Forklift fork opening and closing device

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of cargo fork adjustment, especially a fork truck cargo fork opening and closing device, including electric drive part, install on the fork truck portal, be used for providing the power of cargo fork spacing adjustment, transmission mechanism, with electric drive part connection, be used for converting the rotation movement of electric drive part into the synchronous transverse movement of cargo fork, connecting piece, install between transmission mechanism and cargo fork, be used for driving cargo fork along the transverse direction movement, guide assembly, set up on the fork truck portal, with the vertical section sliding connection of cargo fork, be used for supporting cargo fork and guiding its transverse movement, control unit, with electric drive part electricity is connected, be used for adjusting the operation parameter of electric drive part, realizes the adjustment of cargo fork spacing, the utility model replaces the traditional manual adjustment cargo fork spacing mode, realizes the automatic regulation of cargo fork spacing, not only adapts the handling demand of different size pallets or goods, also reduces the manual operation error, promotes the operation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of forklift adjustment technology, specifically relating to a forklift forklift opening and closing device. Background Technology

[0002] The forklift is equipped with two L-shaped forks. The horizontal section of the fork is the working part for placing and lifting goods, while the vertical section is the support part. The vertical section can be movably hung in front of the forklift's rack for easy adjustment of the spacing. The part of the fork that lifts goods is the pallet. The pallet is a flat transportation structure for transporting goods: goods are placed on the pallet, and the pallet has grooves at the bottom. The forks extend into the grooves and lift upwards, causing the goods and pallet to fall onto the forks. The forklift then moves to transfer the goods to other areas. Because pallets come in various types and the groove spacing varies, the forklift driver needs to adjust the fork spacing when encountering pallets of different sizes. Existing technology with adjustable forks typically involves sliding the forks onto the mast, allowing manual adjustment of the fork spacing to accommodate goods of different volumes. Specifically, the fork opening and closing device includes slots evenly spaced on the mast and locating pins movably connected to the forks and adapted to the slots. When adjusting the fork spacing, the worker needs to get off the machine first, pull the locating pin out of the slot to release the fork limit, and then manually apply external force to the fork to make it slide along the sliding bracket, thereby adjusting the fork spacing. After adjusting the fork spacing, the locating pin is inserted into the slot to fix the fork spacing.

[0003] However, this traditional fork opening and closing mechanism has significant drawbacks in practical use. Firstly, after prolonged use, the surfaces of the forks and sliding brackets are prone to corrosion and roughening, leading to increased friction. This not only increases the difficulty for workers to manually push the forks and reduces adjustment efficiency but also increases their workload. Secondly, manual adjustment makes it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the fork spacing, especially when handling goods with high spacing requirements, easily resulting in errors and affecting handling efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the above problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a forklift fork opening and closing device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] This utility model provides a forklift fork opening and closing device, including an electric drive unit mounted on the forklift mast for providing power to adjust the fork spacing; a transmission mechanism connected to the electric drive unit for converting the rotational motion of the electric drive unit into synchronous lateral movement of the forks; a connecting member installed between the transmission mechanism and the forks for driving the forks to move laterally; a guide assembly disposed on the forklift mast and slidably connected to the vertical section of the forks for supporting the forks and guiding their lateral movement; and a control unit electrically connected to the electric drive unit for adjusting the fork spacing.

[0006] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a bidirectional threaded rod and two symmetrically threaded sliders connected to both sides of the bidirectional threaded rod. The bidirectional threaded rod is connected to an electric drive unit, and both sliders are connected to the corresponding forks through connecting parts. The rotation of the bidirectional threaded rod drives the two sliders to move towards or away from each other, thereby controlling the increase or decrease of the fork spacing.

[0007] Preferably, the electric drive component is a servo motor or a stepper motor, etc.

[0008] Preferably, the connector includes a fixing part, which is fixedly fitted onto the outer surface of the slider; and a buffer part, which is disposed at both ends of the fixing part, and whose end away from the fixing part is detachably connected to the fork, for absorbing the reverse impact force generated during the movement of the fork.

[0009] Preferably, the guide assembly includes a first transverse guide rail, which is horizontally installed in the middle of the forklift mast, and its upper surface is slidably engaged with the guide rail groove of the upper section of the forks; and a second transverse guide rail, which is horizontally installed on the bottom edge of the forklift mast, and its lower surface is slidably engaged with the guide rail groove of the lower section of the forks.

[0010] Preferably, the vertical section of the fork is fitted with ball bearings at the contact point with the guide rail groove, and the corresponding transverse guide rail surface is provided with continuous sliding grooves.

[0011] Preferably, the control unit includes a controller for receiving operation commands and controlling the action of the electric drive assembly; an operation panel, located in the forklift cab, for sending fork spacing adjustment commands to the controller; and sensors, mounted on the forks, for detecting the actual fork spacing and feeding the signals back to the controller to achieve closed-loop control.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: by coordinating the electric drive component, transmission mechanism, connecting component, guide component and control unit, it replaces the traditional manual adjustment of fork spacing, realizes the automatic adjustment of fork spacing, not only adapts to the handling needs of pallets or goods of different sizes, but also reduces human operation error and improves operation efficiency.

[0013] In addition, the sliding support of the guide assembly, combined with the parameter adjustment of the control unit, ensures the smooth movement of the forks, avoids the jamming or offset problems of traditional mechanical adjustment, and improves the reliability and safety of equipment operation. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural diagram of the prior art of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a second-view structural diagram of the prior art of this utility model;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a side view sectional structural diagram of the prior art of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the forks and sliding bracket separated in the prior art of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a first-view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a top view cross-sectional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a side sectional view of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 9 This is an enlarged structural diagram of point A in this utility model;

[0023] Figure 10 This is an enlarged structural diagram of point B in this utility model.

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Electric drive unit; 2. Forklift mast; 3. Transmission mechanism; 4. Connector; 5. Guide assembly; 6. Fixing part; 7. Buffer part; 8. Bolt; 9. First transverse guide rail; 10. Second transverse guide rail; 11. Guide rail groove; 12. Ball bearing; 13. Slide groove; 14. Fork; 15. Locating pin; 16. Slot; 17. Sliding bracket; 18. Bidirectional threaded rod; 19. Slider; 20. Sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description in this part is only exemplary and explanatory, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of this utility model in any way.

[0026] like Figure 1-4 As shown, this utility model illustrates a conventional forklift fork opening and closing device, which mainly includes forks 14 slidably connected to the mast, slots 16 evenly spaced on the mast, and positioning pins 15 movably connected to the forks 14 and adapted to the slots 16. The mast is connected to the forklift body (chassis) via hinge or rigid fixation (not shown in the figure). The forks 14 are typically composed of two steel forks. The mast includes a steel frame and a sliding bracket 17. The forks 14 are mainly slidably connected to the sliding bracket 17 on the mast. For goods of different sizes, the spacing of the forks 14 needs to be adjusted accordingly so that the two forks 14 are positioned exactly below the goods. When adjusting the spacing of the forks 14, first adjust the positioning pins... Pull the locating pin 15 out of the slot 16 to release the restriction of the locating pin 15 on the forks 14. If it is necessary to widen the distance between the two forks, the worker uses his feet or hands to apply external forces in opposite directions to the two forks, so that the two forks slide along the sliding bracket 17 and move away from each other, thereby widening the distance between the forks 14. Conversely, if it is necessary to narrow the distance between the two forks, apply forces in the same direction to the two forks, so that the two forks move closer to each other, thereby narrowing the distance between the forks 14. After the distance between the forks 14 is adjusted, slide the locating pin 15 down along the forks 14 and insert it into the slot 16 to fix the distance between the forks 14. The above is an introduction to the existing forklift fork opening and closing device.

[0027] As can be seen from the above, the existing forklift fork opening and closing device has the following defects when in use. In the prior art, when adjusting the distance between the forks 14, the worker usually applies external force to move the position of the forks 14 so that the forks slide along the sliding bracket 17 to adjust the distance between the forks 14. However, after a long period of use, the surface of the forks and the sliding bracket 17 becomes rough due to corrosion, which increases the friction between the forks and the sliding bracket 17. The method of manually pushing the forks to adjust the distance is not only inefficient, but also increases the labor burden of the workers. Based on the above problems, the present invention adopts the following improvement method to solve them.

[0028] like Figure 5-10As shown, a forklift fork opening and closing device differs from existing technologies in that it replaces the traditional manual adjustment of the fork spacing 14 through the coordinated operation of an electric drive component 1, a transmission mechanism 3, a connecting component 4, a guide assembly 5, and a control unit. This achieves automated adjustment of the fork spacing 14. Specifically, the electric drive component 1 is a servo motor or stepper motor, etc., mounted on the forklift mast 2, to provide power for adjusting the fork spacing 14. Of course, the electric drive component 1 can also be any device in the existing forklift drive system that can output rotational power (such as a hydraulic pump drive motor, gearbox output shaft, etc.). The transmission mechanism 3 is connected to the electric drive component 1 to transmit the electric power. The rotational motion of the drive unit 1 is converted into the synchronous lateral movement of the forks 14. This mainly includes a bidirectional threaded rod 18 and two symmetrically threaded sliders 19 connected to both sides of the bidirectional threaded rod 18. The bidirectional threaded rod 18 is connected to the electric drive unit 1. Both sliders 19 are connected to their corresponding forks 14 via connecting parts 4. The rotation of the bidirectional threaded rod 18 drives the two sliders 19 to move towards or away from each other, thereby controlling the increase or decrease of the distance between the forks 14. The connecting parts 4 are used to connect the forks 14 and the sliders 19, allowing the forks 14 to move together with the sliders 19. The connecting parts 4 include a fixing part 6 (made of rigid material, such as...) that is fixedly fitted onto the outer surface of the sliders 19. Figure 5 As shown, the fixing part 6 and the slider 19 can be fixed by bolts 8 (or by welding). A buffer part 7 is located at both ends of the fixing part 6, with its end furthest from the fixing part 6 detachably connected to the fork 14. The free end of the buffer part 7 is connected to the fork 14 by bolts 8 via a rigid connecting plate, facilitating the disassembly of the fork 14 and the buffer part 7, and the replacement of any damaged buffer part 7. The buffer part 7 is made of hard rubber. Hard rubber (Shore hardness 70-90A) with a thickness of 6mm or more can withstand a tensile force of ≥500N; a thickness of 10mm can absorb more than 80% of the impact energy. Therefore, the thickness of the hard rubber can be designed to be 6-10mm to absorb the impact energy from the movement of the fork 14. The reverse impact force generated during the process, such as the shaking of the fork 14 due to installation errors, vibration of the fork 14, and uneven load distribution during movement, will cause the force acting on the lead screw to deviate from the axial direction, generating a radial component force, etc.; while the guide assembly 5 is set on the forklift mast 2 and slidably connected to the vertical section of the fork 14, is used to support the fork 14 and guide its lateral movement. The guide assembly 5 includes a first transverse guide rail 9 horizontally installed in the middle of the forklift mast 2 (sliding bracket 17) and whose upper surface slidably engages with the guide rail groove 11 of the upper section of the fork 14, and a second transverse guide rail 10 horizontally installed on the bottom edge of the forklift mast 2 and whose lower surface slidably engages with the guide rail groove 11 of the lower section of the fork 14, such as Figure 8As shown, the two guide rail grooves 11 on the fork 14 are located at the upper and lower ends of the vertical section of the fork 14, respectively. When installing the fork 14, the guide rail groove 11 at the upper end of the fork 14 is engaged with the first transverse guide rail 9, and the guide rail groove 11 at the lower end of the fork 14 is engaged with the second transverse guide rail 10, supporting and guiding the fork 14 to ensure its stability during lateral movement. Finally, the control unit is electrically connected to the electric drive component 1 to adjust the operating parameters of the electric drive component 1 and realize the adjustment of the fork spacing. Specifically, the control unit includes a controller for receiving operating commands and controlling the action of the electric drive component, an operation panel located in the forklift cab for sending fork spacing adjustment commands to the controller, and a sensor 20 installed on the fork 14 for detecting the actual spacing of the fork 14 and feeding the signal back to the controller. The sensor 20 is an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or a laser sensor, etc. Figure 7 As shown, a sensor can be installed on one of the forks in the fork 14. By detecting the straight-line distance from the sensor 20 to the other fork, the distance between the two forks is determined. The operator inputs the target distance value between the two forks on the control panel. The controller controls the operation of the electric drive component 1 (such as controlling the start, stop, steering, and speed of the electric drive component) based on the actual distance detected by the sensor 20 and the target distance value. Specifically, if the pitch of the bidirectional threaded rod 18 is 5mm, the slider 19 moves 5mm for every revolution. The detector detected that the actual distance between the two steel forks was 0.2 meters. If the distance between the two steel forks needs to be adjusted to 0.5 meters, due to the bidirectional threaded rod 18, each rotation of the sliders 19 on both sides will cause the steel forks on both sides to move towards or away from each other by a distance of pitch P=5 millimeters. That is, each rotation changes the distance between the two steel forks by 5 millimeters. The controller needs to control the stepper motor or servo motor to rotate 60 times to make the distance between the two steel forks change from 0.2 meters to 0.5 meters. Precisely adjusting the distance between the steel forks provides stable support for the goods.

[0029] like Figure 8-10 As shown, in order to reduce the friction between the fork 14 and the transverse guide rail, a ball bearing 12 is embedded at the contact point between the vertical section of the fork 14 and the guide rail groove 11. The corresponding transverse guide rail surface is provided with a continuous groove 13, which provides a guide channel for the movement of the ball bearing 12. Of course, the ball bearing 12 can also be replaced with a pulley, etc., as long as the friction between the fork 14 and the transverse guide rail can be reduced, so that the fork 14 can move laterally stably along the first transverse guide rail 9 and the second transverse guide rail 10 under the drive of the electric drive unit 1 and the transmission mechanism 3.

Claims

1. A forklift fork opening and closing device, characterized in that, include: An electric drive unit (1), mounted on the forklift mast (2), is used to provide power for adjusting the spacing of the forks (14); The transmission mechanism (3) is connected to the electric drive unit (1) and is used to convert the rotational motion of the electric drive unit (1) into the synchronous lateral movement of the forks (14); The connecting piece (4) is installed between the transmission mechanism (3) and the fork (14) to drive the fork (14) to move in the lateral direction; The guide assembly (5) is mounted on the forklift mast (2) and is slidably connected to the vertical section of the forks (14) to support the forks (14) and guide their lateral movement. The control unit is electrically connected to the electric drive unit (1) and is used for adjusting the spacing between the forks (14).

2. The forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism (3) includes a bidirectional threaded rod (18) and two symmetrically threaded sliders (19) connected to both sides of the bidirectional threaded rod (18). The bidirectional threaded rod (18) is connected to an electric drive unit (1). The two sliders (19) are connected to the corresponding forks (14) through a connector (4). The rotation of the bidirectional threaded rod (18) drives the two sliders (19) to move towards or away from each other, thereby controlling the increase or decrease of the distance between the forks (14).

3. The forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric drive component (1) is a servo motor or a stepper motor.

4. The forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connector (4) includes: The fixing part (6) is fixedly fitted onto the outer surface of the slider (19); The buffer (7) is provided at both ends of the fixed part (6), and its end away from the fixed part (6) is detachably connected to the fork (14) to absorb the reverse impact force generated during the movement of the fork (14).

5. A forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guiding component (5) includes: The first transverse guide rail (9) is horizontally installed in the middle of the forklift mast (2), and its upper surface slides in cooperation with the guide rail groove (11) of the upper section of the fork (14); The second transverse guide rail (10) is horizontally installed on the bottom edge of the forklift mast (2), and its lower surface slides in contact with the guide rail groove (11) of the lower section of the fork (14).

6. A forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vertical section of the fork (14) is fitted with ball bearings (12) at the contact point with the guide rail groove (11), and the corresponding transverse guide rail surface is provided with continuous grooves (13).

7. A forklift fork opening and closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit includes: The controller is used to receive operating commands and control the movement of the electric drive components; The control panel, located in the forklift cab, is used to send fork (14) spacing adjustment commands to the controller; The sensor (20) is installed on the fork (14) to detect the actual distance between the forks (14) and feed the signal back to the controller to realize closed-loop control.

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