Industrial vehicle

Abstract

Provided is an industrial vehicle that informs an operator that an obstacle exists behind the operator even when the operator faces forward and backs up the vehicle body, in the case where an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle body. The industrial vehicle is provided with a vehicle body (11), a driver's seat (13) provided to the vehicle body (11), an obstacle detector that detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body (11), a warning generator that issues a warning, and a control device that controls the warning generator, in which a front warning light (45) as the warning generator is provided at least forward of the driver's seat (13) in the industrial vehicle, and the control device causes the front warning light (45) to operate in the case where the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body (11) when the vehicle body (11) is being backed up.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to industrial vehicles, and more particularly to industrial vehicles equipped with obstacle detectors for detecting obstacles and obstacle detectors for reporting the detection of obstacles. Background Technology

[0002] As prior art for industrial vehicles, for example, the safety device for a forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The safety device for a forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes: a lifting bracket mounted to a fork fixing bracket; and a non-contact measuring device capable of measuring obstacles located in front of the lower end portion between the forks while the lifting bracket is protruding downwards. Furthermore, the safety device includes a protrusion-retraction mechanism that protrudes and retracts the lifting bracket. The lifting bracket protrudes downwards from the fork fixing bracket by a predetermined length when the forks rise, and retracts to the point where the non-contact measuring device does not contact the floor when the forks fall. A notification unit is provided in a position that can be confirmed from the driver's seat, and this notification unit notifies the operator of the obstacles detected by the non-contact measuring device.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-195334 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, in forklifts used as industrial vehicles, for example, when placing goods on shelves or other high locations with the forks mounted on them, the operator must operate the forklift to avoid interference between the forks or goods and the shelf. Furthermore, to determine the loading and unloading position, the operator sometimes repeatedly moves the forklift forward and backward relative to the shelf. In this situation, when reversing with the goods mounted, the operator is looking forward while focusing on the goods and forks to avoid interference between the forks or goods and the shelf, sometimes making it impossible to check what is behind them. That is, the problem exists: when the forklift is reversing, it is impossible to check what is behind them.

[0008] Furthermore, in the forklift safety device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the notification unit merely notifies the operator of obstacles ahead as detected by a non-contact measuring device.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems. The object of the present invention is to provide an industrial vehicle that, even if the operator is facing forward and the vehicle body is reversed, will notify the operator of the existence of an obstacle behind the vehicle body when an obstacle is detected.

[0010] Solution for solving the problem

[0011] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides an industrial vehicle comprising: a vehicle body; a driver's seat disposed within the vehicle body; an obstacle detector that detects obstacles behind the vehicle body; a warning generator that issues a warning; and a control device that controls the warning generator. The industrial vehicle is characterized in that the warning generator is disposed at least in front of the driver's seat, and the control device activates the warning generator when the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body while the vehicle body is reversing.

[0012] In this invention, a warning generator activates when an obstacle is detected behind an industrial vehicle while the operator is facing forward and the vehicle is being reversed. The operator can identify the presence of an obstacle behind them by the activation of the warning generator. The warning generator is positioned at least in front of the driver's seat, making it easy for a forward-facing operator to recognize the warning indicating the presence of an obstacle behind them. In other words, even when the operator is facing forward and the industrial vehicle is being reversed, the presence of an obstacle behind the vehicle can be reported to the operator.

[0013] Alternatively, the aforementioned industrial vehicle may be configured as follows: it has a roof guard that protects the upper part of the driver's seat; and a front pillar that is disposed on the vehicle body and supports the roof guard. The warning generator is a front warning light provided on at least one of the front pillar and the front of the roof guard. The control device illuminates the front warning light when the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body while the vehicle body is reversing.

[0014] In this situation, the front warning light, which acts as a warning generator, is within the field of vision of the operator facing forward. Therefore, when the industrial vehicle is reversed while the operator is facing forward, and an obstacle is detected behind the industrial vehicle, the front warning light is illuminated, allowing the operator to immediately recognize the presence of an obstacle behind them.

[0015] Alternatively, the aforementioned industrial vehicle may be configured as follows: it includes a rear pillar, which is provided on the vehicle body and supports the roof; and a rear warning light, which is provided on the rear pillar and controlled by the control device, which illuminates the rear warning light when the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body while the vehicle body is reversing.

[0016] In this scenario, if an obstacle is detected behind the industrial vehicle while it is reversing, both the front and rear warning lights are illuminated. Therefore, even if the operator is not only facing forward but also looking back, they can immediately recognize the presence of an obstacle behind them.

[0017] Alternatively, the aforementioned industrial vehicle may be configured as follows: the warning generators are respectively set as a pair on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and when the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body while the vehicle body is reversing, the control device activates the warning generator on the side closer to the obstacle.

[0018] In this situation, if the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle while it is reversing, the warning generator on the side closer to the obstacle among the two warning generators will activate. Therefore, the operator can identify the presence of an obstacle near the warning generator that issued the warning.

[0019] Alternatively, the aforementioned industrial vehicle may be configured such that the front warning light is positioned higher in the vertical direction than the rear warning light.

[0020] In this configuration, the front warning light is positioned higher than the rear warning light in the vertical direction. Therefore, even when the operator facing forward is looking up at the goods on the forks at a relatively high position, they can immediately recognize the illumination of the front warning light.

[0021] Alternatively, the aforementioned industrial vehicle may be configured such that a display device is provided in front of the driver's seat, and when the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body while the vehicle body is reversing, the display device displays the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector.

[0022] In this situation, if the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle while it is reversing, the display device located in front of the driver's seat shows the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector. Therefore, the operator can determine the position of the obstacle by confirming the display device when the warning generator is activated.

[0023] Invention Effects

[0024] According to the present invention, an industrial vehicle can be provided that, even if the operator is facing forward and the vehicle body is reversing, it will notify the operator of the presence of an obstacle behind the vehicle body if an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle body. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a side view of the forklift according to the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the forklift according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3(a) is a modular configuration diagram showing the general structure of a forklift. Figure 3 (b) is a diagram showing an example of a liquid crystal display.

[0028] Figure 4 (a) is a side view of the forklift reversing through the operator facing forward. Figure 4 (b) is a side view of the forklift being reversed by the operator facing backward.

[0029] Figure 5 (a) is an explanatory diagram of an obstacle being detected behind the forklift in the second embodiment. Figure 5 (b) is an explanatory diagram showing when an obstacle is detected to the left rear of the forklift in this embodiment. Figure 5 (c) is an explanatory diagram of an obstacle detected at the right rear of the forklift in this embodiment.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0031] 10 forklifts

[0032] 11. Vehicle body

[0033] 12 Cargo loading and unloading equipment

[0034] 13 Driver's Seat

[0035] 26 forks

[0036] 28. Roof support

[0037] 29 Forepost

[0038] 30 Back Pillar

[0039] 33 Side beams

[0040] 34. Car roof

[0041] 40 camera units

[0042] 41 Controller (Control Device)

[0043] 45. Front warning light (first warning generator)

[0044] 46. ​​Rear warning light (first warning generator)

[0045] 47 Warning Buzzer (Second Warning Generator)

[0046] 48 Forward / Reverse Switch Sensor

[0047] 49. Liquid crystal display (LCD) (display device)

[0048] 50 Distance Display Unit

[0049] E1, E2, E3 Graphics Display Area

[0050] S1, S2, S3 graphics

[0051] W Goods Detailed Implementation

[0052] (First Embodiment)

[0053] Hereinafter, an industrial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The industrial vehicle in this embodiment is a forklift. Furthermore, the terms "forward and backward," "left and right," and "up and down" for determining direction are shown based on the state in which the forklift operator is seated in the driver's seat and facing the forward direction of the forklift.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the forklift 10 has a cargo loading and unloading device 12 at the front of the body 11. A driver's seat 13 is located near the center of the body 11. Drive wheels 14, serving as front wheels, are located at the front of the body 11, and steering wheels 15, serving as rear wheels, are located at the rear of the body 11. A counterweight 16 is provided at the rear of the body 11, used for adjusting the vehicle's weight and balancing the weight within the body 11. The forklift 10 of this embodiment is a battery-powered forklift with a single steering wheel 15.

[0055] The driver's seat 17 is provided in the driver's area 13 of the vehicle body 11. The driver's seat 17 is the seat where the operator of the forklift 10 sits. In addition to being located to the left of the center in the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle body 11, the driver's seat 17 can also be rotated clockwise to a certain angle in the horizontal direction. By being located to the left of the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and being able to be rotated clockwise to a certain angle, the operator can easily see the rear of the vehicle body 11 when the forklift 10 is reversing.

[0056] In the forklift 10 of this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the driver's seat 17 has a Seat Index Point (SIP). The Seat Index Point (SIP), defined by ISO (ISO 5353) or JIS (JIS A 8318), is a reference point for the seat located theoretically near the joints of the driver's torso and thighs. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the driver's seat 17 is located to the left of the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 11, so the seat reference point SIP is located to the left of the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 11.

[0057] An instrument panel 18 is located in front of the driver's seat 17. A steering column 19 is located in the instrument panel 18. A steering wheel 20 is equipped in the steering column 19.

[0058] The cargo loading and unloading device 12 includes a mast 24, which has an outer mast 22 and an inner mast 23. An inner mast 23, capable of sliding inside the outer mast 22, is provided on each of the left and right outer masts 22. A hydraulically operated tilting cylinder (not shown) is installed between the vehicle body 11 and the outer mast 22. The mast 24 tilts and moves in the longitudinal direction with its lower end as a fulcrum due to the operation of the tilting cylinder. A hydraulically operated lifting cylinder 25 is installed on the mast 24. The inner mast 23 slides and rises / falls within the outer mast 22 due to the operation of the lifting cylinder 25.

[0059] A pair of forks 26 are provided on the mast 24 via a lifting bracket 27, which is configured to move up and down relative to the inner mast 23. That is, the lifting bracket 27 can move up and down relative to the mast 24. Furthermore, the left and right forks 26 have the same configuration.

[0060] A head guard 28 is provided on the vehicle body 11, covering the upper part of the driver's seat 13. The head guard 28 is supported by a pair of front pillars 29 erected from the front of the vehicle body 11 and a pair of rear pillars 30 erected from the rear of the vehicle body 11. Rearview mirrors 31 are provided on each of the left and right front pillars 29. A handle 32 is provided on the left front pillar 29 to facilitate the operator's entry and exit. The handle 32 is located approximately in the middle of the left front pillar 29 in the vertical direction, and the rearview mirror 31 is located higher than the handle 32. The front pillars 29 are located in front of the driver's seat 13, and the rear pillars 30 are located behind the driver's seat 13.

[0061] The roof guard 28 is a known type of roof guard. The roof guard 28 includes: side beams 33, which are integrally formed with the front pillars 29 via hollow structural members; a lattice-shaped roof 34, positioned between the left and right pair of side beams 33; and a rear beam 35, which connects the rear ends of the left and right pair of side beams 33. (As...) Figure 2 As shown, a pair of left and right rear combination lights 36 are provided on the rear end face of the rear beam 35. The rear combination lights 36 are lights that integrate the turn indicator 37, brake light 38 and reverse light 39.

[0062] The forklift 10 of this embodiment includes a camera unit 40 that serves as an obstacle detector for detecting obstacles behind the vehicle body. The camera unit 40 includes a stereo camera with a pair of left and right camera lenses. The stereo camera of this embodiment incorporates a laser rangefinder (not shown). The laser rangefinder uses a laser to measure distance within the camera's field of view. The camera unit 40 is mounted to the rear beam 35 such that the lens of the camera unit 40 faces rearward. The camera unit 40 takes pictures of the rear of the vehicle body 11 when the forklift 10 is reversing. Furthermore, the camera unit 40 can also take pictures of the rear of the vehicle body 11 when the forklift 10 is stopped or moving forward.

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), a controller 41, serving as a control device, is mounted on the vehicle body 11 to control various components. A camera unit 40 is connected to the controller 41, and the controller 41 analyzes the images captured by the camera unit 40. Based on the results of the image analysis, the controller detects whether there are obstacles in the captured images and the distance to those obstacles. When an obstacle is detected by the controller 41's image analysis, the controller 41 identifies that an obstacle exists behind the vehicle body 11. Furthermore, although not shown, the controller 41 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage unit. The CPU executes various programs and performs the processing required for driving the forklift 10. The storage unit stores various programs and data.

[0064] The forklift 10 of this embodiment is equipped with warning lights that act as a warning generator to issue a warning when an obstacle is detected in an image captured by the camera unit 40 while the forklift 10 is reversing. The warning lights are front warning lights 45 respectively equipped on a pair of left and right front pillars 29 and rear warning lights 46 respectively equipped on a pair of left and right rear pillars 30.

[0065] The front warning light 45 has an orange luminous part (not shown). The luminous part of the front warning light 45 illuminates intermittently (flashes). The front warning light 45 is mounted on the rear of the front pillar 29, making the luminous part easily visible to the operator seated in the driver's seat 17. The vertical position of the front warning light 45 is higher than the middle of the vertical position of the front pillar 29, and is set higher than the rearview mirror 31 mounted on the front pillar 29. Furthermore, the front warning light 45 does not necessarily have to be directly mounted to the front pillar 29; for example, it can be mounted on the rearview mirror 31 mounted on each of the left and right front pillars 29. Alternatively, the front warning light 45 can be embedded in the mirror surface of the rearview mirror 31.

[0066] The front warning light 45 only needs to be within the operator's field of vision when the operator is seated in the driver's seat 17 facing forward. The vertical field of vision of the operator facing forward includes the area from the road in front of the forklift 10 to the area where the fork 26 can be seen when looking up with the fork 26 at its highest position, and the horizontal field of vision includes at least the area visible when facing forward. The position of the front warning light 45 only needs to be at least above the SIP and forward of the driver's seat 17 in the vertical direction. In addition, considering the field of vision when the fork 26 is in its highest position and the operator is looking at the fork 26, the front warning light 45 can also be at the same height as the overhead guard 28, for example, the front warning light 45 can be set at the front of the roof 34.

[0067] The rear warning light 46 has the same structure as the front warning light 45 and features an orange luminous part (not shown). The rear warning light 46 is mounted to the front of the rear pillar 30, making the luminous part easily visible to the operator in a posture where they are seated in the driver's seat 17 and looking back. Since the operator in a posture looking back rarely looks upwards, the vertical position of the rear warning light 46 is lower than that of the front warning light 45; in this embodiment, it is at the same height as the rearview mirror 31. The rear warning light 46 only needs to be positioned between the lower end of the rear pillar 30 and the same height as the rearview mirror 31. In the forklift 10, since the operator frequently looks back to the right rear when reversing, it is preferable that the rear warning light 46 is at least located on the right rear pillar 30.

[0068] When the front warning light 45 and rear warning light 46 are configured as the first warning generators, the forklift 10 is equipped with a warning buzzer 47 as the second warning generator. The warning buzzer 47 emits a warning sound when an obstacle is detected in an image captured by the camera unit 40 while the forklift 10 is reversing. Although the warning buzzer 47 is located on the overhead guard 28, it is mounted on the lower surface of the roof 34 of the overhead guard 28, such that the sound-emitting surface of the warning buzzer 47 faces the driver's seat 17 below. The position of the warning buzzer 47 is not limited to the overhead guard 28 and can be any position, as long as the operator sitting in the driver's seat 17 can hear the warning sound. By making the sound-emitting surface of the warning buzzer 47 face the driver's seat 17 below, in addition to making it easy for the operator to hear the warning sound, rainwater is also less likely to seep into the sound-emitting surface.

[0069] like Figure 4As shown, the front warning light 45, rear warning light 46, and warning buzzer 47 are connected to and controlled by the controller 41. Therefore, when an obstacle is detected by the image analysis of the controller 41, the front warning light 45 and rear warning light 46 flash simultaneously, and a warning sound is emitted from the warning buzzer 47. Furthermore, the forklift 10 has a forward / reverse switching lever (not shown) for switching forward and backward, and a forward / reverse switching lever sensor 48 that outputs the switching position of the forward / reverse switching lever is connected to the controller 41. The controller 41 can determine whether the forklift 10 is moving forward, reversing, or stopped based on the output signal from the forward / reverse switching lever sensor 48. The front warning light 45, rear warning light 46, and warning buzzer 47 operate when the forward / reverse switching lever is in the reverse position, and do not operate when the forward / reverse switching lever is in the forward or neutral position.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), the controller 41 is connected to the liquid crystal display 49, which is a display device. Although in Figure 1 , Figure 2 Not shown in the diagram, but the LCD display 49 is located on the left side of the steering column 19 in the instrument panel 18. The LCD display 49 displays various information. When an obstacle is detected in an image captured by the camera unit 40 while the forklift 10 is reversing, the LCD display 49 displays the obstacle on the screen. For example, such as... Figure 3 As shown in (b), the types of obstacles (object G, person H) relative to the forklift 10, the positions of the obstacles, and the distances to the obstacles are simply displayed. Therefore, the controller 41 determines the types of obstacles (object G, person H) based on the images captured by the camera unit 40, and obtains the positions of the obstacles and the distances to the obstacles.

[0071] The left side of the screen in the LCD 49 is the first display unit 49A, which displays obstacles, and the right side of the screen is the second display unit 49B, which displays other information. The first display unit 49A displays a graphic S1 representing the forklift 10. Figure 3 In (b), the top of the paper represents the front, and the bottom represents the rear. The forklift 10 is divided into three sections to determine its rear, left rear, and right rear, designated as graphic display areas E1, E2, and E3 respectively. Distance display units 50 are installed in each of the graphic display areas E1, E2, and E3. When an obstacle is detected in graphic display areas E1, E2, and E3, either a graphic S2 representing an object G (an obstacle) or a graphic S3 representing a person H is selectively displayed. Furthermore, the distance display units 50 display a value indicating the approximate distance between the displayed obstacle and the vehicle body 11, in meters. When no obstacle is detected, graphic display areas E1, E2, and E3 display nothing, and the distance display units 50 do not display any value.

[0072] exist Figure 3 In example (b), the graphic display area E1 behind the forklift 10 displays a graphic S2 representing an object G. Below graphic S2, the distance display unit 50 displays a value of 2m from the vehicle body 11 to the obstacle (object G). Additionally, the graphic display area E2 to the left rear of the forklift 10 displays a graphic S3 representing a person H. Below graphic S3, the distance display unit 50 displays a value of 2m from the vehicle body 11 to the obstacle (person H). In the graphic display area E3 to the right rear of the forklift 10, graphics S2 and S3 representing obstacles are not displayed. That is, it means there is no obstacle to the right rear of the forklift 10. Therefore, the distance display unit 50 in graphic display area E3 does not display a value.

[0073] Next, the operation of the industrial vehicle in this embodiment will be described. The operator drives the forklift 10 while seated in the driver's seat 17. For example, as... Figure 4 As shown in (a), during the loading and unloading operation on the rack T, the operator M moves the forklift 10 backward while keeping an eye on the high-positioned goods W. At this time, the forward / reverse switch lever is in the reverse position, so the controller 41 determines that the forklift 10 is reversing based on the output signal of the forward / reverse switch lever sensor 48. In addition, the camera unit 40 takes pictures of the rear of the vehicle body 11 while the forklift 10 is reversing.

[0074] If an obstacle (object G) is detected behind the reversing forklift 10 in the image captured by the camera unit 40, the controller 41 intermittently illuminates (flashes) the front warning light 45 and the rear warning light 46, and activates the warning buzzer 47. Furthermore, the LCD display 49 shows the obstacle. The LCD display 49 simply displays the type of obstacle and the distance to the obstacle. Even while facing forward, the operator M can easily and intuitively identify the presence of the obstacle behind by observing the illumination of the front warning light 45 and hearing the warning sound of the warning buzzer 47. Additionally, if the operator M views the LCD display 49 immediately after the front warning light 45, the rear warning light 46, and the warning buzzer 47 have activated, they can immediately grasp the type, location, and distance of the obstacle behind them.

[0075] On the other hand, such as Figure 4 As shown in (b), when operator M reverses the forklift 10 while looking back regardless of whether there is cargo W on fork 26, and an obstacle (person H) is detected behind, the front warning light 45, rear warning light 46, and warning buzzer 47 activate. Operator M, looking back, will see the rear warning light 46 illuminate, making it easy to visually identify the presence of the obstacle behind.

[0076] The forklift 10 in this embodiment achieves the following effects.

[0077] (1) When the forklift 10 is reversed while the operator of the forklift 10 is facing forward, and an obstacle is detected behind the forklift 10, the warning generator will activate. The operator can identify the presence of an obstacle behind by the activation of the warning generator. The warning generator is located at least in front of the driver's seat 17 of the driver's seat 13, so that the operator facing forward can easily recognize the warning indicating the presence of an obstacle behind. That is, even if the operator is facing forward and the forklift 10 is reversed, an obstacle behind the vehicle body 11 can be detected and the operator can be notified of the presence of an obstacle behind.

[0078] (2) The forklift 10 has: a top guard 28 that protects the upper part of the driver's seat 13; and a front pillar 29 mounted on the body 11 that supports the top guard 28. A warning generator is a front warning light 45 mounted on the front pillar 29. The controller 41 illuminates the front warning light 45 when the camera unit 40 detects an obstacle behind the body 11 while the body 11 is reversing. The front warning light 45, as a warning generator, is within the field of vision of the operator facing forward. Therefore, when the forklift 10 is reversed while the operator is facing forward, and an obstacle is detected behind, the front warning light 45 is illuminated, allowing the operator to immediately identify the presence of an obstacle behind them.

[0079] (3) The forklift 10 has: a rear column 30, which is mounted on the body 11 and supports the overhead guard 28; and a rear warning light 46, which is mounted on the rear column 30 and controlled by a controller 41. When the camera unit 40 detects an obstacle behind the body 11 while the body 11 is reversing, the controller 41 illuminates the front warning light 45 and the rear warning light 46. Therefore, even when the operator is not only facing forward but also looking back, the operator can immediately identify the presence of an obstacle behind by the illumination of the rear warning light 46.

[0080] (4) The front warning light 45 is positioned higher than the rear warning light 46 in the vertical direction. Therefore, even when the operator facing forward is looking up at the cargo W on the fork 26 at a relatively high position, the illumination of the front warning light 45 can be immediately recognized.

[0081] (5) The vehicle body 11 is equipped with a liquid crystal display 49 in front of the driver's seat 13. When the vehicle body 11 is reversing, the liquid crystal display 49 displays the position of the obstacle detected by the camera unit 40. Therefore, when the warning generator is working, the operator can confirm the position of the obstacle by checking the liquid crystal display 49.

[0082] (6) The front warning light 45 is located on the rear surface of the front pillar 29, making it easily visible to the operator facing forward. Additionally, the rear warning light 46 is located on the front surface of the rear pillar 30, making it easily visible to the operator in a rearward-looking posture. The sound-emitting part of the warning buzzer 47 faces the driver's seat 17, making the warning sound easily audible to the operator. Furthermore, rainwater is difficult to penetrate, preventing damage to the warning buzzer 47 caused by rainwater.

[0083] (Second Implementation)

[0084] Next, the forklift of the second embodiment will be described. The forklift of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the illumination pattern of the front and rear warning lights. The forklift of this embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, therefore, common reference numerals are used.

[0085] like Figure 5 (a)~ Figure 5 As shown in (c), in this embodiment, when an obstacle is detected behind the vehicle body 11, the controller 41 changes the lighting mode according to the position of the obstacle. Figure 5 As shown in (a), when an obstacle is detected behind the forklift 10, the lighting mode is set such that the flashing period of the rear warning light 46 is shorter than that of the front warning light 45.

[0086] like Figure 5 As shown in (b), when an obstacle is detected to the left rear of the forklift 10, the illumination mode is set such that the flashing period of the left front warning light 45 and the left rear warning light 46 is shorter than the flashing period of the right front warning light 45 and the right rear warning light 46. Figure 5 As shown in (c), when an obstacle is detected to the right rear of the forklift 10, the illumination mode is configured such that the flashing period of the right front warning light 45 and the right rear warning light 46 is shorter than the flashing period of the left front warning light 45 and the left rear warning light 46. Thus, in this embodiment, the flashing period of the warning light closer to the obstacle is shorter than the flashing period of the other warning lights.

[0087] In this embodiment, since the illumination patterns of the front warning light 45 and the rear warning light 46 are changed according to the position of the obstacle, the operator can easily identify the location of the obstacle by checking the illumination pattern. Furthermore, since the location of the obstacle can be identified based on the illumination pattern, it is not necessary to display a graphic representation of the obstacle on the LCD 49.

[0088] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention's intent. For example, modifications can be made as follows.

[0089] In the above-described embodiments, warning generators are provided on the front and rear pillars, but this is not a limitation. For example, warning generators may also be provided on the front of the roof guard. Alternatively, industrial vehicles may be equipped with only front warning lights without rear warning lights and warning buzzers, or warning lights may be omitted, and only warning buzzers serving as warning generators may be provided on the front and rear pillars.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, warning generators are provided on the front and rear pillars, but this is not a limitation. In the case of an industrial vehicle that is a forklift, warning generators may also be provided in front of the driver's seat, for example, on the mast of a cargo loading / unloading device or on a lifting bracket.

[0091] In the above embodiments, a forklift as an industrial vehicle has been described as an example, but industrial vehicles are not limited to forklifts. Industrial vehicles may also be construction vehicles such as wheel loaders. In addition, when the industrial vehicle is a forklift, it may be a reach forklift, not limited to the counterweight forklift of the embodiment described above.

[0092] In the above embodiments, a camera unit with a stereo camera as an obstacle detector was illustrated, but it is not limited to a stereo camera. Besides a camera, the obstacle detector can also be a rangefinder with a lens (e.g., 3D-LiDAR) or an optical sensor with a light-emitting portion having a lens. Alternatively, radar-type devices using ultrasonic waves can also be used as obstacle detectors.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the warning light is illuminated (flashed) intermittently, but this is not the only possibility. For example, the warning light can be illuminated continuously instead of intermittently.

[0094] In the second embodiment, the illumination mode involves varying the flashing period of the warning light to allow the operator to identify the location of the obstacle, but this is not a limitation. For example, the warning light can be illuminated in multiple colors, and the illumination mode can be configured to change the color of the warning light closer to the obstacle.

[0095] In the above embodiment, one warning generator is provided on each of the front and rear pillars, but this is not a limitation. For example, multiple warning generators may be provided on the front and rear pillars. Furthermore, the number of warning buzzers provided on the forklift is not limited.

[0096] In the above embodiment, a liquid crystal display, which serves as a display device, is provided on the dashboard in front of the driver's seat, but this is not a limitation. For example, the display device may also be provided on the pillar, or it may be provided suspended from the roof.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the controller 41 determines that the forklift 10 is reversing based on the output signal of the forward / reverse switching lever sensor 48, but this can be detected by other means. For example, since the position information of an obstacle is always calculated based on the parallax image obtained by the stereo camera of the camera unit 40, it is also possible to determine that the forklift 10 is reversing if the position information of the obstacle indicates that the obstacle is approaching the forklift 10. Thus, the obstacle detector detects obstacles behind the forklift 10 when the vehicle body 11 is reversing.

Claims

1. An industrial vehicle, comprising: Vehicle body; The driver's seat is located in the aforementioned vehicle body; An obstacle detector that detects obstacles behind the aforementioned vehicle body; A warning generator that issues a warning; and Control device, which controls the aforementioned warning generator, The aforementioned industrial vehicles are characterized by having: A forward / backward toggle lever, which switches between forward and backward movement; and A forward / backward switching lever sensor is connected to the aforementioned control device and outputs the switching position of the forward / backward switching lever. have: A roof guard that protects the upper part of the aforementioned driver's seat; and The front pillar, located on the aforementioned vehicle body, supports the aforementioned roof guard. The aforementioned warning generator is a front warning light equipped with a light-emitting part. The aforementioned front warning light is positioned at the rear of the front pillar, higher than the rearview mirror located on the front pillar, so that the operator in the driver's seat can easily identify the state of the light-emitting part. When the vehicle body is reversing while the forward / reverse switch lever is in the reverse position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body, the aforementioned control device illuminates the front warning light. When the vehicle is moving forward with the forward / reverse switch in the forward position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle, the front warning light will not be illuminated.

2. An industrial vehicle, comprising: Vehicle body; The driver's seat is located in the aforementioned vehicle body; An obstacle detector that detects obstacles behind the aforementioned vehicle body; A warning generator that issues a warning; and Control device, which controls the aforementioned warning generator, The aforementioned industrial vehicles are characterized by having: A forward / backward toggle lever, which switches between forward and backward movement; and A forward / backward switching lever sensor is connected to the aforementioned control device and outputs the switching position of the forward / backward switching lever. have: A roof guard protects the upper part of the driver's seat. The front pillar, which is located on the aforementioned vehicle body, supports the aforementioned roof guard; and The rearview mirror is mounted on the aforementioned front pillar. The aforementioned warning generator is a front warning light equipped with a light-emitting part. The aforementioned front warning light is embedded in the mirror surface of the aforementioned rearview mirror in a manner that makes the light-emitting part easily identifiable. When the vehicle body is reversing while the forward / reverse switch lever is in the reverse position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body, the aforementioned control device illuminates the front warning light. When the vehicle is moving forward with the forward / reverse switch in the forward position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle, the front warning light will not be illuminated.

3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, have: The rear pillar, which is installed on the aforementioned vehicle body, supports the aforementioned roof guard; and The rear warning light, which is mounted on the aforementioned rear pillar, is controlled by the aforementioned control device. When the vehicle body is reversing while the forward / reverse switch lever is in the reverse position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body, the aforementioned control device illuminates the rear warning light. When the vehicle is moving forward with the forward / reverse switch in the forward position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle, the rear warning light will not be illuminated.

4. The industrial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The aforementioned warning generators are configured as a pair, one on the left and one on the right, within the aforementioned vehicle body. When the vehicle body is reversing while the forward / reverse switching lever is in the reverse position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body, the control device activates the warning generator on the side closest to the obstacle.

5. The industrial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, The aforementioned front warning light is positioned higher in the vertical direction than the aforementioned rear warning light.

6. The industrial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The aforementioned vehicle body is equipped with a display device in front of the driver's seat. When the vehicle body is reversing while the forward / backward switching lever is in the backward position, and the obstacle detector detects an obstacle behind the vehicle body, the display device displays the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector.

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