JP3734425B2 - Forklift forward / reverse switching device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a forward / reverse switching device for a forklift.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 6 is an external view showing an example of a conventional counterbalance forklift, and FIG. 7 is a top view of a driver seat of the forklift shown in FIG. In the figure, a forklift 100 includes a vehicle body 1, a fork 2 for holding a load provided in front of the vehicle body 1, a backrest 3 that supports the fork 2, and a mast 4 for raising and lowering the fork 2. ing. A head guard 5 is provided above the vehicle body 1 to protect the operator (driver) from falling objects, and a seat seat 6 on which the operator is seated is provided at the driver's seat. In front of the seat 6, various operation units such as a steering handle 7, a forward / reverse switching lever 8, and cargo handling levers 9 and 10 are provided. The steering handle 7 is operated when changing the direction of the vehicle body 1. The forward / reverse switching lever 8 switches the travel mode of the vehicle body 1 between a forward mode and a reverse mode. The cargo handling levers 9 and 10 are levers for operating the movement of the fork 2, the lever 9 is a lift lever for raising and lowering the fork 2, and the lever 10 is a tilt lever for tilting the fork 2 forward or backward. It is. 11 is an accelerator pedal provided at an operator's foot, 12 is a brake pedal provided side by side with the accelerator pedal 11, 13 is a battery storage part in which a battery is stored, 14 is a front wheel of the vehicle body, and 15 is a rear wheel. 7 in FIG. 7 represents an operator.
[0003]
FIG. 9 shows an example of the cargo handling work using the forklift 100 as described above. The pallet 200 placed on the premises is received by the forklift 100 and carried to the truck 300, and the load on the pallet 200 is loaded onto the truck 300. An example is shown. In this case, the forklift 100 at the position A moves forward as indicated by the arrow 1 and moves to the location B of the pallet 200, where the pallet 200 is loaded on the fork 2. When the loading is finished, the forklift 100 moves backward as indicated by an arrow 2 and changes its direction, then moves forward as indicated by an arrow 3 and moves to a loading place C of the truck 300, where the pallet 200 is loaded together with the load. It is loaded on the truck 300. When loading is finished, the forklift 100 moves backward as indicated by an arrow 4 and changes its direction, and then advances as indicated by an arrow 5 and travels in the direction A.
[0004]
The operation of each part of the forklift in the above series of operations is shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows which part of each part of the right hand, left hand, right foot, and left foot of the operator 17 is operated and what kind of operation procedure is performed. In FIG. 8, A through C, and round 1 round 5 correspond with A through C and pills 1 round 5 of FIG. 9, respectively.
[0005]
The operator 17 who has boarded the forklift 100 at position A first operates the cargo handling lever (lift lever) 9 with the right hand to lift the fork 2 slightly and float it from the ground. This is because the vehicle body 1 cannot travel when the fork 2 is in contact with the ground. Next, the operator 17 moves the right hand to the forward / reverse switching lever 8 and operates it to set the traveling mode to the forward mode. Then, the forklift 100 is advanced by stepping on the accelerator pedal 11 with the right foot, and the forklift 100 is moved to the position B where the pallet 200 is located while operating the steering handle 7 with the left hand ( circle 1 in FIG. 9).
[0006]
When the B position is reached, the operator 17 depresses the brake pedal 12 with the right foot to temporarily stop the vehicle body, and then operates the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 with the right hand to place the pallet 200 on the fork 2. Thereafter, the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is operated with the right hand to switch the traveling mode from the forward mode to the reverse mode. Then, the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed to reverse the vehicle body, and the steering handle 7 is operated with the left hand to change the direction of the forklift 100 ( circle 2 in FIG. 9).
[0007]
Next, after stepping on the brake pedal 12 and temporarily stopping the vehicle body, the operator 17 operates the forward / reverse switching lever 8 with the right hand to switch the traveling mode from the backward mode to the forward mode. Then, the forklift 100 is advanced by stepping on the accelerator pedal 11, and the forklift 100 is moved to the C position while operating the steering handle 7 with the left hand ( circle 3 in FIG. 9).
[0008]
When the position C is reached, the operator 17 depresses the brake pedal 12 to temporarily stop the vehicle body, and then operates the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 with the right hand to carry the pallet 200 into the truck 300 together with the load. When the carry-in is completed, the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is operated with the right hand to switch the traveling mode from the forward mode to the reverse mode. Next, the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed to reverse the vehicle body, and the steering handle 7 is operated with the left hand, and the direction of the forklift 100 is changed ( circle 4 in FIG. 9). Then, after stepping on the brake pedal 12 and temporarily stopping the vehicle body, the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is operated with the right hand to switch the traveling mode from the backward mode to the forward mode, and the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed to advance the forklift 100. , Run in the direction of position A ( circle 5 in FIG. 9)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As can be seen from the above operation procedure, the conventional forklift requires a large number of switching operations of the forward / reverse switching lever 8 in the cargo handling operation. However, in order to perform this operation, the hand must be moved away from the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 and moved to the forward / reverse switching lever 8 and returned to the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 again during the cargo handling operation. The forward / reverse switching lever 8 and the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 frequently reciprocate. Further, since the lever 8 is pulled or pushed when the lever 8 is switched, it is required to perform an operation using the entire arm. For this reason, when the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is switched, the operator has a problem that the body movement range is increased and fatigue is increased. Further, even in the case where slight reverse movement such as circle 2 and circle 4 in FIG. 9 is performed, since the forward / reverse switching lever 8 must be operated one by one, there is a problem that work efficiency is lowered.
[0010]
The present invention solves the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to reduce operator fatigue in forward / reverse switching operation and to improve work efficiency.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is provided with a reverse switch for moving the vehicle body separately from the normal forward / reverse switching lever, and the vehicle body moves backward by operating the reverse switch. It is.
[0012]
In this way, the vehicle body can be moved backward only by operating the reverse switch without operating the forward / reverse switching lever, and no complicated lever operation is required. Reduces the fatigue. Further, when performing a slight reverse, it is not necessary to operate the forward / reverse switching lever each time, so that the work efficiency is improved.
[0013]
In the present invention, on the condition that the forward / reverse switching lever is set to the forward mode, the backward switch function can be performed only in the forward mode by enabling the reverse switch to function. . In this case, it is preferable to switch to the reverse mode by operating the reverse switch and return to the forward mode by releasing the reverse switch.
[0014]
As the reverse switch of the present invention, for example, a foot pedal switch operated by a foot with an operator can be used. In this case, the foot pedal switch is desirably provided at a position operated by the operator's left foot. According to this, since the operation can be performed using the left foot that has not been used in the conventional driving, the backward operation can be easily performed without placing an extra burden on both hands and the right foot.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of a counterbalance forklift according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view of a driver seat of the forklift shown in FIG. In the figure, a forklift 100 includes a vehicle body 1, a fork 2 for holding a load provided in front of the vehicle body 1, a backrest 3 that supports the fork 2, and a mast 4 for raising and lowering the fork 2. ing. A head guard 5 is provided above the vehicle body 1 to protect the operator (driver) from falling objects, and a seat seat 6 on which the operator is seated is provided at the driver's seat. In front of the seat 6, various operation units such as a steering handle 7, a forward / reverse switching lever 8, and cargo handling levers 9 and 10 are provided. The steering handle 7 is operated when changing the direction of the vehicle body 1. The forward / reverse switching lever 8 switches the travel mode of the vehicle body 1 between a forward mode and a reverse mode. The cargo handling levers 9 and 10 are levers for operating the movement of the fork 2, the lever 9 is a lift lever for raising and lowering the fork 2, and the lever 10 is a tilt lever for tilting the fork 2 forward or backward. It is. 11 is an accelerator pedal provided at an operator's foot, 12 is a brake pedal provided side by side with the accelerator pedal 11, 13 is a battery storage part in which a battery is stored, 14 is a front wheel of the vehicle body, and 15 is a rear wheel. ing. Reference numeral 17 in FIG. 2 denotes an operator.
[0016]
Although the above configuration is the same as the conventional one shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the present invention, in addition to these, a foot pedal switch 16 constituting a reverse switch is provided. The foot pedal switch 16 is a switch operated by stepping on a foot, and is provided at a position operated by the left foot of the operator 17. FIG. 3 is an external view of the foot pedal switch 16.
[0017]
FIG. 4 shows an example of a circuit diagram of the forward / reverse switching device according to the present invention. Reference numerals 31 and 32 are micro switches that operate in conjunction with the forward / reverse switching lever 8. 31 is a forward mode micro switch that is turned on when the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is switched to the forward mode. This is a micro switch for the reverse mode that is turned on when the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is switched to the reverse mode. 33 is a contact point of the above-described foot pedal switch 16 and is normally switched to the F (forward) side. When the foot pedal switch 16 is stepped on, it switches to the R (reverse) side, and when the foot is released, F It returns to the (forward) side. Reference numeral 34 denotes a control unit which receives forward or reverse electrical signals in accordance with the switching state of the contacts 33 of the micro switches 31 and 32 and the foot pedal switch 16, and controls the driving mode in accordance with these signals. Is.
[0018]
Next, the forward / reverse switching operation of the forklift 100 having the above-described configuration will be described taking the cargo handling operation shown in FIG. 9 as an example. FIG. 5 shows the operation of each part of the forklift in this cargo handling operation, and corresponds to FIG. Again, A through C, and round 1 round 5 correspond with A through C and pills 1 round 5 of FIG. 9, respectively.
[0019]
The operator 17 who has boarded the forklift 100 at position A first operates the cargo handling lever (lift lever) 9 with the right hand, and lifts the fork 2 slightly so that the vehicle body 1 can travel to float from the ground. Next, the operator 17 moves the right hand to the forward / reverse switching lever 8 and operates it to set the traveling mode to the forward mode. Then, the forklift 100 is advanced by stepping on the accelerator pedal 11 with the right foot, and the forklift 100 is moved to the position B where the pallet 200 is located while operating the steering handle 7 with the left hand ( circle 1 in FIG. 9).
[0020]
When the B position is reached, the operator 17 depresses the brake pedal 12 with the right foot to temporarily stop the vehicle body, and then operates the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 with the right hand to place the pallet 200 on the fork 2. Thereafter, when the foot pedal switch 16 is depressed with the left foot in the forward mode, the traveling mode is switched to the reverse mode. When the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed with the right foot, the vehicle body 1 moves backward. That is, in FIG. 4, since the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is set to the forward mode, the microswitch 31 is in the on state and the microswitch 32 is in the off state. When the foot pedal switch 16 is operated in this state, the contact 33 is switched from the F side to the R side. As a result, the control unit 34 is given a reverse instruction signal from the micro switch 31 via the contact 33 of the foot pedal switch, and the traveling mode is switched to the reverse mode. The operator 17 changes the direction of the forklift 100 by operating the steering handle 7 with the left hand while moving the vehicle body 1 backward while stepping on the foot pedal switch 16 ( circle 2 in FIG. 9).
[0021]
Next, when the operator 17 lifts his / her foot from the foot pedal switch 16, the traveling mode is switched from the reverse mode to the forward mode. When the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed with the right foot, the vehicle body 1 moves forward. That is, in FIG. 4, since the forward / reverse switching lever 8 remains in the forward mode, the micro switch 31 is in the on state, and the contact 33 of the foot pedal switch 16 returns to the F side. A forward instruction signal is given from the micro switch 31 through the contact 33 of the foot pedal switch, and the traveling mode is switched to the forward mode. The operator 17 advances the vehicle body 1 with the left foot released from the foot pedal switch 16 and operates the steering handle 7 with the left hand to move the forklift 100 to the C position ( circle 3 in FIG. 9).
[0022]
When the forklift 100 reaches the position C, the operator 17 steps on the brake pedal 12 to temporarily stop the vehicle body, operates the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 with the right hand, and loads the pallet 200 into the truck 300 together with the load. When the foot pedal switch 16 is depressed with the left foot in the forward mode after the carry-in is completed, the contact 33 is switched again to the R side in FIG. 4 and the traveling mode becomes the reverse mode. When the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed with the right foot, the vehicle body 1 moves backward. The operator 17 changes the direction of the forklift 100 by operating the steering handle 7 with the left hand while moving the vehicle body 1 backward while stepping on the foot pedal switch 16 ( circle 4 in FIG. 9).
[0023]
Next, when the operator 17 removes his / her foot from the foot pedal switch 16, the contact 33 returns to the F side in FIG. 4, the traveling mode is switched from the reverse mode to the forward mode, and the accelerator pedal 11 is depressed with the right foot. 1 moves forward. The operator 17 advances the vehicle body 1 with the left foot released from the foot pedal switch 16 and travels in the direction of the A position.
[0024]
As described above, in the cargo handling operation shown in FIG. 9, when the round 2 and the round 4 are moved backward, the foot pedal switch 16 is depressed to switch the traveling mode from the forward mode to the backward mode, and to reverse the vehicle body. When the circles 3 and 5 are moved forward, the foot pedal switch 16 is released to switch the traveling mode from the backward mode to the forward mode, thereby allowing the vehicle body to move forward. In addition, since the foot pedal switch 16 is operated by the left foot which has not been used conventionally, the right hand for operating the cargo handling levers 9 and 10 and the left hand for operating the steering handle 7 are left as they are to perform the backward movement operation. Is possible. For this reason, the operator 17 does not need to move his hand frequently, and only needs to step on the foot pedal switch 16, so that the operation becomes easy and fatigue is reduced.
[0025]
Further, since it is not necessary to switch the forward / reverse switching lever 8 every time the vehicle moves backward, it can be handled only by operating the foot pedal switch 16, so that the vehicle body can be changed direction or the fork 2 does not enter the pallet 200 well and the vehicle moves backward many times. Even when the process is repeated, the work can be performed efficiently.
[0026]
Although it is possible to eliminate the reverse function of the forward / reverse switching lever 8 and to perform all reverse movements by the foot pedal switch 16, this changes the operation method of the forklift radically from the conventional one, so that Therefore, the foot pedal switch 16 is used for backward movement in a short period of time such as changing the direction of the vehicle body or re-loading, and the forward / reverse switching lever 8 is used for the backward movement for a long time. It is desirable to perform the operation. In this case, the micro switch 31 is turned off and the micro switch 32 is turned on in FIG. 4 by operating the forward / reverse switching lever 8, and a reverse instruction signal is given to the control unit 34 regardless of the operation of the foot pedal switch 16. And set to reverse mode.
[0027]
In the above example, when the foot pedal switch 16 is stepped on in the forward mode, the mode automatically switches to the reverse mode. Generally, when the forklift switches to the reverse mode, the back buzzer causes the vehicle body to move backward to the nearby worker. Therefore, even when the foot pedal switch 16 is stepped on, safety can be ensured by operating the back buzzer.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the vehicle body can be moved backward by only a switch operation during a short reverse operation, the operator does not need a complicated lever operation, thereby reducing fatigue and improving work efficiency. is there.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a forklift according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a top view of a driver seat of the forklift shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is an external view of a foot pedal switch.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a forward / reverse switching device according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of each part of the forklift in cargo handling work.
FIG. 6 is an external view of a conventional forklift.
7 is a top view of a driver seat of the forklift shown in FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of each part of the forklift in cargo handling work.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of cargo handling work by a forklift.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Car body 7 Steering handle 8 Forward / reverse switching lever 9 Cargo handling lever (lift lever)
10 Cargo handling lever (tilt lever)
16 Foot pedal switch 17 Operator 31 Micro switch (For forward mode)
32 micro switch (for reverse mode)
33 Foot pedal switch contacts 34 Control unit 100 Forklift

Claims (1)

In a forklift equipped with a forward / reverse switching lever that switches the vehicle's travel mode between forward mode and reverse mode, the reverse switch for moving the vehicle backward and the forward / reverse switching lever are set to forward mode separately from the forward / reverse switching lever. And a control unit that switches the travel mode from the forward mode to the reverse mode when the reverse switch is operated in the set state and returns to the forward mode when the reverse switch is released. Is a foot pedal switch provided at a position where the operator can operate with the left foot .

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