A self-positioning fork structure

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of fork technology, specifically to a self-positioning fork structure, including a pusher frame. A fork body is fixedly installed on one side of the pusher frame, and a through groove is formed on the fork body. An abutment plate is slidably disposed in the through groove, and a connecting plate is rotatably connected to the abutment plate. A drive mechanism moves the connecting plate closer to the pallet, while a rotation mechanism rotates the abutment plate, thereby clamping the pallet and forming a rigid constraint on it. This effectively counteracts the forward and backward sliding tendency caused by road bumps and start-stop impacts during fork extension and retraction operations, preventing the pallet from failing due to inertial impact. It solves the technical problem that when the forks encounter road bumps or start-stop impacts, the pallet easily slides forward and backward along the length of the forks, affecting the positioning stability of the forks on the pallet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of forklift technology, specifically to a self-positioning forklift structure. Background Technology

[0002] Forks are tools or equipment used for handling, stacking, and transporting heavy objects. They are typically mounted on forklifts, stackers, pallet trucks, and other mechanical equipment. The function of forks is to move goods from one place to another by contacting the bottom of the goods with the forks, simplifying heavy manual handling work and improving operational efficiency. Each type of fork has its rated load capacity. Overloading may lead to equipment failure or safety accidents, so operators must strictly adhere to the rated load capacity requirements.

[0003] Chinese Patent Publication No. CN220412807U discloses a fork structure with positioning function, including a mounting frame. Two fork bodies are slidably connected to the top of the mounting frame. A control cavity is formed inside each fork body. An air pump is fixedly connected to the lower side wall of each fork body, and the air outlet of the air pump is fixedly connected to the side wall of the control cavity. Multiple vertical holes are formed on the upper side wall of the control cavity, and a connecting cover is fixedly connected to the upper inner wall of the control cavity below the vertical holes. This invention can fix the position of a pallet when it is placed on the forks, preventing the pallet from sliding. Furthermore, it has fewer electronic components on the fork surface, resulting in lower operating costs, and avoids the problem of damage to electronic components that are used to limit the movement of goods.

[0004] The aforementioned patent proposes that the positioning function of the fork body is achieved through the pneumatic linkage of the control chamber, air bladder, and push chamber, ultimately relying on the convex inclined block to form a lower limit on the pallet. However, since the reset power of the inclined block depends on the elastic push of the air bladder, and the deformation capability of the air bladder is greatly affected by the stability of air pressure, when the fork carries the pallet for telescopic operations, if it encounters road bumps, start-stop impacts, or other conditions, the pallet is prone to sliding back and forth along the length of the fork. At this time, the inclined structure of the inclined block not only fails to prevent this sliding, but may also cause the inclined block to be pressed down again due to the inertial impact of the pallet, resulting in the failure of the limit; increasing the risk of the pallet slipping off one side of the inclined block, ultimately making it difficult for the positioning stability of the fork to adapt to dynamic operating scenarios. Therefore, we propose a self-positioning fork structure. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, a self-positioning fork structure is provided. A drive mechanism moves the connecting plate closer to the pallet, while a rotating mechanism rotates the abutment plate, causing it to clamp the pallet and create a rigid constraint. This effectively counteracts the forward and backward sliding tendency caused by road bumps and start-stop impacts during fork extension / retraction operations, preventing pallet limit failure due to inertial impact. It solves the technical problem that when the forks encounter road bumps or start-stop impacts, the pallet easily slides forward and backward along the fork length, affecting the fork's positioning stability on the pallet.

[0006] To address the problems of existing technologies, this utility model provides a self-positioning fork structure, including a pusher frame, a fork body fixedly mounted on one side of the pusher frame, and a through groove on the fork body; an abutment plate slidably disposed in the through groove, and a connecting plate rotatably connected to the abutment plate; a drive mechanism for driving the connecting plate to achieve displacement is provided between the fork body and the connecting plate; and a rotation mechanism for driving the abutment plate to rotate when the connecting plate is displaced is provided between the abutment plate and the connecting plate.

[0007] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes a fixed block, a screw, a first power component, and a bevel gear assembly; the fixed block is fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate; the screw is rotatably mounted on the fork body and threadedly connected to the fixed block; the first power component is fixedly mounted on the fork body and provides power for the rotation of the screw; the bevel gear assembly is rotatably mounted on the fork body, the working end of the bevel gear assembly is fixedly connected to the end of the screw, and the working end of the bevel gear assembly away from the screw is fixedly connected to the output end of the first power component.

[0008] Preferably, the drive mechanism further includes a first guide assembly, which assists the connecting plate in achieving linear movement. The first guide assembly includes a guide seat and a guide rail; the guide seat is fixedly connected to the fixed block; the guide rail is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body near the guide seat, and the guide rail and the guide seat are slidably engaged.

[0009] Preferably, the rotating mechanism includes a toothed disc, a toothed plate, and a stop assembly; the toothed disc is fixedly connected to the abutment plate; the toothed plate is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body near the toothed disc, and the toothed plate meshes with the toothed disc; the stop assembly is disposed between the connecting plate and the toothed disc, and the stop assembly is used to lock the position of the rotated toothed disc.

[0010] Preferably, the stopping assembly includes a ratchet, a pawl, a support plate, and a resilient reset member; the ratchet is fixedly connected to the toothed disc; the pawl is inserted into the ratchet; the support plate is slidably disposed on the connecting plate, and the pawl is rotatably disposed on the support plate; the two ends of the resilient reset member are fixedly connected to the pawl and the support plate, respectively.

[0011] Preferably, the stopping assembly further includes a second power component and a second guide component; the second power component is fixedly installed on the connecting plate, and the output end of the second power component is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate, and the second power component is used to provide power for the displacement of the support plate; the second guide component is disposed between the connecting plate and the support plate, and the second guide component is used to assist the support plate in achieving linear movement.

[0012] Preferably, the second guide component includes a slider and a groove; the slider is fixedly connected to the support plate; the groove is formed on the side of the connecting plate near the slider, and the groove slides in cooperation with the slider.

[0013] The advantages of this utility model compared to the prior art are:

[0014] 1. By driving the connecting plate closer to the pallet through the drive mechanism, and then driving the abutment plate to rotate through the rotation mechanism, the abutment plate clamps the pallet and forms a rigid constraint on the pallet. This can effectively counteract the forward and backward sliding tendency caused by road bumps and start-stop impacts during fork extension and retraction operations, and prevent the pallet from failing due to inertial impact. It solves the technical problem that when the forks encounter road bumps and start-stop impacts, the pallet is prone to forward and backward sliding along the length of the forks, affecting the positioning stability of the pallet by the forks.

[0015] 2. By driving the connecting plate with the first power component, the abutment plate after flipping continues to move, and the position of the abutment plate after the corner is adjusted, which solves the technical problem that the forks are difficult to flexibly adjust the clamping distance according to the actual size of the pallet, resulting in difficulty in adapting to pallets of different widths and thicknesses. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This utility model application presents a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a self-positioning fork structure, including a pusher frame and the fork body.

[0017] Figure 2 This utility model application presents a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the guide seat and guide rail of a self-positioning fork structure.

[0018] Figure 3 This utility model application presents a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a screw and a first power component for a self-positioning fork structure.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of point A in the middle.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of point B in the middle.

[0021] The following are the labels in the diagram: 1. Push frame; 11. Fork body; 12. Through slot; 2. Abutment plate; 21. Connecting plate; 22. Fixing block; 23. Screw; 24. First power component; 241. Bevel gear assembly; 25. Guide seat; 26. Guide rail; 27. Gear disc; 28. Gear plate; 29. ​​Ratchet; 210. Pawl; 211. Support plate; 212. Elastic reset component; 213. Second power component; 214. Slider; 215. Slide groove. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To further understand the features, technical means, and specific objectives and functions achieved by this utility model, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] See Figures 1-3 As shown, a self-positioning fork structure includes a pusher frame 1, a fork body 11 fixedly mounted on one side of the pusher frame 1, and a through groove 12 formed on the fork body 11; an abutment plate 2 is slidably disposed in the through groove 12, and a connecting plate 21 is rotatably connected to the abutment plate 2; a driving mechanism for driving the connecting plate 21 to achieve displacement is provided between the fork body 11 and the connecting plate 21; and a rotating mechanism for driving the abutment plate 2 to achieve rotation when the connecting plate 21 is displaced is provided between the abutment plate 2 and the connecting plate 21.

[0024] Specifically, during pallet handling operations, the fork body 11 is pushed by the pusher frame 1 to insert under the pallet. After the fork body 11 lifts the goods to the target height, the drive mechanism is activated to drive the connecting plate 21 to slide in a straight line along the through groove 12. The connecting plate 21 simultaneously drives the abutment plate 2 to achieve displacement.

[0025] During the displacement process, the rotating mechanism drives the abutment plate 2 to rotate around a preset axis, causing the abutment plate 2 to complete a 90-degree rotation. After the rotation is completed, the driving mechanism continues to drive the abutment plate 2 to move along a preset direction until the abutment plate 2 forms a pressing and clamping engagement with the side of the tray.

[0026] By rigidly contacting the pallet side with the abutment plate 2, a two-way rigid constraint is formed on the pallet, which can effectively counteract the tendency of the pallet to slide back and forth along the length of the forks due to road bumps and start-stop impacts during fork extension and retraction operations, and prevent the pallet from failing due to inertial impact.

[0027] Meanwhile, the drive mechanism can continuously drive the abutment plate 2 to move, adjusting the spatial position of the abutment plate 2 after the corner. This allows the abutment plate 2 to flexibly control the clamping distance between the abutment plate 2 and the pallet according to the actual size of the pallet, adapting to the positioning requirements of pallets of different sizes without replacing the positioning components, thus improving the scenario adaptability of the fork positioning structure.

[0028] Furthermore, the abutment plate 2 can withstand greater pallet inertial impact force, and in heavy-duty, high-frequency operation scenarios, it can effectively prevent deformation or functional failure of clamping components, ensuring the stability of pallet positioning and the continuity of operation.

[0029] See Figures 2-4 As shown, the drive mechanism includes a fixed block 22, a screw 23, a first power component 24, and a bevel gear assembly 241. The fixed block 22 is fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate 21. The screw 23 is rotatably mounted on the fork body 11 and is threadedly connected to the fixed block 22. The first power component 24 is fixedly mounted on the fork body 11 and provides power for the rotation of the screw 23. The drive mechanism also includes a first guide assembly, which assists the connecting plate 21 in linear movement. The first guide assembly includes a guide seat 25 and a guide rail 26. The guide seat 25 is fixedly connected to the fixed block 22. The guide rail 26 is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body 11 near the guide seat 25, and the guide rail 26 and the guide seat 25 are in sliding engagement.

[0030] Specifically, the first power component 24 is preferably a servo motor. The bevel gear assembly 241 consists of meshing bevel gears. The bevel gears of the bevel gear assembly 241 are fixedly connected to the end of the screw 23, and the bevel gears of the bevel gear assembly 241 away from the screw 23 are fixedly connected to the output end of the power component. The guide seat 25 and the guide rail 26 form a sliding guide pair.

[0031] After the fork body 11 lifts the goods to the target height, it activates the first power unit 24. The output end of the first power unit 24 drives the bevel gear of the bevel gear assembly 241 to rotate around the axis. The bevel gear assembly 241 consists of two sets of meshing bevel gears. One set of bevel gears is fixedly connected to the end of the screw 23, and the other set of bevel gears is fixedly connected to the output end of the first power unit 24. Based on the meshing transmission relationship between the bevel gears, the rotational power of the first power unit 24 is transmitted to the screw 23 through the bevel gear assembly 241, driving the screw 23 to rotate synchronously.

[0032] The sliding guide pair formed by the guide seat 25 and the guide rail 26 restricts the circumferential rotational freedom of the fixed block 22, preventing the fixed block 22 from rotating synchronously with the screw 23. Since the fixed block 22 and the screw 23 are connected by a threaded engagement, the rotational motion of the screw 23 is converted into the linear motion of the fixed block 22 along the axis of the screw 23. The fixed block 22 synchronously drives the connecting plate 21 to achieve linear displacement, thereby driving the abutment plate 2 to complete the same direction displacement with the connecting plate 21.

[0033] See Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the rotating mechanism includes a toothed disc 27, a toothed plate 28, and a stop assembly; the toothed disc 27 is fixedly connected to the abutment plate 2; the toothed plate 28 is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body 11 near the toothed disc 27, and the toothed plate 28 meshes with the toothed disc 27; the stop assembly is disposed between the connecting plate 21 and the toothed disc 27, and the stop assembly is used to lock the position of the rotated toothed disc 27; the stop assembly includes a ratchet 29, a pawl 210, a support plate 211, and an elastic reset member 212; the ratchet 29 is fixedly connected to the toothed disc 27; the pawl 210 is inserted into the ratchet 29; the support plate 211 is slidably disposed on the connecting plate 21, and the pawl 210 is rotatably disposed on the support plate 211; the two ends of the elastic reset member 212 are fixedly connected to the pawl 210 and the support plate 211, respectively.

[0034] Specifically, the elastic reset element 212 is preferably a spring.

[0035] During the displacement process of the connecting plate 21 driving the abutment plate 2, the gear disk 27 is synchronously driven to move along the gear plate 28. Through the meshing of the gear plate 28 and the gear disk 27, the gear disk 27 completes a 90-degree rotation under the transmission constraint of the tooth surface of the gear plate 28. At this time, the gear disk 27 disengages from the gear plate 28, and the gear disk 27 synchronously drives the abutment plate 2 to rotate around the preset axis, thereby realizing the rotation angle adjustment of the abutment plate 2.

[0036] At the same time, the rotating gear 27 synchronously drives the ratchet 29 to rotate coaxially. During the rotation of the ratchet 29, its inclined structure forms a squeezing effect with the pawl 210, pushing the pawl 210 to move away from the ratchet 29. During this process, the elastic reset member 212 undergoes elastic deformation, releasing the rotation restriction on the ratchet 29 and ensuring that the ratchet 29 rotates normally with the gear 27.

[0037] After the toothed disc 27 completes a 90-degree rotation, the elastic reset member 212 releases its elastic potential energy, pushing the pawl 210 to reset and form an insertion engagement with the tooth groove of the ratchet 29. Through the one-way locking structure of the pawl 210 and the ratchet 29, the reverse rotation of the toothed disc 27 after rotation is restricted, preventing the toothed disc 27 from becoming loose, thereby ensuring that the abutment plate 2 maintains a stable state after the angle and preventing the abutment plate 2 from reversing and loosening due to external force.

[0038] See Figure 5As shown, the stop assembly also includes a second power component 213 and a second guide component; the second power component 213 is fixedly installed on the connecting plate 21, and the output end of the second power component 213 is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate 211. The second power component 213 is used to provide power for the displacement of the support plate 211; the second guide component is disposed between the connecting plate 21 and the support plate 211, and the second guide component is used to assist the support plate 211 in achieving linear movement; the second guide component includes a slider 214 and a groove 215; the slider 214 is fixedly connected to the support plate 211; the groove 215 is opened on the side of the connecting plate 21 near the slider 214, and the groove 215 slides with the slider 214.

[0039] Specifically, the second power component 213 is preferably a miniature electric actuator. The slider 214 and the groove 215 form a sliding guide pair.

[0040] When the operator needs to actively release the one-way lock between the pawl 210 and the ratchet 29, the second power component 213 is activated. The output end of the second power component 213 drives the support plate 211 to move in a preset direction. During the displacement of the support plate 211, the slider 214 is simultaneously driven to slide along the slide groove 215. Relying on the sliding guide pair formed by the slider 214 and the slide groove 215, the displacement deviation of the support plate 211 is limited, ensuring that the support plate 211 maintains stable linear motion.

[0041] Driven by the support plate 211, the pawl 210 moves stably away from the ratchet 29, releasing the engagement with the tooth groove of the ratchet 29. At this time, the rotation constraint of the toothed disc 27 is released, and it can rotate freely around its own axis, providing conditions for subsequent adjustment of the angle of the abutment plate 2 or release of the pallet clamp.

[0042] Working principle: When the fork body 11 positions the pallet, the first power component 24 is activated, and its output end drives the screw 23 to rotate around the axis through the bevel gear assembly 241. Relying on the sliding guide pair formed by the guide seat 25 and the guide rail 26, the circumferential rotational freedom of the fixed block 22 is restricted, so that the fixed block 22 moves linearly along the axis of the screw 23. The fixed block 22 simultaneously drives the connecting plate 21 and the abutment plate 2 to achieve displacement in the same direction.

[0043] During the displacement of the connecting plate 21, the synchronous drive gear 27 moves along the gear plate 28. Through the meshing of the gear plate 28 and the gear 27, the gear 27 drives the abutment plate 2 to rotate around a preset axis, completing the angle adjustment of the abutment plate 2. During this process, the one-way locking structure formed by the pawl 210 and the ratchet 29 plays a role in preventing the abutment plate 2 from rotating in the opposite direction due to external force, thus preventing it from becoming loose.

[0044] After the angle adjustment is completed, the first power component 24 can be activated to drive the connecting plate 21 to move further. The connecting plate 21 then drives the abutment plate 2, which has been rotated, to adjust its position. Based on this displacement adjustment function, the clamping distance between the abutment plate 2 and the pallet can be flexibly controlled according to the actual size of the pallet, thereby achieving stable clamping and positioning of the pallet.

[0045] When it is necessary to release the clamping and positioning of the pallet by the abutment plate 2, the first power component 24 is activated, driving the screw 23 to rotate in the opposite direction. This causes the fixing block 22 to move the connecting plate 21 in the opposite direction along the axis of the screw 23 to return to its original position. Simultaneously, the connecting plate 21 drives the toothed disc 27 to move closer to the toothed plate 28. When the toothed disc 27 is about to re-engage with the toothed plate 28, the second power component 213 is activated. Its output end drives the support plate 211 to move. The support plate 211 drives the pawl 210 to move away from the ratchet 29, releasing the engagement between the pawl 210 and the tooth groove of the ratchet 29.

[0046] Subsequently, the toothed disc 27 re-engages with the toothed plate 28, driving the abutment plate 2 to rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction via tooth surface transmission, thus restoring the abutment plate 2 to its initial position. After the abutment plate 2 is reset, the second power component 213 is restarted, driving the support plate 211 to move towards the ratchet 29. The support plate 211 drives the pawl 210 to reset and re-engage with the tooth groove of the ratchet 29, forming a one-way lock, thus preparing for subsequent positioning operations.

[0047] The above embodiments only illustrate one or more implementations of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A self-positioning fork structure, comprising a pusher frame (1), wherein a fork body (11) is fixedly mounted on one side of the pusher frame (1), characterized in that, A through groove (12) is provided on the fork body (11); An abutment plate (2) is slidably provided in the through groove (12), and a connecting plate (21) is rotatably connected to the abutment plate (2); A drive mechanism for driving the connecting plate (21) to achieve displacement is provided between the fork body (11) and the connecting plate (21); A rotating mechanism is provided between the abutment plate (2) and the connecting plate (21) to drive the abutment plate (2) to rotate when the connecting plate (21) is displaced.

2. The self-positioning fork structure according to claim 1, wherein, The drive mechanism includes a fixed block (22), a screw (23), a first power component (24), and a bevel gear assembly (241); The fixing block (22) is fixedly connected to the lower side of the connecting plate (21); The screw (23) is rotatably mounted on the fork body (11), and the screw (23) is threadedly connected to the fixing block (22); The first power component (24) is fixedly installed on the fork body (11), and the first power component (24) is used to provide power for the rotation of the screw (23); The bevel gear assembly (241) is rotatably mounted on the fork body (11). The working end of the bevel gear assembly (241) is fixedly connected to the end of the screw (23), and the working end of the bevel gear assembly (241) away from the screw (23) is fixedly connected to the output end of the first power unit (24).

3. A self-locating fork structure according to claim 2, wherein The drive mechanism also includes a first guide assembly, which is used to assist the connecting plate (21) in achieving linear movement. The first guide assembly includes a guide seat (25) and a guide rail (26). The guide seat (25) is fixedly connected to the fixing block (22); The guide rail (26) is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body (11) near the guide seat (25), and the guide rail (26) and the guide seat (25) are in sliding fit.

4. The self-positioning fork structure of claim 1, wherein, The rotating mechanism includes a gear disc (27), a gear plate (28), and a stop assembly; The gear disc (27) is fixedly connected to the abutment plate (2); The toothed plate (28) is fixedly connected to the side of the fork body (11) near the toothed disc (27), and the toothed plate (28) meshes with the toothed disc (27); The stop assembly is located between the connecting plate (21) and the gear plate (27), and is used to lock the position of the rotated gear plate (27).

5. A self-locating fork structure according to claim 4, wherein, The stop assembly includes a ratchet (29), a pawl (210), a support plate (211), and a resilient reset member (212); The ratchet (29) is fixedly connected to the toothed disc (27); The pawl (210) is engaged with the ratchet (29); The support plate (211) is slidably mounted on the connecting plate (21), and the pawl (210) is rotatably mounted on the support plate (211); The two ends of the elastic reset member (212) are fixedly connected to the pawl (210) and the support plate (211) respectively.

6. A self-locating fork structure according to claim 5, wherein, The stop assembly also includes a second power element (213) and a second guide assembly; The second power component (213) is fixedly installed on the connecting plate (21). The output end of the second power component (213) is fixedly connected to one side of the support plate (211). The second power component is used to provide power for the displacement of the support plate (211). The second guide assembly is disposed between the connecting plate (21) and the support plate (211), and the second guide assembly is used to assist the support plate (211) in achieving linear movement.

7. A self-locating fork structure according to claim 6, wherein, The second guide assembly includes a slider (214) and a groove (215); The slider (214) is fixedly connected to the support plate (211); The groove (215) is opened on the side of the connecting plate (21) near the slider (214), and the groove (215) slides with the slider (214).

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