TWI888958B - How to use batteries as counterweight for electric forklifts - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for using a battery as a counterweight for an electric stacker, comprising the following steps: a first accommodating space is provided at the rear of an electric stacker to accommodate a first battery; the electric stacker uses the first battery as the counterweight of the electric stacker to keep the first battery and a cargo lifted by the fork of the electric stacker in balance; a second accommodating space is provided at the rear of the electric stacker, and at least one second battery is added to the second accommodating space according to the amount of the cargo added to the fork, so that the first battery and the second battery continue to keep the cargo on the fork in balance. The counterweight can be adjusted arbitrarily to prevent the occurrence of industrial accidents.

Description

How to use batteries as counterweight for electric forklifts

The present invention relates to a method of using a battery or an external battery instead of a counterweight as a counterweight so that an electric forklift can maintain balance.

At present, forklifts generally used to transport goods are prone to change their center of gravity during use due to the gradual increase of the loaded goods, causing accidents such as forklift overturning. Therefore, most forklifts are equipped with counterweights at the rear of the forklift body. The counterweights are mainly used to ensure that the forklift can achieve weight balance when lifting heavy objects, avoiding overturning due to unstable center of gravity, so as to ensure the safety of the forklift.

For example, there is the new patent No. M447331 "Structure of forklift counterweight box" announced on February 11, 2013. It is disclosed that the original solid counterweight block is changed into a hollow shape during casting, so that the weight of the raw materials used in the counterweight block can be reduced, and then the grouting material made by mixing the counterweight material with cement is poured into the internal space of the counterweight block through the pouring port of the hollow counterweight block. The grouting material makes up for the weight lost by the cast iron, and then the pouring port is sealed, so that the weight of the counterweight block can be close to the weight of the original solid counterweight block; through the above components, the cost of the raw materials of the counterweight block is reduced by using the counterweight material with lower cost, and the basic function of the counterweight block can still be brought into play.

Although the patent application uses lower-cost counterweight materials and cement to replace the conventional solid counterweight blocks made of cast iron (or welded steel materials), it can still achieve the basic function of the counterweight block. However, it cannot adjust the weight of the counterweight to achieve the balance according to the different weights of goods to be lifted each time, so it is still dangerous in use.

With the rise of environmental awareness, electric stackers are gradually replacing traditional fuel (diesel) powered stackers in large quantities, and have the advantages of reducing noise and air pollution. Therefore, in order to ensure that the electric stacker carrier remains balanced when carrying a load, the counterweight balancing mechanism used by the electric stacker is particularly important.

The battery installation position of a general electric stacker is shown in the new patent case No. M431159 "Electric stacker with built-in electric cleaning device" announced on June 11, 2012. It discloses that the electric cleaning device is powered by a battery unit of the electric stacker to perform a cleaning process, and includes a control unit, an execution unit, a motor, and a dust collection unit, wherein the control unit is used to control the operation of the electric cleaning device; the execution unit is used to execute the cleaning process; the motor is used to convert the power provided by the battery unit into power to drive the execution unit; the dust collection unit is detachable and is used to collect dust debris.

The battery unit of the patent is installed below the seat of the electric stacker, and the counterweight is still located at the rear of the electric stacker. Since the battery unit is large and occupies a certain space, the size of the electric stacker becomes larger, which consumes more energy. It is also impossible to adjust the weight of the counterweight according to the weight of the cargo, so it is still dangerous to use.

The invention patent No. I675002, "A battery pack and electric stacker", announced on October 21, 2019, discloses: a body and a battery pack disposed in the body, the battery pack includes a base and a battery pack disposed on the base, a first counterweight module and a second counterweight module. The design of the first counterweight module and the second counterweight module can help balance the weight of the electric stacker, and the weight ratio of the first counterweight module and the second counterweight module can be designed according to different electric stackers.

The prior patent fixes the first counterweight module and the second counterweight module by screwing the first and second positioning members (nuts) one by one on the first and second threaded sections of the first and second connecting rods (screws), and then disassembling and assembling the first and second counterweight blocks one by one to adjust the counterweight balance of the electric forklift. With such an adjustment structure and method, each time you want to lift cargo of different weights, you have to disassemble and adjust again, which is quite troublesome and time-consuming, and is not ideal in use.

Therefore, in view of the fact that the counterweight of the current electric stacker cannot be adjusted arbitrarily. Therefore, the present invention provides a method of using a battery as a counterweight for an electric stacker, comprising: a first accommodation space is provided at the rear of an electric stacker to accommodate a first battery; the electric stacker uses the first battery as the counterweight of the electric stacker to keep the first battery and a cargo lifted by the fork of the electric stacker in balance; a second accommodation space is provided at the rear of the electric stacker, and at least one second battery is added to the second accommodation space according to the amount of the cargo added to the fork, so that the first battery and the second battery continue to keep the cargo on the fork in balance.

A support frame is provided on the rear top of the electric forklift, and at least one second accommodating space is provided in the support frame.

The electric stacker is provided with an electrode assembly, which includes a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate. The positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are arranged on the wall surface of the first accommodating space and extend to the wall surface of the second accommodating space.

The positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet are respectively provided with an electrode contact, and a first positive electrode and a first negative electrode of the first battery are connected and conducted with the electrode contacts on the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet.

A second positive electrode and a second negative electrode of the second battery are connected and conducted with the electrode contacts on the positive electrode sheet and the negative electrode sheet, so that the second battery and the first battery are electrically connected in parallel to complete the electrical matching.

The above-mentioned carrier is additionally provided with an auxiliary fixing member so as to fix the second battery in the second accommodation space of the carrier and prevent it from falling off at will.

The above-mentioned auxiliary fixing components are tenons, bolts, screws or baffles.

The second battery is provided with a handle on the outer side thereof, so that the second battery can be conveniently placed in or taken out of the second storage space by holding the handle.

The above-mentioned supporting frame is designed to be detachable.

The above-mentioned different load racks are set at different heights so that the rear top of the electric stacker can be movably replaced with load racks of different heights, thereby increasing the second accommodating space in different quantities.

According to the above technical features, it has the following advantages:

1. By fixing the first battery at the rear of the electric stacker, the first battery is used as the counterweight of the electric stacker, so that the first battery and the cargo lifted by the fork of the electric stacker can maintain balance, thereby maintaining the stability and safety of the electric stacker.

2. Since the first battery is located at the original counterweight block at the rear of the electric stacker, the disadvantage of the conventional electric stacker that in addition to the battery storage space, an additional space for placing the counterweight block is required, thereby reducing the size of the electric stacker and making it more energy-efficient in use.

3. The first battery is used as the main counterweight of the electric stacker and is located at the rear of the stacker to increase the force arm when lifting the cargo, thereby saving effort and balancing the load of the cargo in front and improving stability, thereby reducing the occurrence of industrial accidents.

4. When the fork of the electric stacker lifts too much cargo, at least one second battery can be added to the second storage space of the carrier frame as needed. The added weight of the second battery can enable the electric stacker to continue to maintain the stability of the center of gravity to maintain balance.

5. The support frame is detachable, and different support frames are set at different heights, so that the support frames with different heights can be replaced flexibly, so as to increase the second storage space of different numbers to accommodate different numbers of the second batteries, so as to achieve the effect of adjusting the counterweight.

1: Electric forklift

11: Fork

2: Goods

12: First storage space

13: Carrier frame

14: Second storage space

15: Electrode assembly

151: Positive electrode

152: Negative electrode

153:Electrode contact

3: First battery

31: First positive electrode

32: First Negative

4: Second battery

41: Second positive pole

42: Second Negative

43:Handle

5: Baffle

[Figure 1] is an operation flow chart of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] is a schematic diagram of the electric forklift structure of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 3] is a schematic diagram of the electric forklift of the embodiment of the present invention with a second battery added.

[Figure 4] is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electrode assembly of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 5] is a schematic diagram of the carrier frame plus a second battery according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 6] is a schematic diagram of the supporting frame of the embodiment of the present invention using additional auxiliary fixing components.

[Figure 7] is a schematic diagram of the electric forklift of the embodiment of the present invention with two second batteries added.

Please refer to the first, second and third figures, the embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

A. A first storage space is provided at the rear of an electric forklift to accommodate a first battery.

The embodiment of the present invention is provided with an electric stacker 1, and a fork 11 capable of lifting and lowering is provided in front of the electric stacker 1 for lifting a cargo 2. A first accommodating space 12 is provided in the rear of the electric stacker 1, and a first battery 3 can be placed in the first accommodating space 12. The first battery 3 can be used as a power source for driving the electric stacker 1. A support frame 13 is provided on the top of the rear of the electric stacker 1, and a plurality of drawer-type second accommodating spaces 14 are provided in the support frame 13 for accommodating at least one second battery 4. The electric stacker 1 is provided with an electrode assembly 15 (as shown in the fourth figure), and the electrode assembly 15 includes a positive electrode sheet 151 and a negative electrode sheet 152. The positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152 are arranged on the wall surface of the first accommodation space 12 and extend to the wall surface of the second accommodation space 14 of the carrier 13. The positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152 are respectively provided with an electrode contact 153 with a positive and a negative pole, and a first positive electrode 31 and a first negative electrode 32 of the first battery 3 are connected and conducted with the electrode contacts 153 on the positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152.

B. The electric stacker uses the first battery as the counterweight of the electric stacker, so that the first battery and the cargo lifted by the fork of the electric stacker are balanced.

After the fork 11 of the electric stacker 1 lifts the cargo 2, the weight of the first battery 3 at the rear of the electric stacker 1 can be used to keep the center of gravity of the electric stacker 1 stable to maintain balance. In this way, the embodiment of the present invention can be used to operate the fork 11 to lift the cargo 2 for moving and stacking when the electric stacker 1 is working in a warehouse, store, factory or logistics center. In addition to the battery storage space, the known electric stacker 1 also needs to be provided with additional space for placing the counterweight block to maintain the stability and safety of the electric stacker 1. The embodiment of the present invention uses the first battery 3 to replace the counterweight block, and at the same time can reduce the placement space of the counterweight block. In this way, in addition to supplying power, the first battery 3 can also keep the electric stacker 1 balanced with the cargo 2 lifted by the fork 11 when the electric stacker 1 is working, so that when the fork 11 is raised and lowered to lift the cargo 2, the center of gravity of the electric stacker 1 when moving and lifting the cargo 2 can be balanced during operation. This helps prevent the electric stacker 1 from tipping over or becoming unstable, thereby improving safety during operation. Moreover, the first battery 3 becomes the main counterweight part of the electric stacker 1 and is located at the rearmost position of the electric stacker 1, so as to increase the force arm when lifting the cargo 2 to achieve the effect of saving effort, and it also helps to balance the load of the cargo 2 in front and improve stability to reduce the occurrence of industrial accidents.

C. A second storage space is provided at the rear of the electric stacker, and at least one second battery is added to the second storage space according to the amount of the cargo added to the fork, so that the first battery and the second battery continue to maintain balance with the cargo on the fork.

As shown in the second, third and fourth figures, when the amount of the cargo 2 lifted by the fork 11 of the electric stacker 1 increases, one or more second batteries 4 are added to the second accommodating space 14 of the carrier frame 13 at the rear of the electric stacker 1. The second battery 4 has a second positive electrode 41 and a second negative electrode 42 (as shown in the fifth figure), and a handle 43 is provided on the outer side of the second battery 4 to facilitate holding the handle 43 and inserting or removing the second battery 4 through the second accommodating space 14. By utilizing the fixing function of the carrier 13 and additional auxiliary fixing components, such as adding a latch, a bolt, a screw or a rotatable baffle 5 (as shown in FIG. 6 ), the added second battery 4 can be fixed in the second accommodating space 14 of the carrier 13 without falling out. At the same time, after the second battery 4 is inserted into the second accommodating space 14 and fixed, the second positive electrode 41 and the second negative electrode 42 of the second battery 4 can be connected and conducted with the electrode contacts 153 on the positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152, respectively, so that the second battery 4 and the first battery 3 are electrically connected in parallel by using the electrode contacts 153 on the positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152 to complete the electrical connection. And by using the added weight of the second battery 4, the electric stacker 1 can continue to maintain the stability of the center of gravity to maintain balance. In this way, the space required for adding counterweights can be reduced to reduce the overall volume of the electric stacker 1, and the amount of the second battery 4 can be increased without adding additional counterweights, thereby increasing the power used.

As shown in the second and seventh figures, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the cargo 2 lifted by the fork 11 of the electric stacker 1 is too much and two or more second batteries 4 are needed, after the two second batteries 4 are respectively placed in the second accommodating space 14 and fixed, the second positive electrodes 41 and the second negative electrodes 42 of the two second batteries 4 can be respectively connected to the electrode contacts 153 on the positive electrode sheet 151 and the negative electrode sheet 152 for conduction. In this way, the two added second batteries 4 can be electrically connected in parallel with the first battery 3 to complete the electrical matching. The support frame 13 of the embodiment of the present invention is detachable, and different support frames 13 are set at different heights, so that the support frames 13 with different heights can be flexibly replaced, so as to increase different numbers of the second accommodating spaces 14 to accommodate different numbers of the second batteries 4, so as to achieve the effect of adjusting the counterweight.

Combined with the description of the above embodiments, the operation, use and effects of the present invention can be fully understood. However, the above embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and cannot be used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. In other words, simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the scope of the patent application and the content of the invention description are all within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (4)

A method for using a battery as a counterweight for an electric stacker comprises the following steps: A first storage space is provided at the rear of an electric stacker to accommodate a first battery; The electric stacker uses the first battery as the counterweight of the electric stacker to keep the first battery and a cargo lifted by the fork of the electric stacker in balance; A carrier is provided at the rear of the electric stacker, and at least one drawer-type second storage space is provided in the carrier, and at least one second battery is added to the second storage space according to the amount of the cargo added to the fork, so that the first battery and the second battery continue to keep a balance with the cargo on the fork, and the carrier is additionally provided with a rotatable baffle to fix the second battery to the The second battery can be placed in the second storage space of the carrier without falling out. A handle is provided on the outer side of the second battery to facilitate holding the handle and inserting or removing the second battery from the second storage space. The carrier is detachable, and different carriers are set at different heights, so that the rear top of the electric stacker can be movably replaced with carriers of different heights, so as to increase the number of second storage spaces. As in claim 1, a method of using a battery as a counterweight for an electric stacker, wherein the electric stacker is provided with an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate, the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate are arranged on the wall surface of the first accommodating space and extend to the wall surface of the second accommodating space. As in claim 2, a method of using a battery as a counterweight for an electric forklift, wherein an electrode contact is provided on the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate respectively, and a first positive electrode and a first negative electrode of the first battery are connected and conducted with the electrode contacts on the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate. As in claim 3, a method of using a battery as a counterweight for an electric forklift, wherein a second positive electrode and a second negative electrode of the second battery are connected and conducted with the electrode contacts on the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, so that the second battery and the first battery are electrically connected in parallel to complete the electrical matching.

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