehicle controller 82. The CAN communication 85 is a communication network for exchanging various information required for controlling the forklift 10 between the FC controller 81 and the vehicle controller 82. The power supply line 86 and the permission line 87 are lines connecting the FC controller 81 and the vehicle controller 82, respectively. The power supply line 86 is a line for supplying electric power generated by the fuel cell of the fuel cell unit 26 to the forklift 10 on the vehicle side. The permission line 87 is a line for permitting the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10. The operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 includes a traveling operation by the vehicle body 11 and a cargo handling operation by the cargo handling device 14. The traveling operation is an operation executed by the rotation of the driving wheels 12, and the cargo handling operation is an operation executed by driving the lift cylinder 16 and the tilt cylinder 19.

  In the above control configuration, when the operator inserts the vehicle key into the key cylinder and turns it from the stop position to the key-on position, the output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 switches from the off state to the on state. Thus, the vehicle key switch 83 is in a state of detecting the key-on state. In this situation, an ON signal is output from the vehicle key switch 83 to the FC controller 81. Then, the FC controller 81 which has received the ON signal from the vehicle key switch 83 determines whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36 based on the output signal of the limit switch 53. At this time, if the output signal of the limit switch 53 is off, the FC controller 81 determines that the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, and if the output signal of the limit switch 53 is on, It is determined that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36. When determining that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the FC controller 81 cuts off the permission line 87. When the FC controller 81 determines that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36 under the condition that the vehicle key switch 83 detects the key-on state, the case where the output signal of the vehicle key switch 83 and the limit This means a case where both the output signals of the switches 53 are turned on, that is, a case where the AND condition shown in FIG. 6 is satisfied.

  When the permission line 87 is cut off by the FC controller 81 as described above, the vehicle controller 82 prohibits the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10. As a result, the traveling operation and the cargo handling operation of the forklift 10 cannot be performed. When the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 is prohibited by the vehicle controller 82 in this manner, even if the operator depresses the accelerator pedal 25, the drive wheel 12 does not rotate without stopping, and if the operator temporarily lifts the lift lever 23 or the tilt Even if the lever 24 is operated, the lift cylinder 16 and the tilt cylinder 19 are not driven while stopped.

<Effect of First Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, a configuration is employed in which the output signal of the limit switch 53, which is a component of the detection mechanism 45, changes according to the insertion and removal of the filling socket 41 with respect to the filling plug 36. When the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned on, the FC controller 81 determines that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36 and controls the forklift 10 to prohibit the operation of the vehicle body. Thus, even if the fuel cell unit 26 is not provided with a filling lid and the forklift 10 travels during the filling of the fuel gas without switching the output signal of the limit switch using the door 30 of the cover 29. You can control not to. Further, in the first embodiment, since the fuel cell unit 26 is not provided with the filling lid, even if the cover 29 is attached to the vehicle body 11, the door does not become a double door. Therefore, complication of the filling operation by the double door can be avoided. Further, since the output signal of the limit switch 53 switches regardless of the opening / closing operation of the door 30 of the cover 29, it is not necessary to finely adjust the position of the limit switch 53 in accordance with the position of the door 30 of the cover 29.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, a pushing plate 51 which is pushed and moved by the filling socket 41 is provided in the detection mechanism 45, and the movement is limited by the movement of the pushing plate 51. A configuration in which the output signal of the switch 53 changes is employed. Thereby, the degree of freedom of the position where the limit switch 53 is mounted can be increased.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when the pushing plate 51 is moved by being pushed by the filling socket 41 inserted into the filling plug 36, the pushing plate 51 is pushed back by the urging force of the spring member 54. ing. Thereby, when the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36, the pushing plate 51 can be pushed back by using the urging force of the spring member 54. Therefore, the output signal of the limit switch 53 can be reliably changed in accordance with the insertion / removal of the filling socket 41 with respect to the filling plug 36. Further, it is possible to push back the push plate 51 only by the urging force of the return spring built in the limit switch 53 without providing the spring member 54 in the detection mechanism 45, but in this case, the load applied to the return spring , The life of the limit switch 53 may be shortened. On the other hand, when the spring member 54 is provided, the load on the return spring is greatly reduced, so that the life of the limit switch 53 can be extended.

  Further, in the first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the cylindrical portion 73 is provided on the pressing plate 51, and one end of the spring member 54 is accommodated in the cylindrical portion 73. Accordingly, when the pushing plate 51 moves counterclockwise or clockwise around the shaft portion 62 in response to the insertion and removal of the filling socket 41 with respect to the filling plug 36, the spring member 54 with respect to the pushing plate 51 is moved. The displacement can be suppressed, and the urging force of the spring member 54 can be reliably transmitted to the push plate 51.

Embodiment 2
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the detection mechanism for detecting the connection state between the filling plug 36 and the filling socket 41.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a detection mechanism included in the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, as viewed from a direction orthogonal to a center axis direction of a filling plug.
As shown in FIG. 7, the detection mechanism 100 includes a push plate 101 disposed near the filling plug 36, a hinge 102 movably supporting the push plate 101, and an output signal by the movement of the push plate 101. , A spring member 104 for pushing back the push plate 101, and a limit plate 105 for limiting the movable range of the push plate 101.

(Push plate)
The pushing plate 101 corresponds to a moving member that is pushed by the filling socket 41 and moves in a predetermined direction when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36. FIG. 7 shows a state before the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, and thus the filling socket 41 is not displayed. Similar to the pushing plate 51 described in the first embodiment, a semicircular relief portion (not shown) is formed on the pushing plate 101. The upper portion 109 of the push plate 101 extends above the position of the hinge 102. A contact 110 is attached to the upper part 109 of the push plate 101. The contact 110 has a bolt 110a and a nut 110b for fixing the bolt 110a to the upper part 109 of the push plate 101. The screw portion 110c of the bolt 110a penetrates the push plate 101 and protrudes to the opposite side of the bolt 110a.

(hinge)
The hinge 102 has a shaft portion 112 and a pair of wing portions 113 and 114 that can rotate around the shaft portion 112. The push plate 101 is attached to the wing 113 by welding or the like. The push plate 101 is supported so as to be rotatable around a shaft 112 of the hinge 102. The wing 114 is attached to the bracket 115 by welding or the like. The bracket 115 is constituted by an L-shaped plate. The bracket 115 is fixed to the plug mounting plate 118 by a bolt 117. The plug mounting plate 118 is fixed to the housing 32 of the fuel cell unit 26.

(Limit switch)
The limit switch 103 corresponds to a sensor whose output signal changes according to the connection state of the filling socket 41 to the filling plug 36. The output signal of the limit switch 103 is turned off when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, and turned on when the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36. Therefore, when the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned off, and when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 53 is turned off. It turns on.

  The limit switch 103 is mounted on the plug mounting plate 118 using a pair of nuts 120. The pair of nuts 120 is engaged with a male screw (not shown) formed on the body of the limit switch 103. The pair of nuts 120 fix the limit switch 103 to the plug mounting plate 118 by sandwiching the plug mounting plate 118 from both sides in the plate thickness direction. The filling plug 36 is mounted on the plug mounting plate 118 using a pair of nuts 75. The limit switch 103 is disposed above the hinge 102 so as to face the contact 110. The limit switch 103 has a mover 121. The mover 121 is movable in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the plug mounting plate 118 (the left-right direction in FIG. 7). The mover 121 is urged in one direction (to the left in FIG. 7) by a return spring built into the limit switch 103. The contact element 110 is in contact with the movable element 121. Adjustment of the position between the mover 121 of the limit switch 103 and the push plate 101 is performed by the bolt 110a and the nut 110b of the contact 110. Specifically, in a state where the surface 101a of the push plate 101 is in contact with the abutting portion 124 of the limit plate 105 (details will be described later), a desired state in which the movable element 121 of the limit switch 103 is pushed in by a predetermined amount. By tightening the bolt 110a so that the position of the movable element 121 and the push plate 101 is finely adjusted, the bolt 110a is fixed to the push plate 101 by tightening the nut 110b. This makes it easy to adjust the positions of the limit switch 103 and the push plate 101.

  FIG. 7 shows a state where the push plate 101 is arranged at the initial position. In the arrangement state shown in FIG. 7, the screw portion 110 c of the bolt 110 a, which is one of the components of the mover 121, comes into contact with the mover 121, whereby the mover 121 is pushed into the main body of the limit switch 103 by a predetermined amount. Have been. The predetermined amount described here is used to switch the output signal of the limit switch 103 from the off state to the on state when the mover 121 is pushed in against the urging force of the return spring built in the limit switch 103. Refers to the required amount. Therefore, in the arrangement state shown in FIG. 7, the output signal of the limit switch 103 is on. On the other hand, when the pushing plate 101 moves in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 7 around the shaft portion 112 of the hinge 102, as shown in FIG. Displaced in a direction away from 103. At this time, the mover 121 of the limit switch 103 follows the displacement of the contact 110 and protrudes leftward in FIG. 8 by the urging force of a return spring (not shown). As a result, the output signal of the limit switch 103 changes from the on state to the off state.

(Spring member)
The spring member 104 corresponds to an urging member that urges the pressing plate 101 clockwise in FIG. The spring member 104 is arranged between the pushing plate 101 and the plug mounting plate 118 in the center axis direction of the filling plug 36. The spring member 104 is constituted by a compression coil spring. The spring member 104 compresses and deforms when the pushing plate 101 is pushed to the back side by the distal end of the filling socket 41, thereby generating a spring force for pushing the pushing plate 101 back to the near side. The spring member 104 generates a spring force for holding the pushing plate 101 at the initial position when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36.

  The spring member 104 is supported by a support pin 122. The support pins 122 are fixed to the plug mounting plate 118. The support pin 122 protrudes in the thickness direction of the plug mounting plate 118, and the spring member 104 is mounted on this protruding portion. Further, of the two main surfaces 101a and 101b of the push plate 101, a surface facing the outside of the housing 32 (see FIG. 2) is defined as a front surface 101a, and a surface facing the inside of the housing 32 is defined as a back surface 101b. A cylindrical portion 123 is provided on the back surface 101b. The tubular portion 123 may be formed integrally with the push plate 101 or may be fixed to the push plate 101 by bonding, screwing, or the like. One end of the spring member 104 is housed in the cylindrical portion 123. The cylindrical portion 123 suppresses the displacement of the spring member 104 with respect to the push plate 101.

(Limited plate)
The limiting plate 105 is mounted on the plug mounting plate 118. The restriction plate 105 may be formed integrally with the bracket 115, or may be attached to the plug attachment plate 118 as a member separate from the bracket 115. The limiting plate 105 has the butting portion 124 integrally. Reference numeral 124 is arranged on the front surface 101 a side of the push plate 101. In addition, the butting portion 124 protrudes downward. The movable range of the push plate 101 is limited by the contact of the surface 101 a of the push plate 101 with the butting portion 124 of the limiting plate 105. Further, the initial position of the push plate 101 is uniquely determined by the surface 101 a of the push plate 101 abutting against the abutting portion 124 of the limiting plate 105. At that time, the pressing plate 101 is held in a state of being abutted against the abutting portion 124 by the urging force of the spring member 104. The initial position of the push plate 101 refers to the position of the push plate 101 when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36. Specifically, the surface 101a of the push plate 101 It refers to the position of the push plate 101 when it is abutting against the abutting portion 124 by the urging force.

(Operation of detection mechanism)
Next, an operation of the detection mechanism 100 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 7, when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the pressing plate 101 receives the urging force of the spring member 104 and is pressed against the contact portion 124 of the limiting plate 105. Thus, the push plate 101 is held at the initial position. When the push plate 101 is at the initial position, the contact 110 pushes the movable member 121 of the limit switch 103 by a predetermined amount against the urging force of a return spring (not shown) incorporated in the limit switch 103. State. Therefore, the output signal of the limit switch 103 is turned on. The pushing force by the contact 110 is obtained by the urging force of the spring member 104 arranged on the opposite side of the hinge 110 from the contact 110 with the shaft 112 therebetween.

  On the other hand, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the tip of the filling socket 41 comes into contact with the surface 101 a of the push plate 101 during the insertion. Then, when the filling socket 41 is further inserted, the pushing plate 101 is pushed by the filling socket 41 and moves in the counterclockwise direction about the shaft portion 112 in FIG. At this time, the spring member 104 is pressed by the pressing plate 101 and is compressed and deformed. When the push plate 101 moves as described above, the contact 110 is displaced in a direction away from the limit switch 103 in accordance with the inclination of the push plate 101. At this time, the mover 121 of the limit switch 103 follows the displacement of the contact 110 and protrudes leftward in FIG. 8 by the urging force of a return spring (not shown). As a result, the output signal of the limit switch 103 changes from the on state to the off state.

  When the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36, the pushing plate 101 moves clockwise around the shaft 112 in FIG. 8 while receiving the urging force of the spring member 104. At this time, the pushing plate 101 moves until it abuts against the abutting portion 124 of the limiting plate 105 by the urging force of the spring member 104. Therefore, the spring member 104 has a function of returning the push plate 101 to the initial position. On the other hand, the upper part 109 of the push plate 101 and the contact 110 attached thereto are displaced in a direction approaching the limit switch 103 as the push plate 101 moves. For this reason, the movable element 121 of the limit switch 103 is pushed in by a predetermined amount by the contact element 110, whereby the output signal of the limit switch 103 changes from the off state to the on state.

  As described above, in the detection mechanism 100 according to the second embodiment, when the filling socket 41 is inserted into the filling plug 36, the output signal of the limit switch 103 is turned off, and the filling socket 41 is pulled out from the filling plug 36. Then, the output signal of the limit switch 103 is turned on. Therefore, by monitoring the output signal of the limit switch 103, it is possible to detect whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36. In the control system of the fuel cell industrial vehicle according to the second embodiment, the FC controller 81 determines that the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36 if the output signal of the limit switch 103 is on. If it is determined that the output signal of the limit switch 103 is off, it is determined that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36. When the FC controller 81 determines that the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the FC controller 81 shuts off the permission line 87 so as to prohibit the operation (running operation and cargo handling operation) of the vehicle body of the forklift 10. When such a configuration is employed, for example, when a problem such as dropping of the limit switch 103 occurs, the output signal of the limit switch 103 is held in the same state as when the filling socket 41 is connected, that is, in the off state. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an error that the operation of the vehicle body is erroneously permitted while the fuel gas is being charged. Therefore, it is possible to provide a fuel cell type industrial vehicle in which the configuration for controlling the industrial vehicle so as not to run during the charging of the fuel gas is more robust.

<Modifications>
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes various modifications and improvements as long as specific effects obtained by the constituent features of the invention and combinations thereof can be derived.

For example, in the first and second embodiments, the detection mechanisms 45 and 100 are configured such that the push plates 51 and 101 are used as moving members, and the limit switches 53 and 103 are moved by the movement of the push plates 51 and 101. Is adopted, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the lever 90 is rotatably supported by a hinge 91, and is pushed by a filling socket 41 inserted into the filling plug 36 to move the lever 90 in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. A configuration in which the mover 93 of the limit switch 92 is pushed may be employed. Although not shown, a configuration may be employed in which the movable element of the limit switch is pushed by using a cam mechanism or a link mechanism, or the filling socket 41 inserted into the filling plug 36 directly pushes the movable element of the limit switch. A configuration may be adopted.
In the first and second embodiments, the pair of nuts 70 and 120 that support the limit switches 53 and 103 are connected to the plug mounting plates 68 and 118 using one nut. , 103 or the limit switches 53, 103 can be fixed to the plug mounting plates 68, 118 by welding directly without using a nut.

  Further, the sensor included in the detection mechanism 45 or the detection mechanism 100 is not limited to a contact type sensor such as a limit switch, and may be a non-contact type sensor. As the non-contact type sensor, for example, a distance sensor 94 shown in FIG. 10 or an optical sensor 95 shown in FIG. 11 can be used.

  In FIG. 10, a distance sensor 94 is provided near the filling plug 36. The distance sensor 94 has a light emitting unit 94a and a light receiving unit 94b. The distance sensor 94 outputs a sensor signal corresponding to a time difference from when light is emitted from the light emitting unit 94a toward the measurement target to when light reflected by the measurement target is received by the light receiving unit 94b. Therefore, the output signal of the distance sensor 94 changes according to the distance from the light emitting unit 91a to the measurement target. On the other hand, the measurement object changes depending on whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36. Specifically, when the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the filling plug 36 becomes a measurement target, and when the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the filling socket 41 becomes a measurement target. Things. For this reason, the output signal of the distance sensor 94 changes according to the connection state of the filling socket 41 to the filling plug 36. Therefore, whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36 can be detected based on the output signal of the distance sensor 94.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 11, an optical sensor 95 is provided near the filling plug 36, corresponding to the insertion position of the filling socket 41 into the filling plug 36. The optical sensor 95 is a transmission type optical sensor having a light emitting unit 95a and a light receiving unit 95b. A sensor optical axis 96 exists between the light emitting section 95a and the light receiving section 95b, and the light emitting section 95a and the light receiving section 95b face each other via the sensor optical axis 96. The output signal of the optical sensor 95 is turned on when the light emitted from the light emitting unit 95a is received by the light receiving unit 95b, and is turned off when the light is not received by the light receiving unit 95b. The sensor optical axis 96 is set at a position blocked by the filling socket 41 inserted into the filling plug 36. For this reason, when the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36, the sensor light emitted from the light emitting unit 95a is blocked by the filling socket 41, and the output signal of the optical sensor 95 is turned off. When the filling socket 41 is not connected to the filling plug 36, the sensor light emitted from the light emitting unit 95a is received by the light receiving unit 95b, so that the output signal of the optical sensor 95 is turned on. Therefore, the output signal of the optical sensor 95 changes according to the connection state of the filling socket 41 to the filling plug 36. Therefore, whether or not the filling socket 41 is connected to the filling plug 36 can be detected based on the output signal of the optical sensor 95. Although a transmissive optical sensor is illustrated here, a reflective optical sensor can also be used.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the spring member 54 as the urging member is disposed between the pushing plate 51 and the plug mounting plate 68. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, a configuration in which a torsion coil spring as an urging member is attached to the hinge 52 (see FIG. 4) may be employed. Further, the biasing member is not limited to the spring member, and may be, for example, rubber having high elasticity. This is the same for the second embodiment.

  Further, in the first embodiment, when the output signal of the limit switch 53 is in the ON state in a situation where the vehicle key switch 83 detects the key-on state, the FC controller 81 shuts off the permission line 87. Although the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 is prohibited by performing the operation, the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 may be prohibited by cutting off the power supply line 86 instead of the permission line 87, for example. . The point that the power supply line 86 is cut off instead of the permission line 87 is also applicable to the second embodiment.

In the first and second embodiments, when the permission line 87 is cut off by the FC controller 81, the operation of the vehicle body of the forklift 10 prohibited by the vehicle controller 82 includes the traveling operation and the cargo handling operation. Although both are described, the invention is not limited thereto, and only the traveling operation may be prohibited.
In the first embodiment, the FC controller 81 and the vehicle controller 82 are provided separately, but may be controlled by one controller. This is the same for the second embodiment.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the configuration in which the fuel cell unit 26 is not provided with the filling lid is employed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and even when the configuration in which the fuel cell unit 26 is provided with the filling lid is employed. In addition, it is possible to control the industrial vehicle so as not to run while the fuel gas is being charged. This is the same for the second embodiment. However, in order to simplify the filling operation of the operator, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the filling lid is not provided.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the configuration in which the cover 29 is attached to the vehicle body 11 is adopted, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the cover 29 is not attached may be adopted. This is the same for the second embodiment. However, in order to enhance the design of the forklift 10, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the cover 29 is attached.

  Further, in the first embodiment, a fuel cell type forklift has been described as an example of a fuel cell type industrial vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this. May be applied to the fuel cell type industrial vehicle. This is the same for the second embodiment.

  Reference Signs List 10 forklift (fuel cell type industrial vehicle), 11 body part (vehicle body), 14 cargo handling device (vehicle body), 26 fuel cell unit, 31 fuel tank, 36 filling plug, 41 filling socket, 45, 100 detection mechanism, 51 , 101 push plate (moving member), 53, 103 limit switch (sensor), 54, 104 spring member (biasing member), 71, 121 mover, 73, 123 cylinder, 81 FC controller (control means), 82 vehicle controller (control means), 83 vehicle key switch.

Claims (6)

A fuel cell unit having a fuel cell,
A fuel tank provided in the fuel cell unit, for storing fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell;
A vehicle body on which the fuel cell unit is mounted;
Control means for controlling the operation of the vehicle body,
With
The fuel cell unit,
A plug for filling the fuel tank with the fuel gas, the filling plug being connectable to a filling socket for supplying a fuel gas,
A detection mechanism for detecting a connection state between the filling plug and the filling socket,
With
The detection mechanism has a sensor whose output signal changes according to a connection state of the filling socket to the filling plug,
The fuel cell type industrial vehicle, wherein the control means controls to prohibit the operation of the vehicle main body when it is determined that the filling socket is connected to the filling plug based on the output signal of the sensor. The filling plug is configured to be able to insert and remove the filling socket,
The detection mechanism has a moving member that is pushed by the filling socket and moves in a predetermined direction when inserting the filling socket into the filling plug,
The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a movable element that is pushed by the movement of the moving member, and the output signal changes when the movable element is pushed. The filling plug is configured to be able to insert and remove the filling socket,
The detection mechanism has a moving member that is pushed by the filling socket and moves in a predetermined direction when inserting the filling socket into the filling plug,
The fuel cell industry according to claim 1, wherein the sensor has a movable element whose pressed state is released by the movement of the moving member, and the output signal changes when the pressed state of the movable element is released. vehicle. The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising an urging member that urges the moving member in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. A cylinder portion is provided on the moving member,
The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to claim 4, wherein one end of the urging member is housed in the cylindrical portion. Equipped with a vehicle key switch that detects the key on state,
The control means, when the vehicle key switch detects the key-on state, and determines that the filling socket is connected to the filling plug based on the output signal of the sensor, the operation of the vehicle body The fuel cell industrial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control is performed so as to be prohibited.

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