Frame of a forklift truck with battery compartment

Abstract

Frame (5) of an industrial truck with a frame section designed as a battery compartment (10), which, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the industrial truck, has a front, transversely arranged frame section boundary (6), a rear, transversely arranged frame section boundary (7), a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame section boundary (8) and, opposite this, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame opening (12) between the transversely arranged frame section boundaries (6, 7), by which a battery compartment depth and battery compartment width measured in the transverse direction is determined, wherein the frame opening (12) enables the insertion and removal of a power supply unit (2, 4) into and out of the battery compartment (10), characterized in that a retaining stop (14) is arranged at least in one corner between the rear or front frame section boundary (6, 7) and the lateral frame section boundary (8),which forms a width stop (16) for a second power supply unit (4) in the battery compartment width and, at a 90° angle to this, forms a depth stop (17) in the battery compartment depth for a first power supply unit (2) with a greater width but less depth than the second power supply unit (4).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a frame of an industrial truck with a battery compartment. In particular, the invention relates to a frame of an industrial truck with a frame section designed as a battery compartment, which, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the industrial truck, has a front, transversely arranged frame section boundary, a rear, transversely arranged frame section boundary, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame section boundary, and, opposite thereto, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame opening between the transversely arranged frame section boundaries, through which a battery compartment depth and battery compartment width measured in the transverse direction are determined, wherein the frame opening enables the insertion and removal of a power supply unit into and from the battery compartment.

[0002] A large group of industrial trucks, such as battery-electric counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks, and warehouse equipment, are battery-powered industrial trucks, in which the energy for the drive and the working devices is drawn from a traction battery. To ensure uninterrupted multi-shift operation and rapid operational readiness of the industrial truck, it is common practice to provide a replaceable traction battery. The discharged traction battery, located in a battery compartment, can be replaced with a traction battery charged externally at a charging station.

[0003] The traction batteries are available with different capacities, voltages, and especially external dimensions and weights, most of which comply with standards. The sequence of interconnection of individual battery cells and the dimensions of the individual battery cells result in specific dimensions for the length and width of the footprint of the traction battery and various types of traction batteries. Likewise, the dimensions of alternative energy supply units, such as fuel cell units or hybrid energy supply units with an internal combustion engine and generator, are adapted to these dimensions to achieve interchangeability.

[0004] The dimensions of the battery compartment are determined by the structure of the industrial truck's frame. In the case of industrial trucks with a battery compartment arranged transversely between a rear axle and a front axle, which is intended for lateral battery changes, the vehicle frames are therefore designed so that the geometric dimensions of the battery compartment are usually designed for one of these traction battery types, e.g. with a specific circuit of the individual battery cells. This means that the depth of the battery compartment based on a transverse orientation to the longitudinal direction of the industrial truck frame is coordinated with the length of the traction battery or an alternatively used power supply unit. Likewise, the longitudinal extent based on a longitudinal direction of the frame or the width of the battery compartment is coordinated with the width of the traction battery.

[0005] This is especially necessary because the battery compartment is defined by front and rear frame section limits, which prevent any unauthorized movement of the traction battery when installed. The traction battery must not have excessive freedom of movement within the battery compartment and must be adequately secured to prevent damage from the inertial forces of the heavy traction battery during driving and cornering.

[0006] A generic frame of an industrial truck designed as an electric forklift is disclosed in DE 10 2008 008 146 A1. A front frame section boundary in the form of a frame plate connecting the left and right frame halves delimits the frame section that encloses the battery compartment and is intended to accommodate the traction battery. A drive axle and a lifting frame are attached to the front frame section boundary, and in an assembly compartment, for example, control valves, an electro-hydraulic pump unit of a lifting drive, and power modules of a travel drive and a lifting drive can be arranged. In the longitudinal direction of the industrial truck towards the rear, the battery compartment is defined by a rear frame section boundary, also arranged transversely, which consists of a multi-part sheet metal construction to which a counterweight is attached.Instead of a traction battery, an energy supply unit can also be provided that uses fuel cells or a hybrid unit with an internal combustion engine, generator and energy storage.

[0007] From EP 2 219 989 B1 an electric vehicle, in particular an industrial truck, with a battery fuse is known.

[0008] From JP 2000 - 219 093 A a forklift truck with a battery stopper in a battery compartment is known.

[0009] DE 10 2009 049 498 A1 discloses an industrial truck with a laterally removable power supply unit.

[0010] The present invention is based on the object of providing a frame for an industrial truck with which a battery compartment can be designed in such a way that different types of traction batteries can be used.

[0011] This object is achieved by a frame of an industrial truck with a battery compartment having the features of independent patent claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0012] The object is achieved according to the invention in that in a frame of an industrial truck with a frame section designed as a battery compartment, which has a front, transversely arranged frame section limit, a rear, transversely arranged frame section limit, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame section limit and, opposite thereto, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame opening between the transversely arranged frame section limits, through which a battery compartment depth and battery compartment width measured in the transverse direction are determined, wherein the frame opening enables the insertion and removal of a power supply unit in and out of the battery compartment, a holding stop is arranged at least in one corner between the rear or front frame section limit and the lateral frame section limit,which forms a width stop for a first power supply unit in the battery compartment width and, at a 90° angle to this, forms a depth stop in the battery compartment depth for a second power supply unit with a greater width but lesser depth than the first power supply unit.

[0013] Thus, when viewed from above, the stop, in the shape of a square or rectangle, fills the corner between the lateral frame section boundary and either the front frame section boundary or the rear frame section boundary. It is also conceivable to use a stop at both the front frame section boundary and the rear frame section boundary. A longer but narrower power supply unit, in particular a traction battery, rests against the width stop and is held with a permissible tolerance between the opposite, transversely oriented frame section boundary and the transverse stop during longitudinal movements of the industrial truck. A second power supply unit, also in particular a traction battery, has a smaller longitudinal extent but a greater width. When inserted into the battery compartment of the frame, this power supply unit orThe front end of the traction battery rests against the depth stop, thereby limiting its transverse mobility relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis up to a permissible tolerance, so that the power supply unit is secured in this direction. Advantageously, two types of power supply units, particularly traction battery types, can be used on one and the same industrial truck without the need for complex conversions or modifications, while at the same time the power supply unit is adequately secured against unwanted movement. There is also no need for complex adaptation or construction of different frame versions, as only the additional holding section needs to be provided. This holding section can be designed in such a way that it can be verified. This results in cost savings. The frame is particularly advantageously designed for a counterbalance forklift.Such a frame can be used particularly advantageously in a counterbalance forklift truck, where a battery compartment is provided between a front axle and a rear axle for a lateral battery change.

[0014] Advantageously, the width stop forms a surface which is at least partially bevelled, with a width which decreases towards the opposite frame section boundary in the direction of the lateral frame section boundary.

[0015] This results in a threading section in which there is more lateral free space over a large length when inserting, for example, a traction battery into the battery compartment, the traction battery is aligned by the section with the bevelled surface as the threading area and the traction battery is held with little play by the end of this area or another area of ​​the width stop.

[0016] The holding stop can be formed by an angled sheet metal strip.

[0017] In one embodiment, the holding stop is inserted into the frame as a separate component.

[0018] For example, the retaining stop can be designed as a bent sheet metal strip element that can be inserted into the battery compartment or connected to the frame via screw connections or other suitable connections. This allows for easy retrofitting.

[0019] In an advantageous further embodiment of the frame, the holding stop has a plurality of step-shaped transverse stops and depth stops.

[0020] This enables the use of more than two power supply units or types of traction batteries, which have a sequence of different widths with inversely varying lengths.

[0021] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the frame, a stop adapter is arranged next to the holding stop on the transversely oriented frame section boundary, which stop adapter has at least one second width stop for a battery compartment width that is substantially the same as the width stop of the holding stop, wherein the stop adapter can be used as a separate component or can be folded away.

[0022] The stop adapter provides a second support point through the second width stop. The adapter can be designed so that it can be folded away and remains permanently connected to the frame. Alternatively, the adapter can be designed as a separate component that is used when one type of power supply unit or one type of traction battery is used.

[0023] The second width stop of the stop adapter can form a surface that is at least partially beveled, with a width that decreases towards the opposite frame section boundary towards the lateral frame section boundary.

[0024] This also creates a threading area with the effect already described above.

[0025] The stop adapter can be a bent sheet metal construction, in particular formed from a T-shaped sheet metal strip, the crossbar of which extends along the transversely oriented frame section boundary.

[0026] The front and / or rear and / or lateral frame section boundaries can be designed as a frame wall.

[0027] If the holding section is designed to be removable, a third type of power supply unit or traction battery can be provided, utilizing the entire installation space and offering maximum battery capacity. The frame described is particularly advantageous for the design of battery compartments in conjunction with the use of lithium-ion batteries, as their smaller battery cells allow for much greater flexibility in battery design in terms of format and size. Remaining installation space next to a power supply unit or traction battery can be used for options such as replacement equipment for the traction battery or an on-board charger.

[0028] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the schematic figures. Fig. 1 a first structural diagram of a traction battery with resulting dimensional relationships according to the state of the art, Fig. 2 a second structural diagram of a traction battery with resulting dimensional relationships according to the state of the art, Fig. 3 a frame of an industrial truck according to the invention in perspective view, Fig. 4 the framework of Fig. 3 under supervision Fig. 5 the framework of Fig. 3 with a stop adapter in perspective view and Fig. 6 the framework of the Fig. 3 with the stop adapter in top view.

[0029] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a first structural diagram of a traction battery 1 as an example of a first energy supply unit 2 with the resulting dimensional relationships of length a and width b according to the prior art, in a top view. Battery cells 3 with a length W are arranged in this embodiment in four longitudinally and six widthwise.

[0030] The Fig. Figure 2 shows a second structural diagram of a traction battery 1 as an example of a second power supply unit 4, with resulting dimensional ratios of a length a and width b according to the prior art that differ from those of the first power supply unit 2. In this exemplary embodiment, the battery cells 3 with a length W are arranged sixfold in the longitudinal direction and fivefold in the width direction.

[0031] This results in two power supply units 2,4, as described in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, which, in addition to different other properties, in particular have different lengths a and widths b, wherein the first energy supply unit 2 has a shorter length a and a greater width b than the second energy supply unit 4.

[0032] The Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a frame 5 of an industrial truck according to the invention. A battery compartment 10 is formed by a front frame section limit 6, a rear frame section limit 7 and a side frame section limit 8 as well as a largely cut-out floor panel 9, which is intended for lateral battery replacement. Therefore, a frame opening 12 is located below a longitudinal member 11, through which a power supply unit 2, 4 can be inserted into or removed from the battery compartment 10. The rear frame section limit 7 is only shown in an outline here and is also formed, for example, by a counterweight screwed at this point. In front of the front frame section limit 6 are front axle supports 13, to which the front axle (not shown here) can be mounted.

[0033] In the corner between the front frame section limit 6 and the side frame section limit 8, a holding stop 14 is arranged, which consists of a bent sheet metal strip 15 and has a width stop 16 and a depth stop 17.

[0034] The Fig. 4 shows the frame 5 of the industrial truck of Fig. 5 in plan view with the first power supply unit 2 or traction battery 1 inserted into the battery compartment 10. The first power supply unit 2 has a greater width b and a shorter length a than the second power supply unit 4. Therefore, an end face 18 of the power supply unit 2 rests against the depth stop 17 of the holding stop 14. The first power supply unit 2 is otherwise held in its position by the front frame section limit 6 and the rear frame section limit 7.

[0035] The Fig. 5 shows the frame 5 of the Fig. 3 with a stop adapter 19 in perspective view. The front frame section limit 6, the rear frame section limit 7, and the side frame section limit 8 define the battery compartment 10 with the frame opening 12 below the longitudinal member 11. Located in front of the front frame section limit 6 are the front axle supports 13, to which the front axle (not shown here) can be mounted.

[0036] The holding stop 14 is arranged in the corner between the front frame section limit 6 and the side frame section limit 8.

[0037] Next to the holding stop 14 on the front, transversely oriented frame section boundary 6, the stop adapter 19 is arranged, which has a second width stop 20 for a battery compartment width substantially equal to the width stop of the holding stop 14. The stop adapter 19 is formed as an "upside-down" T-shaped sheet metal strip 21, the crossbar 22 of which extends along the front frame section boundary 6.

[0038] The Fig. 6 shows the frame of the Fig.3 with the stop adapter 19 in plan view with the second energy supply unit 4 or traction battery 1 inserted into the battery compartment 10. The second energy supply unit 4 has a smaller width b and a greater length a than the first energy supply unit 2. Therefore, an end face 18 of the energy supply unit 4 rests against the lateral frame section limitation 8. The second energy supply unit 4 is held in its position by the rear frame section limitation 7, the lateral frame section limitation 8, the width stop 16 of the holding section 14 and the second width stop 20 of the stop adapter 19.

[0039] The holding section 14 has a bevelled surface 23 on its width stop 16, so that a decreasing width results towards the opposite rear frame section boundary 7.

[0040] Likewise, the second width stop 20 of the stop adapter 19 has a beveled surface 24 with a decreasing width towards the opposite rear frame section boundary 7.

[0041] This makes it easier to insert the second power supply unit 4 into the battery compartment 10, since the bevelled surfaces 23, 24 align it and provide greater clearance before reaching these bevelled surfaces 23, 24 during insertion.

Claims

[1] Frame (5) of an industrial truck with a frame section designed as a battery compartment (10), which, with respect to a longitudinal axis of the industrial truck, has a front, transversely arranged frame section limit (6), a rear, transversely arranged frame section limit (7), a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame section limit (8) and, opposite thereto, a lateral, longitudinally arranged frame opening (12) between the transversely arranged frame section limits (6, 7), by means of which a battery compartment depth and battery compartment width measured in the transverse direction are determined, wherein the frame opening (12) enables the insertion and removal of a power supply unit (2, 4) in and out of the battery compartment (10), characterized bythat at least in one corner between the rear or front frame section boundary (6, 7) and the lateral frame section boundary (8) a holding stop (14) is arranged, which forms a width stop (16) for a second energy supply unit (4) in the battery compartment width and, at a 90° angle thereto, forms a depth stop (17) in the battery compartment depth for a first energy supply unit (2) with a greater width but lesser depth than the second energy supply unit (4). [2] Frame (5) according to claim 1, characterized by that the width stop (16) forms a surface (23) which is bevelled at least in partial areas, with a width decreasing towards the opposite frame section boundary (7) in the direction of the lateral frame section boundary (8). [3] Frame (5) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the holding stop (14) is formed by an angled sheet metal strip (15). [4] Frame (5) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the holding stop (14) is inserted into the frame (5) as a separate component. [5] Frame (5) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the holding stop (14) has a plurality of step-shaped transverse stops (16) and depth stops (17). [6] Frame (5) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by that next to the holding stop (14) on the transversely oriented frame section boundary (6) there is arranged a stop adapter (19) which has at least one second width stop (20) for a battery compartment width which is substantially the same as the width stop (16) of the holding stop (14), wherein the stop adapter (19) can be used as a separate component or can be folded away. [7] Frame (5) according to claim 6, characterized bythat the second width stop (20) of the stop adapter (19) forms a surface (24) which is bevelled at least in partial areas, with a width decreasing towards the opposite frame section boundary (7) towards the lateral frame section boundary (8). [8] Frame (5) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by that the stop adapter (19) is a bent sheet metal construction, in particular formed from a T-shaped sheet metal strip (21), the crossbar (22) of which extends along the transversely oriented frame section boundary (6). [9] Frame (5) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that the front and / or rear and / or lateral frame section boundary (6,7,8) is designed as a frame wall. [10] Frame (5) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that the energy supply unit (2,4) is a traction battery (1).

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