JPH09100096A - Pallet locking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pallet locking device a wide in range of applications capable of locking a pallet by using a hole formed in a deck board. SOLUTION: In an order-picking truck where a platform 1 doubling as a driver's stand and a fork 2 attached to the former are integrally lifted up and down, a lock arm 10 equipped with a hook part 10a at the tip is attached to an inner side face at the base side of this fork 2 rotatably up and down, and the hook part 10a is inserted into a port P4 formed in a lower side deck board P3 of the pallet and engaged, thereby locking the pallet tight. In addition, the lock arm 10 is made operable by an operating lever 18 installed in the platform 1 via a wire cable 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an order-picking pallet lock device for a forklift, which is mainly used for picking work for dispensing and collecting articles in narrow passages or parts warehouses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a conventional general order picking vehicle. In this order-picking vehicle, a platform 43, which also functions as a driver's cab, is mounted to be vertically movable along a mast 42 provided upright on a vehicle body 41. The platform 43 has a pair of left and right forks horizontally extending rearward from a rear end surface thereof. 44 are provided. In such an order picking vehicle, the pallet P is moved to the fork 44 during the picking operation.
There is provided a pallet clamp device 45 for fixing the pallet clamp so as not to move carelessly. FIG. 7 shows an example of a conventional pallet clamp device 45.

In FIG. 7, a pallet clamp device 45 is shown.
Is a pair of left and right clamp arms 47 that are attached to a bracket (not shown) fixed to the platform 43 in a crossed manner and horizontally rotatably attached by pins 46, and two links connected to the bases of the clamp arms 47. 48,
A wire cable 51 having one end connected to the link 48 via the clevis 49 and the other end connected to the operation lever 50,
A cable guide 52 for guiding the wire cable 51 and a compression spring 53 for urging the clamp arm 47 in the releasing direction.
As shown in FIG. 6, the clamp arm 47 is disposed so as to project forward from the end portion of the platform 43 along the inner side surfaces of the left and right forks 44.

The pallet clamp device 45 having the above-described structure is provided with a fork 44 as shown in FIG.
At the same time, with the clamp arm 47 inserted into the insertion port P1 of the pallet P, the pallet P is clamped by operating the clamp arm 47 with the operation lever 50 in the direction in which its tip is closed.

[0005]

By the way, in the order picking vehicle, as a pallet P used for picking work, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the insertion port P1 is a four-way type having front, rear, left and right directions. And a two-way type in which the insertion port P1 is in two opposite directions, as shown in FIG. However, when the conventional pallet clamp device described above is used as the fixing method by clamping, the four-way pallet P is mounted on the pallet P by the clamp arm 47 as shown in FIG. 8A. Digit P
2 (a shaded portion) is gripped so as to be held, so that a reliable fixing mode can be obtained, but in the case of the bidirectional pallet P, as shown in (B), the side surface of the girder P2 is fixed by gripping. There is a problem in that it cannot be securely fixed due to the relationship of the aspects. Therefore, in the conventional clamping method, the applicable range of the pallet P is limited to the four-direction type.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 5, in recent years, a pallet P having a large number of holes P4 arranged in a mesh pattern on a deck board P3 has been widely used for the purpose of weight reduction and material cost reduction. It's starting.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pallet lock device having a wide range of application, which can fix the pallet by utilizing the holes of the deck board, paying attention to the above matters.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following means. That is, claim 1
The invention of (1) is a pallet lock device applied to an order picking vehicle having a fork on a platform, which is arranged near the base of the fork and is formed on a deck board of the pallet by upward or downward displacement. It is characterized in that it is provided with a lock member which can be engaged with and disengaged from the hole, and an operating means for operating this lock member.

According to the first aspect of the invention configured as described above, the locking member is displaced upward or downward by the operating means in the state that the fork is inserted into the insertion port of the pallet, and the hole of the deck board of the pallet is moved. The pallet can be fixed by inserting it into and locking it.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the pallet lock device according to the first aspect, the lock member is urged by a spring so as to always engage with the hole of the deck board. When such a configuration is adopted, the locked state of the lock member with respect to the hole of the deck board is reliably retained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pallet lock device according to the second aspect, the operating means comprises an operating lever mounted on the platform, and a cable connecting the operating lever and the locking member. It is characterized by being done. When such a configuration is adopted, a pallet lock device having a simple structure with a small number of parts is provided.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. Since the order picking vehicle itself is the same as the conventional one shown in the schematic plan view of FIG. 6, description thereof will be omitted, and first, a mounting structure of the fork 2 to the platform 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, on the lower surface of the floor panel 3 of the platform 1, a fork mount 4 having a groove-shaped cross section extends in the front-rear direction with the groove facing downward. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the fork 2 has a substantially rectangular block 5 welded to its upper surface on the base side, and the fork 2 is arranged after the block 5 is covered with the fork mount 4. And mounting hole 4 for block 5
The mounting pin 6 is inserted through a and 5a. Also, fork 2
The base end of is fixed to the plate 7 fixed to the fork mount 4 with bolts 8. Thus, the fork 2 horizontally extends rearward from the rear end surface of the platform 1 with the base side thereof fixed to the lower surface side of the floor panel 3 of the platform 1.

Next, a pallet lock device mounted on the order picking vehicle having the above-mentioned structure will be described. The pallet lock device 9 includes a lock arm 10 as a lock member for fixing the pallet, and an operating means 11 for the lock arm 10.
It is composed of Then, the lock arm 10 is attached to the fork 2. That is, the lock arm 10 is arranged along the inner side surface of the fork 2 so that the tip end side thereof projects from the lower surface of the floor panel 3 of the platform 1, and the base side of the lock arm 10 is welded to the pair of brackets 12 and 13. It is mounted rotatably up and down via a mounting pin 14, and has a downward hook portion 10a which can be engaged with a hole P4 formed in the deck board P3 of the pallet P at the tip thereof.

A torsion spring 15 is mounted on the mounting pin 14 of the lock arm 10, and one end of the torsion spring 15 is locked to the lock arm 10 and the other end is locked to the bracket 12, respectively. It is urged downward, which is the locking direction for the hole P4. The axial position of the mounting pin 10 of the lock arm 10 is adjusted by the spacer 16 interposed between the brackets 12 and 13 and the lock arm 10. A stopper 17 is welded to the upper surface of the fork 2 to regulate the maximum pivot position of the lock arm 10 in the releasing direction. The lock arm 10 at the release position is set such that the tip end side protruding from the rear end face of the platform 1 is within the range of the thickness (height) of the fork 2, which hinders the insertion of the pallet P into the insertion port P2. It is supposed not to be done.

On the other hand, the operating means 11 of the lock arm 10 is composed of an operating lever 18 installed on the platform 1 side and a wire cable 19 connecting the operating lever 18 and the lock arm 10. Operating lever 18
Is rotatably attached via a pin 23 to a lever bracket 22 fixed by a bolt 21 to a vertical wall surface of the platform 1, more specifically, a steering plate 20 on which a steering handle, a cargo handling lever, etc. (not shown) are mounted. .

The wire cable 19 is routed along the vertical wall surface of the platform 1 and the lower surface of the floor panel 3, and one end of the cable outer 19a is fixed to a cable bracket 24 welded to the upper surface of the base of the fork 2.
The other end is fixed to the lever bracket 22. The cable inner 19b passing through the cable outer 19a has one end connected to the base end of the lock arm 10 via a joint 25, and the other end connected to the operation lever 18 so as to be adjustable in extension.

That is, FIG. 4 shows details of the connection state with the operation lever 18. As shown, the operation lever 18 has a groove-shaped cross section and a substantially semicircular cable guide 2
6 (see FIG. 1) is provided, and a screw rod 27 is connected to the end of the cable inner 19b guided by the screw rod 27. The screw rod 27 is penetrated by a joint plate 28 fixed to the operation lever 18, and the front and rear thereof are fastened with nuts 29. Therefore, the extension of the cable inner 19b can be adjusted by the nut 29.

The screw rod 27 is a rod guide 30.
The radial runout is restricted by. Further, the operating lever 18 is biased in the returning direction by the tension spring 31. The pallet lock device 9 configured as described above is installed on either the left or right fork 2, but may be installed on both if necessary.

Next, the function and effect of the pallet lock device 9 will be described. When the pallet lock device 9 is not used, the operation lever 18 is rotated rightward in FIG. 1, and the rotation position is locked by a lock mechanism such as that used for a parking brake lever of an automobile. By rotating the operation lever 18 to the right in the drawing, the lock arm 10 is rotated and displaced upward through the wire cable 19, and the lock release position is regulated by the stopper 17 (see solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 2). Held in.

In use, when the push button 18a on the upper end of the operating lever 18 is pushed, the lock of the operating lever 18 is released, and the tension spring 31 rotates the operating lever 18 to the left in the drawing. Since the wire cable 19 is loosened by this rotation, the lock arm 10 is rotated downward by the torsion spring 15, and the hook portion 10a at the tip of the lock arm 10 is rotated by the fork 2.
Is projected below the lower surface of the. Therefore, if the fork 2 is inserted into the insertion port P1 of the pallet P and the above-mentioned operation is performed, the hook portion 10a of the lock arm 10 is located below the pallet P as shown by phantom lines in FIGS. It is inserted and locked in the hole P4 formed in the deck board P3. Thus, the pallet P can be securely fixed to the fork 2.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the fixing mode of the pallet P is changed from the conventional clamping system to the locking system, the pallet P of the type having the hole P4 in the deck board P3 as shown in FIG. If,
Both the four-way type in which the insertion port P2 is in the four directions of front, rear, left and right, and the two-way type in which the insertion port P2 is in the two directions facing each other are applicable.

Further, since the lock arm 10 is biased in the lock direction by the torsion spring 15, there is no fear that the pallet P will be detached even if the pallet P bounces while the order picking vehicle is running, and the fixed state can be reliably maintained. Further, when the wire cable 19 is elongated due to aging effect, the elongation can be adjusted by the nut 29. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the lock arm 10 is assembled to the fork 2, the lock arm 10 is assembled to the fork 2 in a process different from the assembly line, and then the assembly is performed. Can be assembled to the platform 1, so that the assemblability is improved. Further, when the lock arm 10 is held in the unlocked position, it can be used for normal fork work without replacing the fork 2.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention, and examples thereof are as follows. (1) The operation lever 18 may be changed from the illustrated rotation type to a push-pull type or a pedal-operated type. (2) Instead of the wire cable 19, a link may be adopted. (3) The operating means 11 may be changed from a manual type using the operating lever 18 to an electric type or a hydraulic type using a motor, a cylinder, or an electromagnetic solenoid, and operated by a switch. (4) The locking direction of the pallet P by the lock arm 10 is not limited to downward and may be upward. In that case, it is also possible to support a single-sided deck plate P3 having only one side. (5) The lock member is not limited to the rotating type like the lock arm 10, but may be changed to a linearly displacing type such as a pin. (6) The spring that biases the lock arm 10 in the locking direction is
The spring is not limited to the torsion spring 15 and may be another type of spring. (7) The object to which the lock member is attached may be changed from the fork 2 to the platform 1.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
It should be additionally noted that this embodiment includes the following technical matters in addition to the technical matters described in the claims. 1. The pallet lock device according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is assembled to the fork. According to this, the lock member can be assembled to the fork and then the fork can be assembled to the platform, and the assembling property can be improved.

2. The pallet lock device according to claim 3, wherein a bracket is welded to the fork, the lock member is detachably attached to the bracket, and the operation lever is detachably attached to a vertical wall surface of the platform through the bracket. Pallet lock device. According to this, the pallet lock device can be removed from the order picking vehicle by removing the operation lever and the bracket from the platform while removing the fork from the platform. That is, it is possible to change the fork with the lock member to the standard fork and convert it to a standard specification order picking vehicle.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the invention of claim 1, if the pallet is a type having a hole in the deck board, it can be fixed regardless of the type of the insertion port. Therefore, the applicable range of the pallet lock device is expanded. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, since the lock member is always held at the locking position by the spring, the locked state can be secured even if the pallet bounces during traveling. Further, claim 3
According to the invention, it is possible to provide a simple pallet lock device with a minimum number of parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall explanatory view of a pallet lock device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a mounting structure of a fork and a lock arm and an operation mode of the lock arm.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a mounting structure of a fork and a lock arm.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a connection structure of a wire cable to an operation lever.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a pallet, where (A) shows a four-way pallet and (B) shows a two-way pallet.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of an order picking vehicle.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a conventional pallet clamp device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a clamp mode by a conventional pallet clamp device.

[Explanation of Codes] 1 ... Platform 2 ... Fork 9 ... Pallet Lock Device 10 ... Lock Arm 11 ... Operating Means 15 ... Torsion Spring 18 ... Operating Lever 19 ... Wire Cable

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pallet locking device applied to an order-picking vehicle having a fork on a platform, the pallet locking device being disposed near the base of the fork and being formed on a deck board of the pallet by upward or downward displacement. Pallet lock device including a lock member that can be engaged with and disengaged from the opened hole, and an operation unit that operates this lock member. 2. The pallet lock device according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is biased by a spring in a direction to always engage with the hole of the deck board. 3. The pallet lock device according to claim 2, wherein the operation means includes an operation lever mounted on the platform and a cable connecting the operation lever and the lock member. .