JP2024022932A - industrial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a forklift that enables intuitive operation of the lift lever.SOLUTION: A forklift 1A has a vehicle body 2, a mast device 3, a tilt device 6 that tilts the mast device 3 in the longitudinal direction, a lift device 5 that raises and lowers the mast device 3, a tilt lever 30 that operates the tilt device 6, and a lift lever 20 that operates the lift device 5, which is provided independently of the tilt lever 30. The tilt lever 30 is configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the tilt lever 30 is tilted forward, the mast device 3 is tilted forward, and when the tilt lever 30 is tilted backward, the mast device 3 is tilted backward. The lift lever 20 is configured to be operable in the vertical direction, and when the lift lever 20 is raised, the mast device 3 is raised, and when the lift lever 20 is lowered, the mast device 3 is lowered.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to industrial vehicles such as forklifts.

BACKGROUND ART Forklifts include counterbalance type forklifts (for example, see Patent Document 1), which are operated by an operator while sitting, and reach-type forklifts, which are operated by an operator while standing.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a general counterbalance type conventional forklift 1B. The forklift 1B includes a mast device 3 provided on the front side of the vehicle body 2, a hydraulic tilt lever 41 for tilting the mast device 3 in the front-back direction (tilt operation), and a hydraulic tilt lever 41 for raising and lowering the mast device 3. It includes a hydraulic lift lever 42 for performing an operation (lift operation).

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the tilt lever 41 is configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the tilt lever 41 is tilted forward, the mast device 3 is tilted forward, and when the tilt lever 41 is tilted backward, the mast device 3 is tilted forward. The device 3 is tilted back. In this way, since the behavior of the tilt lever 41 and the behavior of the mast device 3 match, the operator of the forklift 1B can operate the tilt lever 41 intuitively.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the lift lever 42 is also configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the lift lever 42 is tilted forward, the mast device 3 is lowered (specifically, the inner mast is lowered along the outer mast), and when the lift lever 42 is tilted rearward, the mast device 3 is raised (specifically, the inner mast is raised along the outer mast). As described above, since the behavior of the lift lever 42 and the behavior of the mast device 3 do not match, the operator of the forklift 1B cannot intuitively operate the lift lever 42. In particular, an operator who is inexperienced with cargo handling requires a certain amount of time to get used to operating the lift lever 42.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-7116

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an industrial vehicle such as a forklift that enables intuitive operation of a lift lever.

In order to solve the above problems, an industrial vehicle according to the present invention includes:
The vehicle body,
a mast device provided on the front side of the vehicle body;
a tilt device that tilts the mast device in a front-back direction;
a lift device that raises and lowers the mast device;
a tilt lever for operating the tilt device;
a lift lever provided independently of the tilt lever for operating the lift device;
An industrial vehicle comprising:
The tilt lever is configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the tilt lever is tilted forward, the mast device is tilted forward, and when the tilt lever is tilted backward, the mast device is tilted backward,
The lift lever is configured to be operable in the vertical direction, and when the lift lever is raised, the mast device is raised, and when the lift lever is lowered, the mast device is lowered.

In this configuration, the behavior of the lift lever and the behavior of the mast device match, so the forklift operator can intuitively operate the lift lever.

In the industrial vehicle,
The lift lever includes a grip portion having an upper surface and a lower surface at its tip,
The upper surface of the grip part has a flat shape or an upwardly convex curved shape,
It is preferable that the lower surface of the grip section is formed with a recess for a finger, on which the operator can hook his or her thumb to raise the lift lever.

In the industrial vehicle,
The vehicle body includes a dashboard on which the tilt lever and the lift lever are arranged,
The dashboard is provided with a cylindrical guide portion,
The lift lever may be configured to move vertically along the guide portion.

In the industrial vehicle,
Equipped with a control valve to control the flow rate of hydraulic oil,
The tilt device and the lift device are hydraulic devices driven by the hydraulic fluid supplied through the control valve,
The control valve is
a first spool connected to the lift lever;
a second spool connected to the tilt lever;
The lift lever is
a first lever portion configured to be operable in the vertical direction;
a first link part that converts vertical movement of the first lever part into rotational movement;
a first rod section that applies a force in the rod axial direction to the first spool in response to rotational movement of the first link section;
The tilt lever is
a second lever portion configured to be operable in the front-back direction;
a second link part connected to the second lever part;
The second rod part may be configured to be connected to the second link part and apply a force in the rod axial direction to the second spool in response to the movement of the second lever part in the front-rear direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an industrial vehicle such as a forklift that enables intuitive operation of a lift lever.

1 is a perspective view of a forklift truck according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cargo handling control system for a forklift according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a diagram for an engine forklift, and (B) is a diagram for a battery forklift. (A) It is a figure showing an example of a lift lever and a tilt lever of the present invention. (B) It is a figure which shows an example of the grip part of the lift lever of this invention. It is a figure showing the composition of the lift lever of the present invention. It is a figure showing the composition of the tilt lever of the present invention. (A) A diagram showing the behavior of a tilt lever and the behavior of a mast device in a conventional forklift. (B) It is a diagram showing the behavior of a lift lever and the behavior of a mast device in a conventional forklift.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of an industrial vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a forklift 1A (corresponding to the "industrial vehicle" of the present invention) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The forklift 1A is a counterbalance type engine forklift or battery forklift, and includes a vehicle body 2 including a body frame, a mast device 3 provided at the front of the vehicle body 2, and a fork that moves up and down along the mast device 3. 4. The mast device 3 includes a pair of left and right outer masts, and a pair of left and right inner masts that move up and down using the pair of left and right outer masts as a guide. Note that FIG. 1 is a diagram of an engine forklift.

The forklift 1A includes a lift device 5 and a tilt device 6. The lift device 5 is a hydraulic device including a hydraulic cylinder (lift cylinder), and raises and lowers the inner mast of the mast device 3 together with the fork 4 by the expansion and contraction operation of the hydraulic cylinder. The tilt device 6 is a hydraulic device including a hydraulic cylinder (tilt cylinder), and tilts the mast device 3 in the front-rear direction by the expansion and contraction operation of the hydraulic cylinder.

The forklift 1A includes a driver's seat 7 provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 2, a head guard 8 provided on the vehicle body 2 so as to cover the upper part of the driver's seat 7, and a dashboard provided in front of the driver's seat 7. 9. The dashboard 9 is provided with a handle 10 for steering wheels (rear wheels) and cargo handling levers (in this embodiment, a lift lever 20 and a tilt lever 30).

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the cargo handling control system of the forklift 1A. FIG. 2A shows the configuration of an engine forklift, and FIG. 2B shows the configuration of a battery forklift. The forklift 1A has a cargo handling control system including an engine E (in the case of a battery forklift, a cargo handling control section 11, a cargo handling inverter 12, and a cargo handling motor 13), a cargo handling pump 14, and a control valve 15. Be prepared.

The engine E drives the cargo handling pump 14 via a transmission (not shown). That is, in the cargo handling control system, the engine E serves as a power source for the cargo handling pump 14. The rotational speed of the engine E is controlled according to the amount of accelerator operation by the operator (for example, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal).

The cargo handling control unit 11 is composed of, for example, a controller. The cargo handling control unit 11 controls the cargo handling inverter 12 in response to an operation signal of the lift lever 20 and/or an operation signal of the tilt lever 30. The cargo handling inverter 12 rotates the cargo handling motor 13 under the control of the cargo handling control section 11 . The cargo handling motor 13 drives the cargo handling pump 14.

The cargo handling pump 14 operates from a tank (not shown) in which hydraulic oil is stored to a hydraulic cylinder (lift cylinder) of the lift device 5 and/or a hydraulic cylinder (tilt cylinder) of the tilt device 6 via a control valve 15. Oil is supplied, and hydraulic oil is returned to the tank via the control valve 15 from the hydraulic cylinder of the lift device 5 and/or the hydraulic cylinder of the tilt device 6.

The control valve 15 is provided in an oil path that connects the cargo handling pump 14 and the lift device 5 and an oil path that connects the cargo handling pump 14 and the tilt device 6. The control valve 15 includes a first spool connected to the lift lever 20 and a second spool connected to the tilt lever 30.

FIG. 3(A) shows the lift lever 20 and the tilt lever 30. The lift lever 20 and the tilt lever 30 are arranged side by side on the dashboard 9. In this embodiment, the tilt lever 30 is arranged on the left side of the lift lever 20, and the handle 10 (not shown in FIG. 3A) is arranged on the left side of the tilt lever 30. The lift lever 20 and the tilt lever 30 are each provided independently (that is, the lift lever 20 and the tilt lever 30 are each one independent lever). The positions of the lift lever 20 and the tilt lever 30 may be reversed, and the lift lever 20 may be placed on the left side of the tilt lever 30, and the handle 10 may be placed on the left side of the lift lever 20.

The lift lever 20 is configured to be operable in the vertical direction. Here, the vertical direction does not necessarily have to be a strictly vertical direction, but also includes an oblique direction. When the lift lever 20 is raised, the inner mast of the mast device 3 is raised, and when the lift lever 20 is lowered, the inner mast of the mast device 3 is lowered. When the lift lever 20 is in the neutral position (in a position where it neither rises nor falls), the inner mast of the mast device 3 stops (does not rise or fall). Note that the lift lever 20 is provided with a spring for returning to the neutral position, and when the operator releases his/her hand while operating the lift lever 20, the lift lever 20 automatically returns to the neutral position.

As in the past, the tilt lever 30 is configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the tilt lever 30 is tilted forward, the mast device 3 is tilted forward, and when the tilt lever 30 is tilted backward, the mast device 3 is tilted backward. do. When the tilt lever 30 is in the neutral position (in a position where it does not tilt forward or backward), the mast device 3 stops (does not tilt).

The lift lever 20 includes a first grip portion 21 at its tip. As shown in FIG. 3(B), the first grip portion 21 has an upper surface 21a and a lower surface 21b. The upper surface 21a has a flat shape so that the operator can easily press it with the palm of the hand, but it may also have an upwardly convex curved shape. The lower surface 21b has a mostly flat shape, and a recess 21c for a finger rest is formed at the left end so that the operator can hook his or her thumb thereon to raise the lift lever 20. In this way, the first grip portion 21 has a shape suitable for vertical operation.

The tilt lever 30 includes a second grip portion 31 at the tip. The second grip part 31 has a spherical shape so that it can be easily gripped by the operator. Note that the shape of the second grip portion 31 may be changed as appropriate as long as it is a shape that is easy to operate in the front-back direction.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the lift lever 20. The lift lever 20 includes a first grip part 21 , a first lever part 22 , a guide part 23 , a first upper link part 24 , a first lower link part 25 , and a first rod part 26 .

The first grip part 21 is provided at the tip of the first lever part 22. The first lever portion 22 is formed in an inverted L shape, and its base end is connected to one end of the first upper link portion 24 . The guide portion 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to cover the outer peripheral surface near the base end of the first lever portion 22, and is provided on the dashboard 9. The guide portion 23 may be configured integrally with the dashboard 9 or may be configured separately from the dashboard 9. The first lever part 22 is movable in the vertical direction along the guide part 23.

The other end of the first upper link section 24 is connected to one end of the first lower link section 25 . The other end of the first lower link portion 25 is attached to the vehicle body frame of the vehicle body 2 via the fixing plate 16 so as to serve as a driving shaft. The first upper link part 24 and the first lower link part 25 convert the vertical movement of the first lever part 22 into rotational movement, and connect the first upper link part 24 and the first lower link part 25. The points trace circular orbits of rotation. That is, the first upper link part 24 and the first lower link part 25 correspond to the "first link part" of the present invention, and together with the guide part 23 constitute a slider crank mechanism.

The first rod portion 26 has one end connected to a connection point between the first upper link portion 24 and the first lower link portion 25, and the other end connected to the first spool of the control valve 15. The first rod portion 26 applies a force in the rod axial direction of the first rod portion 26 to the first spool in response to the rotational movement of the connection point (see the arrow in FIG. 4).

When the first grip part 21 and the first lever part 22 move upward by the operator's operation, the connection point between the first upper link part 24 and the first lower link part 25 rotates clockwise, and the first rod The portion 26 moves diagonally upward, causing the first spool of the control valve 15 to move diagonally upward. As a result, the flow path from the tank of the control valve 15 to the lift device 5 is opened, hydraulic oil flows from the tank to the lift device 5, and the lift device 5 is driven to raise the inner mast of the mast device 3.

On the other hand, when the first grip section 21 and the first lever section 22 move downward by the operator's operation, the connection point between the first upper link section 24 and the first lower link section 25 rotates counterclockwise. , the first rod portion 26 moves diagonally downward, causing the first spool of the control valve 15 to move diagonally downward. As a result, the flow path from the lift device 5 of the control valve 15 to the tank is opened, hydraulic oil flows from the lift device 5 to the tank, and the lift device 5 is driven to lower the inner mast of the mast device 3.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the tilt lever 30. The tilt lever 30 includes a second grip section 31, a second lever section 32, a second link section 33, and a second rod section 34. Note that the tilt lever 30 has the same configuration as the conventional one.

The second grip part 31 is provided at the tip of the second lever part 32. The second lever portion 32 is configured to be operable in the front-rear direction, and its base end is connected to one end of the second rod portion 34 via the second link portion 33 . The second link portion 33 is attached to the vehicle body frame of the vehicle body 2 via the fixing plate 16, and converts the longitudinal movement of the second lever portion 32 into a linear movement of the second rod portion 34. The second rod part 34 is connected at the other end to the second spool of the control valve 15, and in response to the movement of the second lever part 32 in the front-rear direction, the second spool is applied with a force in the rod axial direction of the second rod part 34. (see arrow in Figure 5).

When the second grip part 31 and the second lever part 32 are tilted forward by the operator's operation, the second rod part 34 applies a diagonally downward force to the second spool via the second link part 33, Move the second spool diagonally downward. This drives the tilt device 6 to tilt the mast device 3 forward.

On the other hand, when the second grip section 31 and the second lever section 32 are tilted rearward by the operator's operation, the second rod section 34 applies an obliquely upward force to the second spool via the second link section 33. In addition, the second spool is moved diagonally upward. This drives the tilt device 6 to tilt the mast device 3 backward.

In the forklift 1A according to the present embodiment, as described above, when the lift lever 20 is raised, the inner mast of the mast device 3 is raised, and when the lift lever 20 is lowered, the inner mast of the mast device 3 is lowered. In this way, since the behavior of the lift lever 20 and the behavior of the mast device 3 match, the operator of the forklift 1A can intuitively operate the lift lever 20. As a result, even an operator who is inexperienced with cargo handling operations can perform cargo handling operations more accurately and faster than in the past.

In addition, the first grip part 21 of the lift lever 20 according to the present embodiment has an upper surface 21a that is flat so that it can be easily pressed with the palm of the hand, and a lower surface 21b that allows the thumb to be caught and the lift lever 20 to be raised. A recess 21c for a finger rest is formed at the left end. Therefore, in the forklift 1A according to the present embodiment, the operability of the lift lever 20 can be improved.

Furthermore, in the forklift 1A according to the present embodiment, the first upper link part 24 and the first lower link part 25 constitute a slider crank mechanism together with the guide part 23, and the first rod is rotated according to the rotational movement of the slider crank mechanism. The section 26 applies a force in the rod axial direction to the first spool of the control valve 15. In this way, since the direction of the force applied to the first spool is the same as before, even if the lift lever 20 according to the present embodiment is adopted, there is no need to change the configuration of the control valve 15, and the configuration is the same as the conventional one. control valve 15 can be used.

Although the embodiments of the industrial vehicle according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

The industrial vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body, a mast device provided on the front side of the vehicle body, a tilt device that tilts the mast device in the front and rear directions, a lift device that raises and lowers the mast device, and a device that operates the tilt device. An industrial vehicle is provided with a tilt lever for operating a lift device, and a lift lever provided independently of the tilt lever for operating a lift device, the tilt lever is configured to be operable in the front and rear direction, and the tilt lever is configured to be operable in the longitudinal direction. Tilt the tilt lever forward to tilt the mast device forward, tilt the tilt lever backward to tilt the mast device backward, and the lift lever is configured to be operable in the up and down direction. Raise the lift lever to raise the mast device. However, if the mast device is lowered when the lift lever is lowered, the configuration can be changed as appropriate.

For example, the shape of the first grip portion 21 of the lift lever 20 according to the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, although the lift lever 20 employs a slider crank mechanism, any link mechanism may be employed instead.

Although the industrial vehicle of the present invention has been described using a counterbalance type forklift in the above embodiment, it may be a reach type forklift or another type of forklift. Further, the industrial vehicle of the present invention may be other than a forklift, and may be, for example, a transport vehicle, a construction machine, or an agricultural machine.

1A Forklift 2 Vehicle body 3 Mast device 4 Fork 5 Lift device 6 Tilt device 7 Driver's seat 8 Head guard 9 Dashboard 10 Handle E Engine 11 Cargo handling control section 12 Cargo handling inverter 13 Cargo handling motor 14 Cargo handling pump 15 Control valve 16 Fixed Plate 20 Lift lever 21 First grip part 21a Upper surface 21b Lower surface 21c Recessed part 22 First lever part 23 Guide part 24 First upper link part 25 First lower link part 26 First rod part 30 Tilt lever 31 Second grip part 32 Second lever part 33 Second link part 34 Second rod part

Claims (4)

The vehicle body,
a mast device provided on the front side of the vehicle body;
a tilt device that tilts the mast device in a front-back direction;
a lift device that raises and lowers the mast device;
a tilt lever for operating the tilt device;
a lift lever provided independently of the tilt lever for operating the lift device;
An industrial vehicle comprising:
The tilt lever is configured to be operable in the front-back direction, and when the tilt lever is tilted forward, the mast device is tilted forward, and when the tilt lever is tilted backward, the mast device is tilted backward,
The industrial vehicle is characterized in that the lift lever is configured to be operable in a vertical direction, and when the lift lever is raised, the mast device is raised, and when the lift lever is lowered, the mast device is lowered. The lift lever includes a grip portion having an upper surface and a lower surface at its tip,
The upper surface of the grip part has a flat shape or an upwardly convex curved shape,
2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the grip part is formed with a recessed part for a finger on which an operator can hook his or her thumb to raise the lift lever. The vehicle body includes a dashboard on which the tilt lever and the lift lever are arranged,
The dashboard is provided with a cylindrical guide portion,
The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lift lever moves in a vertical direction along the guide portion. Equipped with a control valve to control the flow rate of hydraulic oil,
The tilt device and the lift device are hydraulic devices driven by the hydraulic fluid supplied through the control valve,
The control valve is
a first spool connected to the lift lever;
a second spool connected to the tilt lever;
The lift lever is
a first lever portion configured to be operable in the vertical direction;
a first link part that converts vertical movement of the first lever part into rotational movement;
a first rod section that applies a force in the rod axial direction to the first spool in response to rotational movement of the first link section;
The tilt lever is
a second lever portion configured to be operable in the front-back direction;
a second link part connected to the second lever part;
A second rod part connected to the second link part and applying a force in the rod axial direction to the second spool in response to movement of the second lever part in the front-rear direction. 1. The industrial vehicle according to 1.

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