JP2022080070A - Industrial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an industrial vehicle which prevents an operator from blocking the detection range of an obstacle detection unit while securing an operator work space even when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle.SOLUTION: The industrial vehicle comprises: a vehicle body 11; and a head guard 33 installed on an upper part of the vehicle body 11. The vehicle body 11 includes a driver seat 17 in one region with respect to a reference line for dividing the vehicle body 11 into one and the other regions in a vehicle width direction. An obstacle detection unit 40 that detects an obstacle of the vehicle body 11 is provided at the head guard 33 so as to be positioned in the other region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an industrial vehicle, and more particularly to an industrial vehicle provided with an obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle body.

In recent years, a forklift equipped with a camera that images the rear of a vehicle has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a driver's seat is provided on the right side of the vehicle body, and a pair of cameras are attached to the rear part of the head guard of the forklift. Then, the image taken by the camera is projected on the display provided between the cargo handling device and the driver's seat. By looking at the camera image displayed on the display, the operator can check the rear view while keeping the forward posture.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-298177

However, the forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 merely displays the captured image captured by the camera on the display. Therefore, the camera attached to the head guard can be a small camera, and the camera does not obstruct the operator's work space.

On the other hand, as an obstacle detection unit, for example, a camera unit is known. The camera unit includes a camera that acquires an image by shooting, an image processing unit that processes an image taken by the camera, and a discriminating unit that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle by image processing. A camera used in an obstacle detection unit for an industrial vehicle is required to have a large angle of view in order to secure a wide detection range while suppressing distortion, for example. If the required performance is to be satisfied, the size of the camera will be larger than that of the simple camera disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, there is a problem that the worker in the operator's work space interferes with the obstacle detection unit, and the obstacle detection is hindered by the worker. In particular, an obstacle detection unit that employs a stereo camera is likely to be larger because it includes a plurality of camera units.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is that even when an obstacle is detected by an obstacle detection unit, the operator can secure an operator's work space and the operator can detect the obstacle. The purpose is to provide industrial vehicles that do not interfere with the detection range of the detection unit.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention relates to an industrial vehicle comprising a vehicle body and a head guard provided on the upper portion of the vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body is one region of the vehicle body and the other in the vehicle width direction. A driver's seat is provided in one of the regions with respect to a reference line divided into regions, and an obstacle detection unit for detecting obstacles around the vehicle body is provided in the head guard so as to be located in the other region. It is characterized by being.

In the present invention, the vehicle body is provided with a driver's seat in one region with respect to a reference line that divides the vehicle body into one region and the other region in the vehicle width direction. Further, an obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle around the vehicle body is provided on the head guard so as to be located in the other region. Therefore, the operator's work space is secured without being obstructed by the obstacle detection unit, and the detection range of the obstacle detection unit is not obstructed by the operator, and the obstacle detection unit detects obstacles around the vehicle body. Can be detected.

Further, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the obstacle detection unit may be configured to be provided below the lower surface of the head guard.
In this case, since the obstacle detection unit is provided below the lower surface of the head guard, it is possible to detect obstacles in the vicinity of the road surface behind the vehicle body.

Further, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the vehicle body includes a driver's seat on one side of the center of the rear portion of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, and the obstacle detection unit includes a camera unit for photographing the rear of the vehicle body. The camera unit may be provided at a position that does not include the driver's seat within the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit.
In this case, since the angle of view of the camera unit of the obstacle detection unit does not include the driver's seat, the detection range of the obstacle detection unit is not obstructed by the driver's seat operator.

Further, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the obstacle detection unit includes a unit control unit that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by image processing the captured image captured by the camera unit, the camera unit, and the camera unit. It may be configured to have a unit case for accommodating the unit control unit.
In this case, the obstacle detection unit can acquire the captured image, process the image of the captured image, and determine the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by the image processing.

Further, in the above-mentioned industrial vehicle, the obstacle detection unit may be provided on the head guard via a bracket.
In this case, since the obstacle detection unit is provided on the head guard via the bracket, the obstacle detection unit can be provided below the lower surface of the head guard. It is not necessary to provide an obstacle detection unit on the vehicle body via a bracket, and the upper surface of the rear part of the vehicle body on the side other than the center in the vehicle width direction can be effectively used as a mounting surface for mounting documents and small items, for example. Can be done.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide an industrial vehicle in which an operator does not interfere with the detection range of the obstacle detection unit while securing a work space for the operator even when the obstacle detection unit detects an obstacle.

It is a perspective view which looked at the reach type forklift which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the right rear. It is a main part plan view of the reach type forklift which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the obstacle detection unit. It is a side view of the reach type forklift which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a main part plan view of the reach type forklift which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the forklift as an industrial vehicle according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is an example of applying the present invention to a standing reach type forklift.

The reach type forklift (hereinafter, simply referred to as “forklift”) 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a mast device 13 that can move forward and backward between a pair of leg arms 12 provided at the front portion of the vehicle body 11. The mast device 13 is a device for cargo handling. The leg arm 12 is provided with a front wheel 14, and the rear portion of the vehicle body 11 is provided with a rear wheel 15 as a steering wheel and a driving wheel, and a caster wheel 16 for more stable posture of the vehicle body 11.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a standing driver's seat 17 is provided at the rear right side of the vehicle body 11, and a drive system element such as an electric motor (not shown) is mainly provided on the left side of the driver's seat 17. A containment frame 18 for accommodating is provided. The upper surface 18A of the accommodating frame 18 is a substantially flat surface, and is a space in which document files, small items, and the like can be placed, for example. As shown in FIG. 2, a front frame 19 is arranged at the front of the driver's seat 17. The front frame 19 is provided with operating levers 20, 21, 22, 23 and a display display 24 of the mast device 13. The operating lever 20 is a tilt lever for tilt operation, and the operating lever 21 is a reach lever for reach operation. The operating lever 22 is a lift lever for raising and lowering the load, and the operating lever 23 is an accelerator lever for controlling the traveling speed. The display display 24 displays various information during operation and also displays a warning screen when an abnormality occurs. The accommodation frame 18 is provided with a steering handle 25 for steering the rear wheels 15.

The floor surface 26 of the driver's seat 17 is covered with a rubber mat. A brake pedal 27 is provided on the left side of the front portion of the floor surface 26. When the brake pedal 27 is depressed, the brake of the forklift 10 is released, and the brake is activated when the brake pedal 27 is not depressed. The brake pedal 27 is a so-called deadman type brake pedal. In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the rear end 28 of the vehicle body 11 is defined as the X-axis as the axis in the left-right direction, and the axis in the front-rear direction passing through the center of the vehicle body 11 in the left-right direction is defined as the Y-axis. The Y-axis is a reference line that divides the vehicle body 11 into one region (right region) and the other region (left region) in the vehicle width direction. The intersection of the X-axis and the Y-axis is defined as the intersection P. The left end 29 of the driver's seat 17 is located slightly to the right of the Y axis (intersection point P).

On the right side of the driver's seat 17, an iron side panel 30 is provided so as to surround the right side of the driver's seat 17. The front portion of the panel in the side panel 30 has a flat plate shape, and the rear portion of the panel has a curved plate shape that curves toward the entrance / exit of the driver's seat 17 toward the rear.

The accommodation frame 18, the front frame 19, and the side panel 30 are mounted on a lower frame 31 provided at the lower part of the vehicle body 11. The front part and the left and right sides of the driver's seat 17 are surrounded by the accommodation frame 18, the front frame 19, and the side panel 30. That is, the rear part of the driver's seat 17 is opened as an entrance for the operator to get on and off the forklift 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a waist support member 32 is attached to the side panel 30. The waist support member 32 is a member for supporting the waist area of the operator who is on the driver's seat 17. The waist support member 32 is made of a resin material. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the waist support member 32 extends rearward from the front frame 19 along the side panel 30 to a position slightly protruding from the rear end of the side panel 30.

In the forklift 10 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a head guard 33 is provided above the driver's seat 17. The head guard 33 is supported by the left pillar 34 and the right pillar 35 provided on the vehicle body 11. The left pillar 34 is made of iron, and the base end portion of the left pillar 34 is fixed to the left side of the vehicle body 11 by welding. The upper end of the left pillar 34 is fixed to the lower part of the head guard 33 by welding. Further, the left pillar 34 is arranged on the front side of the vehicle body 11 in the front-rear direction with respect to the driver's seat 17. The right pillar 35 is made of iron, and the cross section of the right pillar 35 is hollow and has an airfoil shape. The lower end of the right pillar 35 is fixed to the side panel 30 by welding. The upper end of the right pillar 35 is fixed to the lower part of the head guard 33 by welding. The right pillar 35 is arranged between the driver's seat 17 and the side panel 30. A pillar for supporting the head guard 33 is not provided on the left rear portion of the vehicle body 11.

The head guard 33 is provided with an obstacle detection unit 40 for detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle body 11 via a bracket 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the obstacle detection unit 40 includes a camera unit 42 including a pair of left and right cameras 43, an image processing unit 44 that processes an image captured by the camera unit 42, and an image processing unit 44. It includes a unit control unit 45 that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image based on the output. The camera unit 42, the image processing unit 44, and the unit control unit 45 are housed in a box-shaped unit case 46. The obstacle detection unit 40 has an image pickup function, an image processing function, and an obstacle determination function. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 40 is relatively large as compared with a camera having only an image pickup function. Since the obstacle detection unit 40 includes a pair of left and right cameras 43 in particular, the width (length in the left-right direction) is large as compared with the front-rear length and height.

As shown in FIG. 2, the horizontal angle of view A of the camera unit 42 is 130 °. In the present embodiment, the left end 29 of the driver's seat 17 does not cover the angle of view A of the camera unit 42. That is, the obstacle detection unit 40 is provided so that the driver's seat 17 is not included in the angle of view A of the camera unit 42. The straight line M shown in FIG. 2 is a straight line inclined with respect to the X axis, and specifically, is a straight line having an angle B (B = 90-A / 2) obtained by subtracting half of the angle of view A from 90 °. .. In a plan view, the obstacle detection unit 40 is a position close to the left end of the vehicle body 11 and a position close to the rear end of the vehicle body 11.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical angle of view C of the camera unit 42 is 120 °. Therefore, the space partitioned by the range of the angles of view A and C is the space that can be detected by the obstacle detection unit 40. The vertical position of the obstacle detection unit 40 is determined by the length of the bracket 41. The lower the position of the obstacle detection unit 40, the narrower the range D that becomes the blind spot of the obstacle detection unit 40 near the road surface of the vehicle body 11. The upper end of the bracket 41 is fixed to the head guard 33 by bolting, and the lower end of the bracket 41 is fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the unit case 46 of the obstacle detection unit 40 by bolting. Incidentally, the bracket 41 has a structure that can be fixed to an existing forklift. Further, the upper surface 18A of the accommodation frame 18 does not cover the vertical angle of view C of the camera unit 42. That is, the obstacle detection unit 40 is provided so that the upper surface 18A of the accommodation frame 18 is not included in the angle of view C of the camera unit 42.

The unit control unit 45 of the obstacle detection unit 40 is electrically connected to a controller (not shown) that controls each unit of the forklift 10. When the unit control unit 45 determines that there is an obstacle in the captured image, a discrimination signal is transmitted from the unit control unit 45 to the controller, and the controller turns on a warning light or applies it to the electric motor based on the discrimination signal. The deceleration control of the vehicle body 11 is performed by controlling the current to be applied. Further, a warning screen may be displayed on the display display 24.

Next, the operation of the forklift 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. When the operator is driving the forklift 10, the obstacle detection unit 40 takes an image of the rear of the vehicle body 11. Specifically, the rear of the vehicle body 11 is imaged by a camera unit 42 provided with a pair of left and right cameras 43. The captured image captured by the camera unit 42 is output from the camera unit 42 to the image processing unit 44. The image processing unit 44 performs image processing of the captured image. By performing image processing on the captured image, it becomes easier to identify obstacles in the captured image by the unit control unit 45.

Next, the unit control unit 45 determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the image-processed captured image. When the unit control unit 45 determines that there is an obstacle in the captured image, the unit control unit 45 transmits a signal for determining that there is an obstacle to the controller of the forklift 10, and the controller displays the display based on the discrimination signal. A warning screen is displayed on 24. When the unit control unit 45 determines that there is no obstacle in the captured image, the unit control unit 45 transmits a signal for determining that there is no obstacle to the controller of the forklift 10, and the warning screen is not displayed. The method for determining the presence or absence of an obstacle in the image-processed captured image by the unit control unit 45 is a known method.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the obstacle detection unit 40 is provided so that the driver's seat 17 is not included in the horizontal angle of view A of the camera unit 42 in a plan view, so that the angle of view A of the camera unit 42 is not included. The left end 29 of the driver's seat 17 does not cover. Therefore, the operator of the driver's seat 17 is not reflected in the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 40. Further, since the obstacle detection unit 40 is provided below the head guard 33 via the bracket 41, the range of the obstacle detection unit 40 near the road surface behind the vehicle body 11 is suppressed. The lower the position of the obstacle detection unit 40 is, the narrower the range of the obstacle detection unit 40 becomes the blind spot.

The forklift 10 of the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The vehicle body 11 has a driver's seat 17 in one region with respect to the Y axis, which is a reference line for dividing the vehicle body 11 into one region (right region) and the other region (left region) in the vehicle width direction. Be prepared. Further, an obstacle detection unit 40 for detecting an obstacle around the vehicle body 11 is provided on the head guard 33 so as to be located in the other region (left region). Therefore, the operator's work space is secured without being obstructed by the obstacle detection unit 40, and the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 40 is not obstructed by the reflection of the operator, and the vehicle body is not obstructed by the obstacle detection unit 40. Obstacles around (rear) 11 can be detected.

(2) The obstacle detection unit 40 is provided below the lower surface of the head guard 33. Therefore, the range of the obstacle detection unit 40 near the road surface behind the vehicle body 11 is suppressed, and the obstacle detection unit 40 can detect the obstacle near the road surface behind the vehicle body 11. Further, since the left pillar 34 is not arranged behind the vehicle body 11, the left pillar 34 is provided in a range that becomes a blind spot of the obstacle detection unit 40, and the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 40 is obstructed by the left pillar 34. Will not be done.

(3) The obstacle detection unit 40 includes a camera unit 42 that photographs the rear of the vehicle body 11, and is provided at a position within the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit 42 that does not include the driver's seat 17. Therefore, the operator of the driver's seat 17 of the forklift 10 is not reflected in the captured image captured by the camera unit 42, and the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 40 is not obstructed by the operator of the driver's seat 17.

(4) The obstacle detection unit 40 is provided on the head guard 33 via the bracket 41. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 40 can be provided below the lower surface of the head guard 33. Further, it is not necessary to provide the obstacle detection unit 40 on the vehicle body 11 via a bracket, and the upper surface of the accommodation frame 18 which is on the other side of the center in the vehicle width direction at the rear portion of the vehicle body 11 can be, for example, a document file or an accessory. Can be effectively used as a mounting surface on which the file is placed.

(5) The obstacle detection unit 40 includes a unit control unit 45 that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by image processing the captured image captured by the camera unit 42, and the camera unit 42 and the unit control unit 45. It has a unit case 46 for accommodating it. Therefore, the obstacle detection unit 40 can acquire the captured image, process the image of the captured image, and determine the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by the image processing. Therefore, it is not necessary to add the image processing function of the captured image and the function of determining the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by the image processing to the controller of the forklift 10.

(Second embodiment)
Next, the forklift according to the second embodiment will be described. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the obstacle detection unit is provided at a position including a part of the driver's seat within the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit. In the present embodiment, for the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, the description of the first embodiment is referred to, and a common reference numeral is used.

In the forklift 50 shown in FIG. 5, an obstacle detection unit 40 for detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle body 11 is provided on the head guard 33 via a bracket 41. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, a part of the driver's seat 17 including the left end 29 of the driver's seat 17 is applied to the angle of view A of the camera unit 42. That is, the obstacle detection unit 40 is provided so that a part of the left side of the driver's seat 17 is included in the angle of view A of the camera unit 42.

The straight line N shown in FIG. 5 is a straight line inclined with respect to the X axis, and specifically, is a straight line having an angle B (B = 90-A / 2) obtained by subtracting half of the angle of view A from 90 °. .. The intersection of the rear end 28 and the straight line N is to the right of the intersection P. A part of the driver's seat 17 including the left end 29 partitioned by the straight line N (hereinafter referred to as “specific range E”) is a range in which the operator is unlikely to be present when the forklift 10 is in operation. This is because the operator operates with his / her body in contact with the waist support member 32. That is, although the specific range E is included in the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit 42, there is almost no possibility that the operator of the forklift 10 will be reflected. If the length between the intersection of the rear end 28 and the straight line N and the left end 29 is, for example, the width of the brake pedal 27 or less, there is almost no possibility that the operator will be reflected in the captured image.

According to the present embodiment, although it is provided at a position where a part of the driver's seat 17 is included in the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit 42, the driver's seat of the forklift 10 is included in the captured image captured by the camera unit 42. It is unlikely that 17 operators will be reflected. Therefore, the detection range of the obstacle detection unit 40 is hardly obstructed by the operator of the driver's seat 17.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, the present invention may be modified as follows.

○ In the above embodiment, the reach type forklift is exemplified as the industrial vehicle, but the industrial vehicle is not limited to the reach type forklift. The industrial vehicle may be an industrial vehicle having a vehicle body and a head guard on the upper portion of the vehicle body. Further, the reach type forklift is not limited to the standing type and may be a sitting type.
○ In the above embodiment, the stereo camera unit is exemplified as the obstacle detection unit, but the obstacle detection unit is not limited to the stereo camera unit. The obstacle detection unit may be, for example, an obstacle detection unit using laser scanning or millimeter wave radar. For example, in the case of an obstacle detection unit using laser scanning, since it has an actuator unit for investigating a laser in addition to the laser unit, it is generally easy to increase the size as compared with a simple camera.
○ The obstacle detection unit 40 may be attached so as to detect an obstacle in front of the vehicle body 11. In that case, a cargo handling device such as a mast may be reflected in the image pickup result of the camera. In that case, the area where the cargo handling device exists is set as the non-detection area of the obstacle, that is, the area where the presence / absence of the obstacle is not determined with respect to the area where the obstacle can be detected, and the area where the cargo handling device exists is set in advance as a unit. It is preferable to let the control unit 45 recognize it.

10, 50 Reach type forklift 11 Body 13 Cargo handling device 17 Driver's seat 24 Display display 30 Side panel 33 Head guard 40 Obstacle detection unit 41 Bracket 42 Camera unit 43 Camera 44 Image processing unit 45 Unit control unit 46 Unit case A, C image Angle B Angle (90-A / 2)
D Blind spot range E Specific range M, N Straight line P Intersection

Claims (5)

With the car body
In an industrial vehicle equipped with a head guard provided on the upper part of the vehicle body,
The vehicle body is provided with a driver's seat in the one region with respect to a reference line that divides the vehicle body into one region and the other region in the vehicle width direction.
An industrial vehicle characterized in that an obstacle detection unit for detecting an obstacle around the vehicle body is provided on the head guard so as to be located in the other region. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle detection unit is provided below the lower surface of the head guard. The obstacle detection unit includes a camera unit that photographs the rear of the vehicle body.
The industrial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the camera unit is provided at a position within the horizontal angle of view of the camera unit so as not to include the driver's seat. The obstacle detection unit is
A unit control unit that determines the presence or absence of an obstacle in the captured image by performing image processing on the captured image captured by the camera unit.
The industrial vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a unit case for accommodating the camera unit and the unit control unit. The industrial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the obstacle detection unit is provided on the head guard via a bracket.

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