A brake method and device of an electric fork truck, an electronic device and a storage medium

Abstract

The application provides a brake method and device of an electric forklift, an electronic device and a storage medium. The brake system of the electric forklift at least includes a handle control mechanism, a controller and an electromagnetic brake mechanism. The handle control mechanism at least includes a handle and a handle accelerator. The method includes that the handle accelerator generates a control signal according to manual operation for the handle and sends the control signal to the controller. The controller determines a control mode of the electric forklift according to the received control signal. The control mode includes an electric mode and an emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined as the emergency release mode, the controller generates a first brake control signal and sends the first brake control signal to the electromagnetic brake mechanism, so that brake pads of the electromagnetic brake mechanism are unlocked from the target wheel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and more specifically, to a braking method, device, electronic equipment, and storage medium for an electric forklift. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the logistics industry and the increasing demand for automation, electric forklifts, as an important handling tool in warehousing and logistics, have seen their market size continue to expand.

[0003] Most existing electric forklifts use lead-acid or lithium batteries as their power source. In actual operation, situations often arise where the forklift runs out of power in the work area and cannot move to the charging area due to operators not charging in time or improper task scheduling. To address this issue, the current industry standard solution is to install a mechanical emergency release device in the drive system of the pedestrian-operated electric forklift. This device allows the forklift to be pushed to the charging area by manually releasing the parking brake or disconnecting the drivetrain. However, this solution not only requires a complete redesign of the vehicle layout, resulting in additional costs, but is also prone to operational errors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a braking method, device, electronic device, and storage medium for an electric forklift, in order to solve the problem in the prior art where the electric forklift cannot be driven to the charging area due to low battery voltage.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a braking method for an electric forklift, wherein the braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a controller, and an electromagnetic braking mechanism, the handle control mechanism including at least a handle and a handle accelerator, and the method includes: The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual input to the handle and sends them to the controller; The controller determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signals. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the lock on the target wheel.

[0006] In an optional implementation, the braking system of the electric forklift also includes a travel mechanism and an onboard battery, wherein the travel mechanism includes at least a travel motor and a travel relay. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a motor control signal and sends it to the driving relay; The driving relay responds to the motor control signal and disconnects the driving motor from the vehicle battery.

[0007] In an optional implementation, when the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller determines the current duration of the emergency release mode; If the current duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, exit the emergency release mode.

[0008] In an optional implementation, the braking system of the electric forklift further includes an interlock switch, the output of which is connected to a first target pin of the controller. The controller determines that the electric forklift is in emergency release mode by means of: The controller determines whether the input of the first target pin changes from a high level to a low level within a first specified time period; If so, then continue to determine whether the input of the first target pin returns and remains high within the second specified time period; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in emergency release mode.

[0009] In an optional implementation, when the handle moves from a vertical position to a specified tilt angle, the interlock switch closes and the first target pin receives a high level. When the handle moves from a specified tilt angle to a horizontal state, the interlock switch is disconnected, and the first target pin is input with a low level.

[0010] In an optional implementation, The controller determines whether the first target pin is input with a high level; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in electric mode.

[0011] In an optional implementation, the handle accelerator is connected to the second target pin of the controller when it is determined that the electric forklift is in electric mode. The handle accelerator generates motion control signals based on the state of the handle and inputs them to the controller via the second target pin; The controller generates a second braking control signal based on the received motion control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, so that the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism lock onto the target wheel. Meanwhile, the controller generates a drive motor control signal based on the received motion control signal and the drive motor status, and sends it to the drive motor to make the electric forklift move.

[0012] Secondly, the present invention provides a braking device for an electric forklift. The braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a control device, an electromagnetic braking mechanism, and wheels. The handle control mechanism includes at least a handle and a handle accelerator. The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual operations performed on the handle and sends them to the control device. The control device determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signal. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the control device generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the lock on the target wheel.

[0013] Thirdly, the present invention provides an electronic device comprising: a processor, a memory, and a bus, wherein the memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor, and when the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via the bus, and the processor executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the braking method of an electric forklift as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0014] Fourthly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the braking method for an electric forklift as described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0015] This application provides a braking method, device, electronic device, and storage medium for an electric forklift. The braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a controller, an electromagnetic braking mechanism, and wheels. The handle control mechanism includes at least a handle and a handle accelerator. The method includes the handle accelerator generating a control signal based on manual operation of the handle and sending it to the controller. The controller determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signal. The control mode includes an electric mode and an emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the target wheel. By adding an emergency release mode to the control mechanism of the electric forklift braking system without increasing BOM costs, the operator can manually activate the electromagnetic brake and move the vehicle when the electric forklift battery voltage is low. This method is simple to operate and has a low error rate. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 An electrical schematic diagram of a braking system for an electric forklift provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2A flowchart illustrating a braking method for an electric forklift, provided as an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] With the mass production of electric forklifts, the number of after-sales issues has gradually increased. Compared to the widely used 1.5~2.0t pedestrian walkie-talkies and stacker trucks, how to solve the problem of forklifts being unable to quickly move to the charging area due to insufficient battery power without increasing BOM costs is an urgent need.

[0019] Currently, there are two common solutions to this problem in the industry: First, add a mechanical emergency release device to the pedestrian electric forklift. This method requires a high level of product structure and layout, is cumbersome to operate, and significantly increases the forklift's BOM cost. Second, add a voltage acquisition module to the controller. When the controller detects that the battery voltage is below a certain threshold, it actively provides an optical warning to the operator or limits the power of the drive motor. However, this method not only increases the hardware cost of the controller but also fails to solve the problem of the drive motor failing to operate slowly when the battery voltage is low enough.

[0020] Based on this, this application provides a braking method, device, electronic device, and storage medium for an electric forklift to solve the above problems without increasing BOM costs.

[0021] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Example 1 Figure 1 An electrical schematic diagram of a braking system for an electric forklift provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a braking method for an electric forklift, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the braking system of an electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a controller, an electromagnetic brake mechanism, a travel motor, a key switch, an emergency stop switch, a fuse, an interlock switch, a travel mechanism, and an onboard battery. The handle control mechanism includes at least a handle (not shown in the figure) and a handle accelerator. The travel mechanism includes at least a travel motor and a travel relay.

[0024] The output of the interlock switch is connected to the first target pin of the controller.

[0025] In one feasible embodiment, when the handle moves from a vertical position to a specified tilt angle, the interlock switch closes, and the first target pin receives a high level. When the handle moves from the specified tilt angle to a horizontal position, the interlock switch opens, and the first target pin receives a low level.

[0026] The controller can determine whether the first target pin is input with a high level. If so, it determines that the electric forklift is in electric mode.

[0027] The handle accelerator is connected to the second target pin of the controller. When the electric forklift is determined to be in electric mode, the handle accelerator generates a motion control signal based on the handle's state and inputs it to the controller via the second target pin. The controller generates a second brake control signal based on the received motion control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic brake mechanism, locking the brake pads of the electromagnetic brake mechanism against the target wheel. Simultaneously, the controller generates a travel motor control signal based on the received motion control signal and the travel motor's state and sends it to the travel motor, enabling the electric forklift to move.

[0028] Specifically, when an electric forklift is operating normally in electric mode, the operation method and control principle are as follows: After the operator closes the emergency stop switch and the key switch respectively, the positive terminal of the battery is connected to pin B+ of the vehicle controller through the emergency stop switch and fuse 2, the positive terminal of the battery is connected to pin 1 of the vehicle controller through the emergency stop switch, fuse 1 and the key switch, and the negative terminal of the battery is connected to pin B- of the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller is powered on and enters the normal electric mode.

[0029] At this point, manually operating the accelerator lever allows the vehicle to move forward and backward normally. Specifically, the lever can be manually switched from vertical to tilt. Once the lever is tilted to the specified angle, the interlock switch is activated, pin 8 on the vehicle controller receives a high-level input, and the vehicle controller's drive module enters a standby state.

[0030] Next, the manual operation handle accelerator is activated. The handle accelerator transmits the opening and direction information of the manual operation handle to the vehicle controller in real time via pins 10, 13, 14, 15, and 16. Based on the received information, the vehicle controller performs the following two control actions simultaneously: (1) When the vehicle is fault-free, a voltage difference is formed between control pins 5 and 19, which energizes the electromagnetic brake to open. (2) Combine the driving motor status collected through pins 17, 18, 27, and 28, control pins U, V, and W to control the speed of the driving motor, so that the vehicle can move forward or backward.

[0031] When a vehicle cannot move due to low battery voltage or other critical component failure, and the accelerator lever is manually operated, the electromagnetic brake can be used as an emergency release method.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the emergency release mode of the electromagnetic brake can be manually activated in the following ways: S10, The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual operations issued to the handle and sends them to the controller.

[0033] S20. The controller determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signal. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode.

[0034] S30. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a first brake control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic brake mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic brake mechanism to release the lock on the target wheel.

[0035] Additionally, when the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a motor control signal and sends it to the driving relay; The driving relay responds to the motor control signal and disconnects the driving motor from the vehicle battery.

[0036] When the electric forklift is confirmed to be in emergency release mode, the controller can also determine the current duration of the emergency release mode; if the current duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, the emergency release mode will be exited. This prevents the vehicle from remaining in emergency release mode for an extended period, which could further reduce battery voltage and cause over-discharge damage to the battery.

[0037] In one specific embodiment, the operator can first change the handle's position from vertical to tilted. After the handle is tilted, the interlock switch is activated, and pin 8 on the vehicle controller is connected to a high-voltage input.

[0038] The manual operator then rotates the handle from tilted to a horizontal position, and then from horizontal to tilted again. This process is repeated three times within time t1. After three cycles, the handle is held in a tilted position for t2~t2+10s. After rotating the handle to a horizontal position again, the vehicle controller enters the emergency release mode.

[0039] When the handle changes from tilted to pressed horizontally, the interlock switch is disconnected, and the voltage input state of pin 8 on the vehicle controller changes from high level to low level.

[0040] When the handle changes from being pressed horizontally to tilted, the interlock switch is activated, and the voltage input state of pin 8 on the vehicle controller changes from low level to high level.

[0041] When the handle is held in the tilted state for t2~t2+10s, pin 8 on the vehicle controller continuously receives a high voltage input.

[0042] When the vehicle enters emergency release mode, the vehicle controller isolates the input from the handle accelerator. In this mode, manual operation of the handle accelerator will not cause the vehicle controller to output speed control to the drive motor. Instead, the vehicle controller will directly control pins 5 and 19 to create a voltage difference, energizing and disengaging the electromagnetic brake; at this point, the vehicle can be manually pulled.

[0043] When the emergency release mode duration reaches t3, the vehicle controller automatically exits the emergency release mode. The controller also automatically exits the emergency release mode after power-off. If a single t3 time period is insufficient for manual vehicle relocation, the emergency release mode can be reactivated by following the steps after powering off the vehicle.

[0044] By setting the handle to operate multiple times before allowing the vehicle controller to enter the emergency release mode, the accidental triggering of the emergency release mode can be avoided, preventing the vehicle's brakes from being lost and the resulting safety risks.

[0045] Furthermore, taking 1.5~2.0t pedestrian electric pallet trucks and 1.5t pedestrian electric stacker trucks as examples, t1 can be set to 10s, t2 can be set to 30s, and t3 can be set to 3min.

[0046] This application provides a braking method for an electric forklift. By adding an emergency release mode to the control mechanism of the electric forklift braking system without increasing the BOM cost, the operator can manually activate the electromagnetic brake to move the vehicle when the battery voltage of the electric forklift is low. The method is simple to operate and has a low error rate.

[0047] Example 2 Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a braking device for an electric forklift. The braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a control device, an electromagnetic braking mechanism, and wheels. The handle control mechanism includes at least a handle and a handle accelerator. The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual operations performed on the handle and sends them to the control device. The control device determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signal. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the control device generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the lock on the target wheel.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment, the braking system of the electric forklift further includes a travel mechanism and an onboard battery, the travel mechanism including at least a travel motor and a travel relay. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the control module generates a motor control signal and sends it to the driving relay; The driving relay responds to the motor control signal and disconnects the driving motor from the vehicle battery.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, when the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the control module determines the current duration of the emergency release mode; If the current duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, exit the emergency release mode.

[0050] In a preferred embodiment, the braking system of the electric forklift further includes an interlock switch, the output of which is connected to a first target pin of the control module. The control module determines that the electric forklift is in emergency release mode in the following manner: The control module determines whether the input of the first target pin changes from high level to low level within a first specified time period; If so, then continue to determine whether the input of the first target pin returns and remains high within the second specified time period; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in emergency release mode.

[0051] In a preferred embodiment, when the handle moves from a vertical position to a specified tilt angle, the interlock switch closes and the first target pin receives a high level. When the handle moves from a specified tilt angle to a horizontal state, the interlock switch is disconnected, and the first target pin is input with a low level.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, The control module determines whether the first target pin is input with a high level; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in electric mode.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the handle accelerator is connected to the second target pin of the control module. When it is determined that the electric forklift is in electric mode, The handle accelerator generates motion control signals based on the state of the handle and inputs them to the control module through the second target pin; The control module generates a second braking control signal based on the received motion control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, so that the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism lock onto the target wheel. Meanwhile, the control module generates a drive motor control signal based on the received motion control signal and the drive motor status, and sends it to the drive motor to enable the electric forklift to move.

[0054] Example 3 Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device 300 includes a processor 310, a memory 320, and a bus 330.

[0055] The memory 320 stores machine-readable instructions that can be executed by the processor 310. When the electronic device 300 is running, the processor 310 and the memory 320 communicate via the bus 330. When the machine-readable instructions are executed by the processor 310, the steps of a braking method for an electric forklift as described in the above method embodiment can be executed. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0056] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is run by a processor, it can execute the steps of a braking method for an electric forklift as described in the above method embodiments. For specific implementation details, please refer to the method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0057] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. Furthermore, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Additionally, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some communication interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0059] Furthermore, the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0060] Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist independently, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0061] It should be noted that if the function is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0062] In this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations.

[0063] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A braking method for an electric forklift, characterized in that, The braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a controller, and an electromagnetic braking mechanism. The handle control mechanism includes at least a handle and a handle accelerator. The method includes: The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual input to the handle and sends them to the controller; The controller determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signals. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the target wheel. The braking system of the electric forklift also includes a travel mechanism and an onboard battery. The travel mechanism includes at least a travel motor and a travel relay. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller generates a motor control signal and sends it to the driving relay; The driving relay responds to the motor control signal and disconnects the driving motor from the vehicle battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the controller determines the current duration of the emergency release mode; If the current duration is greater than or equal to the preset duration, exit the emergency release mode.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The braking system of the electric forklift also includes an interlock switch unit. The output terminal of the interlock switch unit is connected to the first target pin of the controller. The controller determines that the electric forklift is in emergency release mode in the following way: The controller determines whether the input of the first target pin changes from a high level to a low level within a first specified time period; If so, then continue to determine whether the input of the first target pin returns and remains high within the second specified time period; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in emergency release mode.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the handle moves from the vertical position to the specified tilt angle, the interlock switch closes and the first target pin is input with a high level. When the handle moves from a specified tilt angle to a horizontal state, the interlock switch is disconnected, and the first target pin is input with a low level.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The controller determines whether the first target pin is input with a high level; If so, then the electric forklift is confirmed to be in electric mode.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The handle accelerator is connected to the second target pin of the controller. When the electric forklift is determined to be in electric mode... The handle accelerator generates motion control signals based on the state of the handle and inputs them to the controller via the second target pin; The controller generates a second braking control signal based on the received motion control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, so that the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism lock onto the target wheel. Meanwhile, the controller generates a drive motor control signal based on the received motion control signal and the drive motor status, and sends it to the drive motor to make the electric forklift move.

7. A braking device for an electric forklift, characterized in that, The braking method applicable to the electric forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the braking system of the electric forklift includes at least a handle control mechanism, a control device, and an electromagnetic braking mechanism, and the handle control mechanism includes at least a handle and a handle accelerator. The handle accelerator generates control signals based on manual operations performed on the handle and sends them to the control device. The control device determines the control mode of the electric forklift based on the received control signal. The control modes include electric mode and emergency release mode. When the electric forklift is determined to be in emergency release mode, the control device generates a first braking control signal and sends it to the electromagnetic braking mechanism, causing the brake pads of the electromagnetic braking mechanism to release the lock on the target wheel.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: The device includes a processor, a memory, and a bus. The memory stores machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. When the electronic device is running, the processor communicates with the memory via the bus, and the processor executes the machine-readable instructions to perform the steps of the braking method of the electric forklift as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the braking method for the electric forklift as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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