JP6943532B2 - How to attach / detach the battery for battery-powered forklifts and battery-powered forklifts - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a battery-powered forklift and a method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-powered forklift.

Battery-powered forklifts are typically operated after charging the battery. However, when there is no time to charge the battery, the battery with insufficient charge is replaced with a fully charged battery for operation.
As a method of replacing the battery, a method is known in which an opening portion communicating with the battery accommodating portion provided inside the vehicle body is provided on the side portion of the vehicle body, and the opening portion is provided through the opening portion, for example, by using a manual battery carrier. Has been done.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which an engaging portion is provided at the tip of a battery carrier, and the engaging portion is inserted into an insertion hole provided below the battery accommodating portion of the vehicle body. By inserting the engaging portion of the battery carrier into the insertion hole of the vehicle body, the positions of the battery accommodating portion and the battery mounting surface of the battery carrier are adjusted, and the battery is taken in and out through the battery mounting surface of the battery carrier. In Patent Document 1, a mirror is provided above the battery accommodating portion of the vehicle body in order to adjust the horizontal position of the engaging portion of the battery carrier with the insertion hole of the vehicle body, and the insertion hole reflected in the mirror. (Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-9948

In the battery-powered forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the insertion hole of the vehicle body cannot be directly visually recognized, the position and height of each other are adjusted by crouching when inserting the engaging portion of the battery carrier. It is necessary, work is difficult and time consuming. Further, since the insertion hole is provided below the battery accommodating portion of the vehicle body, the height of the battery accommodating portion, that is, the vehicle height of the forklift becomes high.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the battery-powered forklift is provided on the side portion of the vehicle body and has a first frame having an opening for inserting and removing the battery in the battery accommodating portion, and the battery-powered forklift is provided on the bottom portion of the vehicle body. It has a U-shaped notch in which a pair of facing side surfaces extending from the back side of the battery accommodating portion toward the side portion of the vehicle body is formed, and at least the notch along the pair of facing side surfaces. A second frame whose edge is a battery mounting portion on which the battery is mounted and a battery mounting surface which is attached to the battery mounting portion of the second frame and is higher than the upper surface of the second frame. At least Bei example a pair of the first guide member, said pair of first guide member, said provided along a pair of opposed side surfaces of the second frame, the pair of first guide having Each facing side surface of the member is a flat surface parallel to each other, and is formed flush with the pair of facing side surfaces of the second frame. As a result, the pair of first guide members can guide the abutted fork arm toward the side portion of the vehicle body.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the battery attachment / detachment method of the battery-powered forklift is a first frame in which the battery-powered forklift is provided on the side of the vehicle body and has an opening for inserting and removing the battery into the battery housing. And has a notch formed at the bottom of the vehicle body and extending from the back side of the battery accommodating portion toward the side portion of the vehicle body, and at least on the pair of facing surfaces. The edge of the notch along the second frame, which is the battery mounting portion on which the battery is mounted, is attached to the battery mounting portion of the second frame, and is more than the upper surface of the second frame. It includes at least a pair of first guide members with a high battery mounting surface. Then, in the battery attachment / detachment method, the pallet track in which the upper surfaces of the pair of fork arms are set at a height position below the bottom surface of the battery in the pair of facing side surfaces of the notch of the second frame is described. After inserting into the battery housing, adjusting the gap between the pair of fork arms and the bottom surface of the battery, and adjusting the gap, the tips of the pair of fork arms are guided by the pair of first guides. While abutting on the member, the pair of fork arms is further inserted into the depth of the battery accommodating portion, the pair of fork arms are taken out and raised to a height position to lift the battery, and the battery is lifted. The battery is removed by pulling back the pallet truck while keeping the pallet track.

According to the battery-powered forklift according to the present invention, the work at the time of attaching / detaching the battery becomes easy, and the working time can be reduced. Further, the height position of the battery accommodating portion is low, so that a battery-powered forklift can be provided.
According to the battery attachment / detachment method of the battery-powered forklift according to the present invention, the insertion position of the pallet truck into the battery housing can be easily determined, and the working time can be reduced. Further, the trolley that carries the battery (for example, a pallet truck) does not accidentally lift the vehicle body, and the risk of damaging the vehicle body can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a battery-powered forklift of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the battery-powered forklift shown in FIG. 1 with the battery cover open. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the battery accommodating portion shown in FIG. FIG. 4A is a top view of the battery accommodating portion shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from above, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the battery accommodating portion shown in FIG. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are views for explaining the mounting structure of the guide member illustrated in FIG. FIG. 6A is a side view of the pallet truck, and FIG. 6B is a top view of the pallet truck. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the fork arm of the pallet truck illustrated in FIG. 6A is raised. 8A and 8B are views for explaining the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8A is a schematic view viewed from the side, and FIG. 8B is a schematic view viewed from above. be. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the comparative product, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8 (b). FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the battery-powered forklift of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a battery-powered forklift of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the battery-powered forklift 1 has a vehicle body 11 provided with traveling wheels 12 at a lower portion, and a lift device 13 held at a front portion of the vehicle body 11 so as to be tiltable. The lift device 13 has a hydraulic lift cylinder 13a and a pair of left and right masts 13b that can slide up and down and move up and down. A carriage (not shown) is movably supported on the mast 13b via a winding transmission mechanism consisting of a sheave and a chain, and the carriage has a pair of forks 15 whose spacing can be adjusted in the width direction via the backrest 14. be.

The battery-powered forklift 1 has a driver's seat 22 inside the head guard 21, and has a battery accommodating portion 17 in which the battery 16 is housed inside the vehicle body 11 below the driver's seat 22. The battery accommodating portion 17 is covered with a battery cover 18 during operation.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the battery-powered forklift shown in FIG. 1 with the battery cover open.
The battery cover 18 is attached to the vehicle body 11 via the hinge mechanism 23 and can be opened and closed. A bottom frame 31 is provided on the bottom of the vehicle body 11. As will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 4A, the bottom frame 31 is provided with a notch 32, and guide members 51a and 51b are provided on the left and right edges of the notch 32 at the back edge. A guide member 52 is attached to the. The guide members 51a, 51b, 52 are battery mounting portions on which the battery 16 is mounted, and the upper surfaces of the guide members 51a, 51b, 52 are battery mounting surfaces. This mounting surface is a surface whose ground clearance is higher than the upper surface of the bottom frame 31. Since the guide members 51a, 51b, 52 are attached to the edges of the facing side surface of the notch 32, the bottom frame 31 or the edge of the facing side surface can also be called a battery mounting portion.

The side frame 41 constituting the vehicle body 11 is formed with an opening 42 which is an opening portion of the battery accommodating portion 17 to the outside, and the battery 16 can be taken in and out of the battery accommodating portion 17 through the opening 42. ing. That is, the opening 42 is provided when the battery 16 is attached and detached. A lock member 45 (see FIGS. 3 and 4B) is provided in the battery accommodating portion 17 to prevent the battery 16 from falling out of the battery accommodating portion 17 while the battery 16 is accommodated. ..
In the embodiment, the battery 16 is housed with its longitudinal axis directed in the forward / backward direction of the forklift.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the battery accommodating portion shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 (a) is a top view of the battery accommodating portion shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from above. (B) is a front view of the battery accommodating portion illustrated in FIG.
The vehicle body 11 has a bottom frame 31, a side frame 41 provided on the side of the vehicle body, and partition frames 61, 62, 63 for partitioning the storage chamber of the battery 16 inside the vehicle body. The side frame 41 is arranged inside the exterior panel of the vehicle body 11. The partition frames 61 and 62 extend in a direction orthogonal to the side frame 41, and the partition frame 63 extends in a direction orthogonal to the partition frames 61 and 62 to block between the partition frames 61 and 62. The partition frames 61, 62, 63 are arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, and the space formed by the partition frames 61, 62, 63 forms the battery accommodating portion 17. Although not shown, the partition frames 61 to 63 are formed with a mounting portion for mounting an electronic component such as a relay, a notch for inserting a harness for connecting the battery 16 to the power supply portion, and the like. .. The partition frame 61 in FIG. 4A is shown in a state in which one end of the partition frame 61 shown in FIG. 3 is cut out. This is to clearly illustrate the mounting structure of the guide member 52, which will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom frame 31 provided at the bottom of the vehicle body has a bottom frame 31 from one side, which is the inner edge of the battery accommodating portion 17, to the outside, that is, toward the vehicle side. A U-shaped notch 32 is formed in which the battery is opened. As shown in FIG. 4, the notch 32 includes a pair of facing side surfaces (hereinafter, referred to as facing side surfaces in the width direction) 32a and 32b separated in the width direction (x direction shown in FIG. 3) and a battery. It has a back side surface 32c located at the back of the portion, that is, at the bottom of the U-shaped notch. The back side surface 32c is a surface formed so as to straddle the pair of side surfaces 32a and 32b, in other words, a surface connecting the pair of side surfaces 32a and 32b at the back end portion of the battery accommodating portion. These side surfaces 32a to 32c define the outer shape of the notch 32 formed by notching the bottom frame 31.

As described with reference to FIG. 2, the side frame 41 provided on the side of the vehicle body is formed with an opening 42 for attaching and detaching the battery 16. The pair of facing side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 extend in the direction from the battery accommodating space inside the vehicle toward the opening 42, that is, in the direction in which the battery 16 is taken out. The width (length in the x direction) of the opening 42 of the side frame 41 is larger than the width (length in the x direction) of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. In other words, the bottom frame 31 has a notch 32 that is narrower than the opening 42.
As can be understood from the modification described later, it is not essential that the width of the opening 42 is larger than the width of the notch 32.

A pair of guide members 51a extending in the battery insertion / removal direction slightly inside the facing side surfaces 32a and 32b along the opposite side surfaces 32a and 32b (see FIG. 4B) of the notch 32 in the bottom frame 31 in the width direction. , 51b are attached. Further, on the inner side surface of the U-shaped notch 32 in the bottom frame 31 (the side surface opposite to the side open to the outside) 32c (see FIG. 4B), the inner side surface is on the edge. A guide member 52 extending along 32c is attached. A chamfer 56 is provided at the inner tip of the guide members 51a and 51b, that is, at the tip of the facing side surfaces 32a and 32b. The chamfer 56 facilitates the insertion of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck (trolley) 70 shown in FIG.

5 (a) and 5 (b) are views for explaining the mounting structure of the guide member illustrated in FIG.
FIG. 5A shows a state before the guide members 51a and 51b are attached to the bottom frame 31, and as shown in FIG. 5A, the guide members 51a and 51b have a plurality of protrusions, respectively. Parts 53a and 53b are formed. A plurality of protrusions 54 are formed on the guide member 52. The bottom frame 31 is formed with insertion holes 33a and 33b through which the protrusions 53a and 53b are inserted. Further, the bottom frame 31 is formed with an insertion hole 34 through which each protrusion 54 is inserted.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the guide members 51a and 51b are attached to the bottom frame 31 by inserting the protrusions 53a and 53b into the insertion holes 33a and 33b of the bottom frame 31, respectively. Further, the guide member 52 is attached to the bottom frame 31 by inserting each protrusion 54 into the insertion hole 34 of the bottom frame 31.

In the state shown in FIG. 5B, the facing side surface 32a of the notch 32 in the bottom frame 31 and the inner side surface 55a of the guide member 51a are substantially flush with each other. Further, the facing side surface 32b of the notch 32 in the bottom frame 31 and the inner side surface 55b of the guide member 51b are substantially flush with each other. Further, the side surface 32c (see FIG. 4) at the back of the notch 32 in the bottom frame 31 and the side surface 55c of the guide member 52 facing the battery accommodating portion are substantially flush with each other.
The guide members 51a, 51b, and 52 are square lumbers having a rectangular cross section having substantially the same plate thickness. Therefore, if the plate thicknesses of the guide members 51a, 51b, and 52 are tg and the plate thickness of the bottom frame 31 is tf, the thickness to of the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 is to = (tg + tf). ..

In the embodiment, the plate thicknesses of the guide members 51a, 51b, and 52 are all larger than the plate thickness of the bottom frame 31, but this is not essential, and the thicknesses of both members may be the same, or conversely. The thickness of the bottom frame 32 may be large.
In the following description, the guide members 51a, 51b, 52 may be referred to as a guide member 51 or the like. Further, since an integral side surface is formed by the side surface of the bottom frame 32 and the side surface of the guide member 51 or the like, this integral side surface may be referred to as an edge portion of the notch 32 in a later description.

A pallet truck or the like is used to move the battery 16 in and out of the battery accommodating portion 17.
FIG. 6A is a side view of the manual pallet truck, and FIG. 6B is a top view of the pallet truck.
The pallet truck 70 has a handle 71, an operating lever 72, a pump 73, a steering wheel 74, a road wheel 75, and a pair of fork arms 76. The pallet truck 70 is a manual carrier that manually travels and raises and lowers. Grasp the handle 71 to move forward and backward. When the operating lever 72 is pulled toward the handle 71, the pair of fork arms 76 are lowered. When the handle 71 is tilted to the reverse side without pulling the operating lever 72, the pump 73 is driven and the pair of fork arms 76 is raised.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the fork arm of the pallet truck illustrated in FIG. 6A is raised.
The ascent of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 causes the cylinder of the pump 73 to extend, and the leg portion 77 connected to the load wheel 75 rotates in the upright direction. As a result, the pair of fork arms 76 rise with their upper surfaces parallel to each other.
The width between the fork arms 76 (the length between the outer surfaces of the pair of fork arms) Wp and the height of the lowermost end of the fork arm 76 (the height of the upper surface of the fork arm 76 from the ground surface) Hp are limited by the pallet standard. Has been done.

8A and 8B are views for explaining the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8A is a schematic view of the battery accommodating portion viewed from the side, and FIG. 8B is a battery accommodating portion. Is a schematic view of the above.
With reference to FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), a method and operation of taking in and out a battery by a battery-powered forklift according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In FIG. 8A, the fork arm 76 at the lowest end height is shown by a dotted line.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the width (length in the x direction) Wf of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 is the outermost width of the fork arm 76 (the length between the outer surfaces of the pair of fork arms). ) Greater than Wp (Wf> Wp). As an example, if the outermost width Wp = 520 mm of the fork arm 76, the width Wf = 550 mm of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 can be set. Further, the height Hf of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface is larger than the height Hp of the lowermost end of the fork arm 76 (Hf> Hp). As an example, if the height of the lowermost end of the fork arm 76 is Hp = 85 mm, the height of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface can be about Hf = 100 mm.

A case where the battery 16 housed in the battery housing unit 17 is taken out will be described.
The pallet truck 70 is advanced, and the tip end side of the fork arm 76 is inserted between the battery 16 and the ground surface. How much the tip of the fork arm 76 is inserted depends on the operator, but at least the pallet truck 70 is temporarily stopped at a position before the insertion position when lifting the battery, and the fork arm 76 and the battery 16 are connected. While visually checking the gap Sg, the fork arm 76 is raised, and the rise of the fork arm 76 is stopped at a position where the gap Sg becomes appropriate. As will be described later, when the gap Sg is appropriate, the upper surface of the tip of the fork arm 76 is higher than the bottom surface of the bottom frame 31 so that the fork arm 76 is inserted into the lower side of the bottom frame 31 and the forklift 1 is not accidentally lifted. It is a gap that is above and does not abut on the bottom surface of the battery 16.

Since the gap Sg between the fork arm 76 and the battery 16 is visually confirmed, it cannot be accurately confirmed. The height of the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 is thicker than that of the guide member 51 or the like. Therefore, the height position of the fork arm 76 can be adjusted by the thickness of the guide member 51 or the like as compared with the case where the guide member 51 or the like is not attached to the bottom frame 31.

The details of this margin are as follows.
When removing the battery 16, it is necessary to ensure that the upper surface of the fork arm 76 is set at a position above the bottom surface of the bottom frame 31 and at a height position lower than the bottom surface of the battery.
For example, when the upper surface of the fork arm 76 set to the minimum height is raised to a position slightly before contacting the bottom surface of the battery (the position where the above-mentioned appropriate gap is formed), as described above, the bottom frame is formed by the fork arm 76. It is necessary to position the upper surface of the tip of the fork arm 76 above the bottom surface of the bottom frame 31 so that the forklift 1 is not accidentally lifted by inserting it under the 31. Since the amount that can be raised during the visual height adjustment work is increased by the thickness of the guide member 51 and the like, there is a margin for adjusting the upper surface position of the fork arm 76. In other words, it can be said that an appropriate gap Sg after height adjustment can be increased. In other words, if the above margin is explained by using the height position of the fork arm 76 when the upper surface of the fork arm 76 is in contact with the bottom surface of the battery as the reference height position, when the fork arm 76 is lowered from the reference height position, The amount of movement until the upper surface of the fork arm 76 is lowered from the height position of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 is increased by the thickness of the guide member 51 or the like.
As described above, in the embodiment, the amount of movement of the fork arm 76 in the visual position adjustment work of the fork arm 76 can be increased by the thickness of the guide member 51 and the like.

In this embodiment, the plate thickness tg of the guide member 51 and the like is exemplified as being larger than the plate thickness tf of the bottom frame 31 (tg> tf). In this way, the adjustment allowance for the height position of the fork arm 76 can be increased without increasing the plate thickness tf of the bottom frame 31, in other words, without increasing the weight and cost of the vehicle body 11. can.

After the height adjustment work of raising the upper surface of the fork arm 76 to a position slightly before contacting the bottom surface of the battery, the pallet track 70 is advanced and moved to the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. At this time, the tip end side of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 is below the battery 16 and cannot be visually recognized. Therefore, the tip end side of the fork arm 76 may shift in the width direction of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 and proceed toward the opposite side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 in the width direction. The opposite side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 in the width direction are thick edge portions of the guide members 51a and 51b. That is, the above-mentioned height-adjusted gap Sg is the thickness to of the integrated side surface formed by the facing side surfaces 32a and 32b of the bottom frame 31 and the facing side surfaces of the guide members 51a and 51b (thickness tf of the bottom frame 32). A value smaller than the total value of the thickness tg of the guide member 51 and the like), or conversely, a value larger than the plate thickness of the bottom frame 31 can be set. Therefore, the height of the fork arm 76 can be adjusted so that the tip of the fork arm 76 is surely brought into contact with the widthwise edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. After the tip of the fork arm 76 abuts on the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, the pallet track 70 is guided by the tip of the fork arm 76 to the widthwise edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. Then proceed toward the back of the notch 32.

Further, the side surface 32c at the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 is a thick edge portion of the guide member 52b, that is, the integrated side surface. Therefore, when the tip of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 reaches the inner edge of the notch 32, the tip of the fork arm 76 is surely set as in the case of the integrated side surface in the width direction described above. , The back edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, that is, the integrated side surface. As a result, the operator can confirm without visually recognizing that the tip of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 has reached the inner edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. FIG. 8B shows a state in which the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 reaches the inner edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, that is, the tip of the fork arm 76 reaches the inner part of the notch 32. The state of contact with the edge is shown. The thickness td of the tip of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 (see FIG. 6A) is about 20 mm.

To take out the battery 16, in this state, the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 is raised and the battery 16 is placed on the upper surface of the fork arm 76. Further, the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 may be raised, the bottom surface of the battery 16 may be separated from the guide member 51 and the like, and the pallet truck 70 may be pulled out from the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31.
In order to accommodate the replacement battery 16, the procedure in which the battery 16 is taken out may be reversed.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the comparative example, and is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8 (b).
In the comparative example, the guide member 51 and the like are not attached to the frame surface near the facing side surface of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. This will be described in comparison with the present embodiment with reference to FIG.
In a structure in which the guide member 51 or the like is not attached to the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, the adjustment allowance for the height position of the fork arm 76 is only the plate thickness of the guide member 51 or the like as compared with the embodiment. It becomes smaller. In other words, the margin at the time of adjustment becomes small.
As an example, the plate thickness tg of the guide member 51 and the like is 25 mm, and the plate thickness of the bottom frame 31 is tf = 16 mm. In a structure having no guide member 51 or the like on the edge of the notch 32, the fork arm 76 satisfies the condition that it does not abut on the battery 16 and abuts on the side surfaces 32a to 32c of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. The maximum adjustment allowance for the height position of the bottom frame 31 is 16 mm, which is the same as the plate thickness tf of the bottom frame 31. Visually, it is difficult to keep the gap Sg between the fork arm 76 and the battery 16 within 16 mm, and there is a high possibility that the height position of the fork arm 76 is set below the lower surface of the bottom frame 31. .. In particular, in order to prevent the fork arm 76 from coming into contact with the battery 16, the height position of the fork arm 76 is likely to be set so as to be far away from the battery 16.

Even if the pallet track 70 is moved to the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 with the height position of the fork arm 76 set below the lower surface of the bottom frame 31, the tip of the fork arm 76 can be visually observed. I can't. That is, it cannot be confirmed that the tip of the fork arm 76 has reached the opposite side surfaces 32a and 32b in the width direction of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. Therefore, it is highly possible that the pallet track 70 is further advanced and the tip of the fork arm 76 moves deeper than the opposite side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 in the width direction. At this time, the tip end side of the fork arm 76 is located at a height between the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 and the ground surface. The fork arm 76 in this state is shown by a dotted line in FIG. If the fork arm 76 is raised in this state, the tip of the fork arm 76 may come into contact with the bottom frame 31 to lift the battery-powered forklift 1 or damage the structure. In this state, of course, the battery 16 cannot be mounted on the battery mounting portion of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70.

Further, when the height position of the fork arm 76 is set below the lower surface of the bottom frame 31, it is confirmed that the tip of the fork arm 76 reaches the side surface 32c at the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. I can't. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the pallet track 70 will be advanced to a position where the tip of the fork arm 76 exceeds the side surface 32c at the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. At this time, the tip end side of the fork arm 76 is located at a height between the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 and the ground surface. The fork arm 76 in this state is shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. Even if the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 is raised in this state, the tip of the fork arm 76 comes into contact with the bottom frame 31, and the battery 16 cannot be mounted on the battery mounting portion of the fork arm 76.

On the other hand, if the structure is such that the guide member 51 or the like is mounted on the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, the thickness to of the edge of the notch 32 is to = (tg + tf) = 16 mm + 25 mm = 41 mm. Will be. That is, the thickness to of the edge portion of the notch 32 is increased by 25 mm in the plate thickness of the guide member 51 and the like. Therefore, the height position of the fork arm 76 can be easily adjusted, and the operation of inserting and removing the battery 16 can be performed efficiently.

The minimum height Hp of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 is 85 mm. Therefore, the height Hf of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface may be a height exceeding 85 mm. However, when the height Hf of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface becomes large, the height position of the battery accommodating portion 17 becomes high, and the vehicle height of the battery-powered forklift 1 becomes high. The height Hf of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface is preferably determined in consideration of these matters.

Forklift batteries may be replaced using a different forklift. The thickness of the fork of the forklift is 40 mm. Since it is lower than the pallet truck, it can also be applied when replacing the battery 16 using a forklift. This makes it possible to standardize a type in which the battery 16 is replaced by using the pallet truck 70 and a type in which the battery 16 is replaced by using another fork shift.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the following effects are obtained.
(1) The battery-powered forklift has a side frame (first frame) 41 having an opening (outlet) 42 for taking out the battery 16 and a notch 32 narrower than the opening 42 of the side frame 41. A bottom frame (second frame) 31 whose edge of the notch 32 is used as a battery mounting portion, a guide member 51 attached to the battery mounting portion of the bottom frame 31, and the like are provided. The edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 includes a pair of side edges extending in the direction in which the battery 16 is taken out, and the guide member 51 and the like extend along the side edges on the upper surface of each of the pair of side edges. It is attached. This structure does not require a mirror for confirming the position of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70, and is a simple structure. Further, since it is not necessary to provide an insertion hole or the like for engaging the tip of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 below the battery accommodating portion 17 of the vehicle body 11, the height position of the battery accommodating portion can be lowered. .. Further, the position of the center of gravity of the forklift 1 can be lowered by lowering the height position of the battery accommodating portion.

Further, since the adjustment allowance for the height position of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 for inserting and removing the battery 16 is increased by the thickness of the guide member 51 and the like, the height position of the fork arm 76 can be easily adjusted, and the battery 16 can be adjusted. Can be exchanged efficiently.
Further, since the fork of the forklift is thin and the upper surface position of the fork is lower than the height of the lowermost end of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70, the guide is also used in the battery-powered forklift in which the battery 16 is replaced by the forklift. By assembling the member 51 and the like, the battery 16 can be easily replaced by the pallet truck 70.

(2) The edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 further includes a back edge formed in the back of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 straddling a pair of side edges, and the guide member 52 further includes a back edge. It is mounted on the rim. Therefore, when the tip of the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 reaches the inner edge of the notch 32, it comes into contact with the guide member 52, and it is confirmed that the tip of the fork arm 76 reaches the inner edge of the notch 32. be able to. Therefore, if the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 is raised at this position, the battery 16 can be mounted on the battery mounting portion of the fork arm 76, and the battery 16 can be efficiently taken in and out.

(3) Each guide member 51a, 51b attached to the upper surface of each of the pair of side edges has inner side surfaces 55a, 55b on the side where the guide members 51a, 51b face each other, and the inner side surfaces 55a, 55b are mutual. It is a flat surface parallel to. Therefore, the fork arm 76 of the pallet truck 70 in contact with the inner side surfaces 55a and 55b of the guide members 51a and 51b can be smoothly guided in the direction along the side edge of the notch 32.

(4) The plate thickness of the guide member 51 and the like is made larger than the plate thickness of the bottom frame 31. Therefore, the adjustment allowance for the height position of the fork arm 76 can be increased without increasing the plate thickness tf of the bottom frame 31, in other words, without increasing the cost of the vehicle body 11.

In the above-described embodiment, the width Wf = 550 mm of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, the width Wp = 550 mm between the fork arms 76, the height Hf = 100 mm of the lower surface of the bottom frame 31 from the ground surface, and the minimum height of the fork arm 76. The numerical values such as Hp = 85 mm are given as an example or for the purpose of facilitating understanding, and the present invention is not subject to any limitation of the above-exemplified values.

-Modification example 1-
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modification 1 of the present invention.
In the modified example 1 shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of pairs (in this modified example, three pairs) extend on the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 along the pair of opposing side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32. The guide members 51a and 51b of (Example) are attached. In FIG. 10, the guide member 51a includes three guide member elements 51ax, 51ay, and 51az that are attached apart from each other, and the guide member 51b includes three guide member elements that are attached apart from each other. Includes 51bx, 51by, 51bz. Further, on the edge of the notch bottom of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31, a plurality (two in this modification) extending along the inner side surface 32c formed so as to straddle the pair of facing side surfaces 32a and 32b. The guide member 52 of (Example) is attached. In FIG. 10, the guide member 52 includes two guide member elements 52x, 52y that are attached apart from each other. Since the guide members 51 to 53 need only be provided at positions where the tip of the fork arm 76 can easily hit, they may be provided separately in this way. However. Since the upper surface of the guide members 51 to 53 serves as a mounting portion (mounting surface) for the battery 16, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the battery 16 can be stably held and that the guide members have strength to withstand the weight of the battery 16. .. Any of the guide members 51 to 53 may be one as shown in one embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the guide member 51 or the like can be fixed to the bottom frame 31 by other methods such as fastening with bolts, caulking with pins, and joining by welding.

-Modification example 2-
In the first embodiment, the structure is illustrated as a structure in which a guide member 51 or the like is attached on the edges of all the side sides of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31. However, it is not necessary to attach the guide member 52 to the inner edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 only by attaching the guide members 51a and 51b on the pair of side edges of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31.

-Modification example 3-
The shapes and structures of the bottom frame 31, the side frames 41, and the partition frames 61 to 63 constituting the battery accommodating portion 17 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the first embodiment are merely exemplified as examples. However, the present invention is not subject to any restrictions regarding the illustrated structure. The partition frames 61 to 63, or any of the partition frames 61 to 63, the bottom frame 31 and the side frame 41 are appropriately molded as an integral member, or another frame member is added to form the battery accommodating portion 17. It may be configured.

-Modification example 4-
In the first embodiment, the guide members 51a, 51b, and 51c are attached to the edge of the notch 32 of the bottom frame 31 as three separated members, but the guide members 51a, 51b, and 51c are integrated. It may be made into one integrated guide member. Such an integrated guide member also has a portion corresponding to the pair of guide members 51a and 51b, and is considered to have the pair of guide members.

-Modification example 5-
In the first embodiment, the width of the opening 42 is larger than the width of the notch 32, but it is not essential that the width of the opening 42 is larger than the width of the notch 32. For example, when a plurality of batteries 16 are accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 17 with their longitudinal axes extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, it is essential that the width of the opening 42 is larger than the width of the batteries 16. Further, it is essential that the distance between the facing side surfaces of the guide members 51a and 51b having the battery mounting surface is narrower than the width of the battery 16.
In the fifth modification, the guide members 51a and 51b are attached to the bottom frame so as to overhang inward from the facing side surfaces. That is, the distance between the facing surfaces of the guide members 51a and 51b attached on the edges of the pair of facing side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 is smaller than the width of the opening 42. Also in this modified example, the same effect as that of the embodiment can be obtained.
-Modification example 6-
In the first embodiment, the battery 16 is housed with its longitudinal axis oriented in the forward / backward direction of the forklift. The present invention can also be applied to a battery-type forklift in which a plurality of batteries are modularized as an integrated battery device with its longitudinal axis oriented in the left-right direction of the forklift, and the battery module is housed in the battery housing. In this case, the width of the opening 42 of the side frame 41 may be larger than the width of the modularized battery device.

Therefore, the battery-powered forklift according to the present invention including the above-described embodiment and modification is provided with a first frame 41 provided on the side portion of the vehicle body and having an opening 42 for inserting and removing the battery 16 into the battery accommodating portion 17. It has a notch 32 provided at the bottom of the vehicle body and has a pair of facing side surfaces 32a and 32b extending from the back side of the battery accommodating portion 17 toward the side portion of the vehicle body, and has at least a pair of facing side surfaces 32a, The edge of the notch 32 along 32b is attached to the second frame, which is the battery mounting portion on which the battery 16 is mounted, and the battery mounting portion of the second frame 31, and is attached to the upper surface of the second frame 31. Also includes at least a pair of first guide members 51a, 51b having a high battery mounting surface.

The method of removing the battery from the battery-powered forklift according to the present invention including the above-described embodiment and modification is as follows.
The battery of the battery-powered forklift is removed by placing the upper surfaces of the pair of fork arms 76 at a height position below the bottom surface of the battery 16 in the pair of facing side surfaces 32a and 32b of the notch 32 of the second frame 31. After inserting the set pallet truck into the battery accommodating portion 17, adjusting the gap between the pair of fork arms 76 and the bottom surface of the battery 16, and adjusting the gap, the tips of the pair of fork arms 76 are paired. While abutting on the first guide members 51a and 51b, a pair of fork arms 76 are further inserted into the depth of the battery accommodating portion 17, and the pair of fork arms 76 are taken out and raised to a height position to lift the battery 16. This includes pulling back the pallet truck 70 while lifting the battery 16 to remove the battery 16.
Further, it is preferable that after the tips of the pair of fork arms 76 are brought into contact with the second guide member 52, the pair of fork arms 76 are taken out and raised to the height position.
According to the battery attachment / detachment method of such a battery-powered forklift, when the fork arm 76 is raised by a trolley carrying the battery, for example, a pallet truck 70, the forklift is not accidentally lifted and the forklift may be damaged. It can be mitigated. Further, the insertion position and height of the pallet truck 70 can be easily determined, and the working time can be reduced.

The method of installing the battery of the battery-powered forklift is as follows.
The battery mounting method of the battery-powered forklift is to take out a pair of forkarms 76, raise them to a height position and place the battery 16 on the upper surface thereof, and place the pair of forkarms 76 on which the battery 16 is mounted as a battery. The battery 16 is inserted into the accommodating portion 17 to move the battery 16 to the battery mounting position of the battery accommodating portion 17, and the pair of fork arms 76 moved to the battery mounting position is lowered to move the battery 16 to the first guide member 51a. , 51b, and after mounting the battery 16 on the first guide members 51a, 51b, the pair of fork arms 76 are retracted from the battery accommodating portion 17.

The present invention is not limited to the contents shown in the above embodiments and modifications. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

1 Forklift 11 Vehicle body (body)
16 Battery 17 Battery housing 18 Battery cover 31 Bottom frame (second frame)
32 Notches 32a, 32b Opposing side surface 32c Side surface (back side surface)
33a to 33c Insertion hole 41 Side frame (first frame)
42 Openings 51, 51a, 51b, 52 Guide members (first and second guide members)
55a, 55b, 55c Inner side surface 70 Pallet truck 71 Handle 76 Pallet arm Hp Minimum height of fork arm 76 Hf Height from the ground surface of the bottom frame 31 Sg Gap between fork arm 76 and battery 16 tg Guide member 51, etc. Plate thickness tf Plate thickness of bottom frame 31 to Edge thickness of notch 32 of bottom frame 31 Wp Width between fork arms 76 Wf Width of notch 32 of bottom frame 31

Claims (10)

A first frame provided on the side of the vehicle body and having an opening for inserting and removing the battery in the battery accommodating portion.
It has at least a pair of U-shaped notches provided at the bottom of the vehicle body and formed with a pair of opposing side surfaces extending from the back side of the battery accommodating portion toward the side portion of the vehicle body. The edge of the notch along the facing side surface is a second frame in which the battery is mounted as a battery mounting portion.
Wherein mounted on the battery mounting section of the second frame, e Bei and at least a pair of first guide member having a high battery mounting surface than the upper surface of the second frame,
The pair of first guide members are provided along the pair of opposing side surfaces of the second frame, and the opposing side surfaces of the pair of first guide members are flat surfaces parallel to each other. The pair of first guide members are flush with the pair of facing side surfaces of the second frame, whereby the pair of first guide members attach the abutted fork arm to the side of the vehicle body. A battery-powered forklift that can guide you towards you. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 1.
The second frame is a battery-powered forklift having an insertion hole for attaching the first guide member. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 1.
Each of the at least pair of first guide members includes a plurality of first guide member elements.
A battery-powered forklift in which each of the plurality of first guide member elements is attached so as to be separated from each other. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 3.
The side surface of the second frame, which is the bottom of the notch, is formed as a side surface connecting the pair of opposing side surfaces.
A battery-powered forklift further comprising a second guide member provided along the side surface of the notched bottom and having a battery mounting surface higher than the top surface of the second frame. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 4.
The second guide member includes a plurality of second guide member elements.
The second guide member element is a battery-powered forklift that is attached to each other so as to be separated from each other. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 5.
A battery-powered forklift in which the thickness of each of the first and second guide members, or the thickness of each of the first and second guide member elements, is larger than the thickness of the second frame. In the battery-powered forklift according to claim 1.
The side surface of the second frame, which is the bottom of the notch, is formed as a side surface connecting the pair of opposing side surfaces.
A battery-powered forklift further comprising a second guide member provided along the side surface of the notched bottom and having a battery mounting surface higher than the top surface of the second frame. A battery mounting and detaching of the battery-powered forklifts,
The battery-powered forklift is provided with a first frame provided on the side of the vehicle body and having an opening for inserting and removing the battery in the battery accommodating portion.
It has a notch provided at the bottom of the vehicle body and formed with a pair of facing side surfaces extending from the back side of the battery accommodating portion toward the side portion of the vehicle body, and along at least the pair of facing side surfaces. The edge of the notch is a second frame having a battery mounting portion on which the battery is mounted.
It comprises at least a pair of first guide members that are attached to the battery mount of the second frame and have a battery mounting surface that is higher than the top surface of the second frame.
The battery attachment / detachment method is
In the pair of facing side surfaces of the notch of the second frame, a pallet truck having the upper surfaces of the pair of fork arms set at a height position below the bottom surface of the battery is inserted into the battery accommodating portion. ,
Adjusting the gap between the pair of fork arms and the bottom surface of the battery
After adjusting the gap, the pair of fork arms is further inserted into the inner part of the battery accommodating portion while the tips of the pair of fork arms are in contact with the pair of first guide members.
Taking out the pair of fork arms and raising them to the height position to lift the battery,
A method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-powered forklift, comprising pulling back the pallet truck while lifting the battery to remove the battery. In the method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-powered forklift according to claim 8.
A method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-powered forklift, in which the tips of the pair of fork arms are brought into contact with a second guide member, and then the pair of fork arms are taken out and raised to a height position. In the method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-powered forklift according to claim 9.
Raising the pair of fork arms to the take-out height position and placing the battery on the upper surface thereof.
The pair of fork arms on which the battery is mounted is inserted into the battery housing portion, and the battery is moved to the battery mounting position of the battery housing portion.
The pair of fork arms that have moved to the battery mounting position are lowered to mount the battery on the first guide member.
A method for attaching and detaching a battery of a battery-type forklift, which comprises placing the battery on the first guide member and then retracting the pair of fork arms from the battery accommodating portion.

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