JPH0655944U - Order picker electric power steering device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] By arranging a rotation detector, a steering speed reducer, a steering auxiliary electric motor, etc., which constitute an electric power steering device, in the vehicle body in a horizontal direction (sideways), Make effective use of space. [Structure] In a vehicle body 2 of an order picker 1, a rotation detector 31, a steering speed reducer 32, and a steering auxiliary electric motor 3
3 is arranged horizontally with respect to the vehicle body 2. A rotation direction conversion mechanism R is connected to the output shaft 32a of the steering speed reducer 32, and the rotation of the output shaft 32a is converted into rotation that rotates about an axis in the vertical direction, so that the steering and drive wheels 3 are driven. Rotate. Therefore, an effective space is formed above the rotation detector 31, the steering reduction gear 32, and the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 in the vehicle body 2. At this time, for example, the battery 41 and the like are arranged in this space S.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an order picker, and relates to an electric power steering device in a steering handle that moves up and down together with a platform.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, as this kind of technique, an electric power steering device for an order picking truck (order picker) disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-83167 has been proposed.

According to this electric power steering device, an operator rotates a steering wheel provided in a driver's seat (platform). Then, the rotation is transmitted to the spool arranged in the vehicle body through the roller chain meshed with the chain sprockets axially mounted on the driver seat side and the lifting mast (inner mast) side. This spool is designed to convert rotation from the steering wheel into rotation about the vertical axis.

A rotation detector for detecting rotation of the spool and a steering speed reducer are vertically connected to the lower portion of the spool. An auxiliary electric motor for steering is vertically connected to the reduction gear for steering. An output shaft extends vertically in the lower part of the steering speed reducer. A sprocket is fitted on this output shaft.

Further, a ball receiving ring fixed to the vehicle body so as to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction is provided on a lateral portion of the rotation detector, the steering speed reducer, and the steering auxiliary electric motor. A traveling speed reducer (steering and driving wheel support) to which steering and traveling wheels are attached is pivotally mounted on the ball receiving ring.

That is, the steering and traveling wheels are steered by rotating the traveling speed reducer in the ball receiving ring about the vertical axis. A steering ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the traveling speed reducer, and the sprocket of the output shaft and the steering ring are connected via a chain. A traveling power source for driving the steering and traveling wheels is connected to the upper part of the traveling speed reducer.

Therefore, the rotation transmitted to the spool is transmitted to the steering reduction gear through the rotation detector and the steering auxiliary electric motor, and is transmitted to the sprocket mounted on the output shaft of the steering reduction gear. To be done. At this time, the sprocket rotates about the vertical axis. This rotation is transmitted to the traveling speed reducer via the chain and the steering ring, and the steering and traveling wheels are steered.

[0008]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the rotation detector, the steering auxiliary electric motor, and the steering reduction gear are vertically installed. Therefore, it is necessary for the spool to convert the rotation from the steering wheel into rotation with the vertical direction as the axis. Therefore, in the vehicle body, a space for arranging the spool on the upper part of the rotation detector or the like is required, and there is a problem that a large space is required in the vertical direction.

Further, since the rotation from the steering wheel is transmitted from the steering reduction gear to the steering and drive wheels, a sprocket is attached to the steering reduction gear and a steering ring is attached to the steering and drive wheels. It is necessary to suspend the chain between them. Therefore, there is a problem that a large amount of space is required in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, it is very difficult to make a space for placing a battery or the like for driving the order picking truck in the vehicle body, and in the worst case, the battery must be placed outside the vehicle body. There is a problem of not becoming.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a rotation detector, a steering speed reducer, a steering auxiliary electric motor, and the like that constitute an electric power steering device. An object of the present invention is to provide an order-picker electric power steering device that can effectively utilize the space in the vehicle body by arranging it horizontally (sideways) in the vehicle body.

[0012]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a rotation transmitting member that rotates in association with rotation of a steering wheel, a rotation detector that detects a rotation angle of the rotation transmitting member, and a rotation transmitting member that is connected to the rotation transmitting member. A steering reduction gear that decelerates the rotation of the rotation transmission member to output from the output shaft, and rotates based on a detection signal from the rotation detector to supply an auxiliary driving force to the steering reduction gear. An electric power steering device for an order picker, comprising: a steering auxiliary electric motor; and a steering wheel support member that rotates in association with rotation of an output shaft of the steering reduction gear to steer a steering wheel. The rotation detector, the steering speed reducer, and the steering auxiliary electric motor are arranged in the horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body, and the output shaft of the steering speed reducer is connected with a rotation direction conversion mechanism. Rotation of the vertical By converting the rotation to rotate about the axis, by rotating a steering wheel support member, it shall be the gist to steer the steered wheel.

[0013]

[Action]

 Therefore, according to the present invention, the rotation detector, the steering reduction gear, and the steering auxiliary electric motor are arranged in the horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body, and the rotation direction conversion mechanism rotates the rotation shaft from the output shaft of the steering reduction gear. Is transmitted to the steering wheel support member by changing its direction, and the steering wheel is steered according to the rotation of the steering handle. Therefore, an effective space is formed above the rotation detector, the steering reduction gear, and the steering auxiliary electric motor in the vehicle body.

[0014]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of the order picker 1.

The order picker 1 is provided with a vehicle body 2. Steering and driving wheels 3 are provided at the front of the vehicle body 2, and driven wheels 4 that are driven by the steering and driving wheels 3 are provided at the rear of the vehicle. A steering and driving wheel support 5 is provided inside the vehicle body 2 above the steering and driving wheels 3. The steering / driving wheel 3 is rotatably connected to the steering / driving wheel support 5 by a connecting mechanism (not shown) so that the steering / driving wheel 3 rotates and the order picker 1 is steered. .

Further, a driving motor 7 is connected to the upper portion of the steering / driving wheel support 5. That is, the steering / driving wheel 3 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 7 to drive the order picker 1.

An outer mast 8 extending upward is provided upright on the vehicle body 2. An inner mast 9 is attached to the outer mast 8 so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the outer mast 8. A lift rod of a hydraulic lift cylinder 10 is attached to the inner mast 9, and the inner cylinder 9 is moved up and down with respect to the outer mast 8 by driving the lift cylinder 10.

A lift pulley 11 (two-dot chain line in the figure) is rotatably supported by the inner mast 9. An elevating chain 12 having one end fixed to the outer mast 8 is suspended on the elevating pulley 11, and the other end of the elevating chain 12 is used by an operator or the like provided to be able to ascend and descend with respect to the inner mast 9. It is fixed to the platform 13 for boarding.

That is, when the lift cylinder 10 is driven and the inner mast 9 rises with respect to the outer mast 8 by a length L, for example, the lifting pulley 11 also rises L with the inner mast 9. At this time, the platform 13 rises by 2 L with respect to the outer mast 8. Similarly, when the inner mast 9 is lowered by L, the platform 13 is lowered by 2L.

A fork 14 together with the platform 13 is provided at the bottom of the platform 13 so as to be able to move up and down, so that an operator can place a load such as a work on the fork 14. There is.

FIG. 2 shows the attached state of the steering pulley and the chain when the platform 13 side is viewed from the vehicle body 2 side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first steering pulley 15 and a second steering pulley 16 are rotatably mounted on the inner mast 9.

A steering handle 17 for the operator to steer the order picker 1 is rotatably attached to the platform 13. A first gear 18 rotatably provided coaxially with the steering handle 17 is attached to the back surface of the steering handle 17. A second gear 19 is meshed with the first gear 18. A first chain sprocket 20 is rotatably coupled to the second gear 19 coaxially with the second gear 19. That is, when the operator rotates the steering wheel 17, the rotation is transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 via the first gear 18 and the second gear 19.

A third steering pulley 21, a fourth steering pulley 22 and a fifth steering pulley 23 are rotatably supported by a lower portion of the platform 13 so as to rotatably support the third to fifth steering pulleys. The pulleys 21 to 23 are designed to move up and down together with the platform 13. Further, a second chain sprocket 24 is rotatably arranged on the lower portion of the vehicle body 2 side.

A first steering chain 25 is meshed with the first chain sprocket 20. A first steering wire 26 is connected to one end of the first steering chain 25. The first steering wire 26 extends downward from the first steering chain 25 and is suspended on the third steering pulley 21. Further, the first steering wire 26 extends upward, is suspended by the first steering pulley 15, then extends downward, and is connected to the second steering chain 27.

At this time, the first steering wire 26 is erected from the first steering chain 25 to the third steering pulley 21. The erected portion 26a is erected from the third steering pulley 21 to the first steering pulley 21. It is composed of an erection portion 26b erected on the vehicle pulley 15 and an erection portion 26c erected from the first steering pulley 15 to the second steering chain 27.

The second steering chain 27 is meshed with the second chain sprocket 24. A second steering wire 28 is connected to the second steering chain 27. The second steering wire 28 extends upward from the second steering chain 27 and is suspended on the second steering pulley 16. Further, the second steering wire 28 extends downwardly, is suspended by the fourth and fifth steering pulleys 22 and 23, and then extends upwardly at the other end of the first steering chain 25. Be connected. That is, the first steering chain 25, the first steering wire 26, the second steering chain 27, and the second steering wire 28 are integrally connected in a closed loop shape.

At this time, the second steering wire 28 includes the erection portion 28 a erected from the second chain 27 to the second steering pulley 16 and the second steering pulley 16 to the fourth steering pulley 16. It is composed of an erection portion 28b erected to 22 and an erection portion 28c erected from the fourth and fifth steering pulleys 22 and 23 to the first steering chain 25.

That is, the rotation transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 is transmitted to the first steering chain 25. Then, the first steering chain 25, the first steering wire 26, the second steering chain 27, and the second steering wire 28 are integrally driven. At this time, the second steering chain 27 rotates the second chain sprocket 24. Thus, the rotation transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 is transmitted to the second chain sprocket 24.

In this state, the lift cylinder 10 is driven, and the case where the inner mast 9 is lifted by, for example, L will be briefly described. At this time, since the first and second steering pulleys 15 and 16 are axially attached to the inner mast 9, they are raised by L. Further, the third to fifth steering pulleys 21 to 23 and the first chain sprocket 20 pivotally mounted on the platform 13 side are raised by 2L. Further, since the second sprocket 24 is arranged on the vehicle body 2 side, it does not move in that location regardless of whether the inner mast 9 is lifted or lowered. That is, as the inner mast 9 rises, the erected portions 28a and 26c become longer by L, and the erected portions 28b and 26b become shorter by L. Further, the positions of the first chain sprocket 20, the first steering chain 25, the installation portions 26a and 28c, and the third to fifth steering pulleys 21 to 23, and the second chain sprocket 24 and the second chain sprocket 24 The position with the steering chain 27 does not change.

Similarly, when the lift cylinder 10 is driven and the inner mast 9 is lowered by L, the lengths are adjusted between the erection portions 28a and 28b and between the erection portions 26c and 26b. The engagement state between the first and second steering chains 25 and 27 and the first and second chain sprockets 20 and 24 does not change when the inner mast 9 descends.

That is, the engagement state between the first and second steering chains 25 and 27 and the first and second chain sprockets 20 and 24 does not change regardless of whether the inner mast 9 moves up or down.

That is, the rotation from the steering wheel 17 transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 is surely transmitted to the second chain sprocket 24 regardless of whether the inner mast 9 is lifted or lowered. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the second chain sprocket 24 is connected with a rotary shaft 29 extending in the horizontal axis K 1 direction. A rotation detector 31 is connected to the rotation shaft 29 via a first joint 30. The rotation detector 31 is arranged in the horizontal direction (sideways) with respect to the vehicle body 2, and an input shaft (not shown) of the rotation detector 31 extends in the horizontal direction. At this time, the input shaft of the rotation detector 31 and the rotation shaft 29 are connected on the same axis by the first joint 30.

A steering speed reducer 32 is connected to an output shaft side (not shown) of the rotation detector 31. The steering speed reducer 32 is arranged in a horizontal direction (sideways) with respect to the vehicle body 2, and the steering speed reducer 32 has an output shaft 32a extending along a horizontal axis K.

Further, the steering speed reducer 32 is connected to a steering auxiliary electric motor 33 arranged horizontally (sideways) with respect to the vehicle body 2. The steering auxiliary electric motor 33 and the rotation detector 31 are connected to each other. Are electrically connected.

That is, the rotation of the second chain sprocket 24 is a rotation about the axis K in the horizontal direction, and is transmitted to the rotation detector 31 and the steering speed reducer 32 via the rotation shaft 29 and the first joint 30. Is transmitted. At this time, the rotation detector 31 detects the rotation of the second chain sprocket 24 and outputs the detection signal to the steering auxiliary electric motor 33. Then, the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 is driven based on the detection signal, and transmits the auxiliary driving force for rotationally driving the steering reduction gear 32 to the steering reduction gear 32. Therefore, when the operator rotates the steering wheel 17, the auxiliary driving force corresponding to the rotation is transmitted from the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 to the steering reduction gear 32. In other words, the rotation from the steering wheel 17 is transmitted from the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 so that the operator can rotate the steering wheel 17 with a small rotational force in the steering reduction gear 32, and the output shaft 32a thereof is transmitted. Is output as rotation about the horizontal axis K.

A joint spline 35 is connected to the output shaft 32 a of the steering speed reducer 32 via a second joint 34. The joint spline 35 includes first and second connecting portions 35a and 35b and a connecting plate 35c. That is, the first connecting portion 35a is obliquely connected to the second joint 34 and is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown). Further, the first connecting portion 35a is connected to a second connecting portion 35b extending vertically upward through a connecting plate 35c. That is, the rotation transmitted to the output shaft 32a is transmitted to the joint spline 35 via the second joint 34, and is converted into the rotation having the axis in the vertical direction. At this time, the second joint 34 and the joint spline 35 constitute a rotation direction conversion mechanism R that converts the rotation about the horizontal axis K into the rotation about the vertical axis.

Further, the upper portion of the rotation direction conversion mechanism R (in the vicinity of the second connecting portion 35 b) is inserted into a hole 36 formed in the steering and drive wheel support 5. In the hole 36, a gear shaft 37 is connected to the upper end of the second connecting portion 35b. A bearing 38 fixed to the steering and drive wheel support 5 is fitted to the upper and lower ends of the gear shaft 37, and the gear shaft 37 is rotatably supported.

A gear 39 is fixed to the gear shaft 37. The gear 39 is engaged with a gear 40 formed on a drive unit (not shown). Therefore, the rotation converted by the second joint 34 and the joint spline 35 into the rotation having the axis in the vertical direction is transmitted to the gear shaft 37 and the gear 39. Then, the steering and driving wheel 3 is steered by rotating the gear 39 in a state of being engaged with the gear 40.

At this time, in the vehicle body 2, a space S is formed above the rotation detector 31, the steering speed reducer 32, and the steering auxiliary motor 33, and behind the steering / driving wheel support 5. To be done. A battery 41 for driving the lift cylinder 10 and the like is arranged in the space S.

Next, the operation and effect of the electric power steering device of the order picker configured as described above will be described. When the operator rotates the steering wheel 17, the rotation is transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 via the first gear 18 and the second gear 19.

The rotation transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 is transmitted to the first steering chain 25. Then, the first steering chain 25, the first steering wire 26, the second steering chain 27, and the second steering wire 28 are integrally driven. At this time, the second steering chain 27 rotates the second chain sprocket 24. That is, the rotation transmitted to the first chain sprocket 20 is transmitted to the second chain sprocket 24.

The rotation transmitted to the second chain sprocket 24 is transmitted via the rotation shaft 29 and the first joint 30 to the rotation detector 31 and the steering speed reducer 32 which are arranged in the horizontal direction (sideways). To be done. At this time, the rotation detector 31 detects the rotation of the rotating shaft 29 and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the rotation to the steering auxiliary electric motor 33. Then, the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 is driven based on the detection signal, and the driving force is supplied to the steering reduction gear 32. Therefore, the auxiliary driving force corresponding to the rotation of the steering wheel 17 is supplied from the steering electric motor 33 to the steering speed reducer 32, so that the operator can rotate the steering wheel 17 with a smaller rotational force.

The rotation transmitted to the steering speed reducer 32 is output as rotation about an axis extending in the horizontal direction from the output shaft 32 a, and is transmitted to the joint spline 35 via the second joint 34.

At this time, by the second joint 34 and the joint spline 35, the rotation about the horizontal axis K is converted into the rotation about the vertical axis and transmitted to the gear shaft 37. Then, the gear 39 fixed to the gear shaft 37 rotates while being engaged with the gear 40. Therefore, the steering and driving wheels 3 are steered based on the rotation of the steering handle 17.

At this time, in the vehicle body 2, a space S is formed above the rotation detector 31, the steering reduction gear 32, and the steering auxiliary electric motor 33, and behind the steering / driving wheel support 5. To be done. A battery 41 for driving the lift cylinder 10 and the like is arranged in this space S.

As described above in detail, according to the above-described embodiment, when the operator rotates the steering wheel 17, an auxiliary driving force corresponding to the rotation is supplied from the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 to the steering speed reducer 32. To be done. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the steering handle 17 with a smaller rotational force.

Further, the rotation detector 31, the steering reduction gear 32, and the steering auxiliary electric motor 33 are arranged horizontally with respect to the vehicle body. Therefore, in the vehicle body 2, the space S can be formed in the upper portion of the rotation detector 31, the steering reduction gear 32, and the steering auxiliary electric motor 33, that is, in the rear portion of the steering / driving wheel support 5. . At this time, a battery 41 or the like for driving the lift cylinder 10 or the like can be arranged in the space S.

The rotation from the output shaft 32a of the steering reduction gear 32 is transmitted to the gear 40 via the second joint 34, the joint spline 35, the gear shaft 37, and the gear 39. Therefore, as shown in the related art, the rotation from the output shaft of the steering speed reducer is transmitted from the outer periphery of the steering and drive wheel support 5 (travel speed reducer) via the sprocket, the chain, the steering ring, and the like. It is possible to save space in the vehicle body compared to the case of doing.

A rotation direction conversion mechanism R is connected to the output shaft 32a of the steering speed reducer 32. Therefore, the rotation of the output shaft 32a having the axis in the horizontal direction can be converted into the rotation having the axis in the vertical direction and transmitted to the steering / driving wheel support 5 to steer the steering / driving wheel 3.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented as follows by appropriately modifying a part of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention. (1) Although the second joint and the joint spline are used as the rotation direction conversion mechanism R in the above embodiment, a bevel gear or a flexible wire may be used.

(2) In the above embodiment, the rotation direction conversion mechanism R is connected to the output shaft 32 a of the steering speed reducer 32, and the rotation from the output shaft 32 a with the horizontal direction as the axis is the vertical direction as the axis. I decided to rotate. Alternatively, the rotation direction conversion mechanism R may be incorporated in the steering reduction gear 32 in advance, and the rotation about the vertical axis may be directly output from the output shaft 32a of the steering reduction gear 32.

(3) Although the order picker 1 is steered and traveled by the steering and driving wheels 3 in the above embodiment, the order wheels may be used separately for the steering wheels and the driving wheels.

(4) In the above embodiment, the rotation detector 31 detects the rotation of the rotation shaft as the rotation transmission member. The rotation detector 31 may be connected to the second chain sprocket 24 directly or via the first joint so that the rotation detector 31 detects the rotation of the second chain sprocket 24. At this time, the rotation transmitting member becomes the second chain sprocket 24.

(5) In the above embodiment, the space S was used for housing the battery 41, but it may be used for other purposes. (6) In the above embodiment, the first and second chain sprockets 20 and 24 are meshed with the first and second steering chains 25 and 27 to transmit the rotation from the steering wheel 17. The rotation from the steering wheel 17 may be transmitted by using a timing belt and a pulley provided so as to be meshable with the timing belt.

(7) In the above embodiment, the hydraulic lift cylinder 10 is used, but an electric lift cylinder may be used.

[0057]

[Effect of device]

 As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the rotation detector, the steering speed reducer, the steering auxiliary motor, etc., which constitute the electric power steering device, are arranged horizontally (sideways) in the vehicle body. As a result, there is an excellent effect that the space inside the vehicle body can be effectively used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an order picker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an attached state of a steering pulley and a chain sprocket when the platform side is viewed from the vehicle body side in one embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Steering and driving wheels as steering wheels, 17 ... Steering wheel, 29 ... Rotation shaft as rotation transmission member, 31 ... Rotation detector, 32 ... Steering speed reducer, 32a ... Output shaft, 33 ... Steering auxiliary electric motor , 40 ... Gears as steering wheel support members.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A rotation transmission member that rotates in association with rotation of a steering wheel, a rotation detector that detects rotation of the rotation transmission member, and a rotation of the rotation transmission member that is coupled to the rotation transmission member. And a steering auxiliary electric motor that rotates based on a detection signal from the rotation detector and supplies an auxiliary driving force to the steering speed reducer and the steering speed reducer. An electric power steering device for an order picker, comprising: a steering wheel support member that rotates in association with rotation from an output shaft of a machine and steers a steered wheel, comprising: the rotation detector, the steering speed reducer, and the steering wheel. The auxiliary electric motor is arranged in the horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body, and a rotation direction conversion mechanism is connected to the output shaft of the steering reduction gear, and the rotation of the output shaft is rotated about the vertical axis. In rotation And conversion, by turning the steering wheel support member, the electric power steering apparatus of the order picker to steer a steering wheel.