INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, ESPECIALLY TRACTOR

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle, which is provided with a drive and braking system, a steering system and with at least one distance sensor designed as an ultrasonic sensor for monitoring at least one sector of the peripheral area of ​​the industrial truck, wherein the industrial truck can be operated in the forward and reverse directions and can be moved freely.

[0002] DE10 2012 106 988 A1 discloses a method for controlling an industrial truck with distance sensors at the rear of the vehicle in order to monitor a monitoring zone located behind or to the side of the rear of the vehicle for obstacles. While driving into the monitoring zone is prevented by the vehicle control system, which also evaluates the distance sensors, when the vehicle is stationary and an obstacle is detected in the monitoring zone, further driving into the monitoring zone is not prevented while driving into the monitoring zone and detecting an obstacle therein.

[0003] DE 102 21 298 A1 discloses an industrial truck in which at least one distance sensor for monitoring the rear of the truck and a sensor for detecting the travel speed or a signal proportional to the travel speed are connected to a control device that is operatively connected to a drive and a braking system of the industrial truck. This allows the industrial truck to be decelerated in a controlled manner when an obstacle is detected by the distance sensor, depending on the actual travel speed and the determined distance to the obstacle. This reduces the risk of collisions with objects and people.

[0004] WO 2015 / 121818 A2 discloses an industrial truck with multiple sensors distributed around the perimeter to achieve 360° monitoring of the surroundings. These sensors activate a responder located in the vicinity of the vehicle, embodied as an RFID tag that is worn on a vehicle in the vicinity or by a person in the vicinity. The sensors on the vehicle emit activation signals. If a responder is located within the monitoring field of one of the sensors, the responder is activated and sends a response signal, which is received by the corresponding sensor and forwarded to a control unit, which generates a visual warning on a monitor and / or an acoustic alarm on a loudspeaker.

[0005] US Pat. No. 6,606,027 B1 discloses a vehicle-mounted vehicle equipped with several sensors distributed around its circumference, designed as distance sensors or proximity sensors. When objects are detected, corresponding warning lights are activated on a display.

[0006] JP 2015 170284 A1 discloses an autonomous industrial truck with multiple environmental sensors configured as 2D laser sensors. The monitoring fields of the sensors are changed depending on the driving speed and steering angle in order to prevent a collision with an obstacle depending on the driving situation.

[0007] EP 1 495 906 A2 discloses an industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0008] WO 2007 / 074113 A1 discloses a method and a system for assisting a driver when parking or maneuvering a motor vehicle.

[0009] EP 3 165 420 A1 discloses a method for determining an area occupied by a trailer connected to a motor vehicle.

[0010] Industrial trucks designed as towing vehicles are used to transport trailer loads, for example in airport areas for baggage transport, and do not yet have any active driver assistance systems to warn or avoid collisions with static objects, other vehicles, trailers or people.

[0011] The present invention is based on the object of improving a tractor vehicle as described above for more flexible use. This should enable collision avoidance with situation-dependent functions of driver assistance systems in different combinations depending on requirements and application.

[0012] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the industrial truck is designed as a tractor and a plurality of distance sensors designed as ultrasonic sensors are distributed along the entire circumference of the tractor and are connected to an evaluation and / or display device present on or in the tractor, which is designed to process the signals of the distance sensors designed as ultrasonic sensors and to process the object information determined via these distance sensors designed as ultrasonic sensors, to display it on a graphic display and / or to signal it via an acoustic output device, wherein the evaluation and / or display device is operatively connected to the drive and braking system and the steering of the industrial truck and is designedto generate control signals to the drive and braking system and to the steering of the industrial truck depending on the object information,The information about the environment determined by the distance sensors is used to reduce the steering assistance, and in the event of an imminent collision with an obstacle, the maximum steering assistance is reduced. Such an arrangement thus enables complete and easily interpretable representation of collision protection – 360 degrees in the circumferential direction of the industrial truck – and the integration of various safety and driver assistance systems into the industrial truck with low maximum speed but high agility and maneuverability. With several distance sensors arranged, preferably evenly distributed, around the entire circumference of the industrial truck, complete environmental detection of the industrial truck and 360-degree collision protection of the industrial truck can be achieved. The distance sensors detect all surrounding objects within the range.that are located in the vicinity of the industrial truck. Using the evaluation and / or display device, the object information acquired by the distance sensors can be processed graphically and / or acoustically for the driver of the industrial truck.

[0013] The distance sensors are designed as ultrasonic sensors, which represent a technically proven and cost-effective solution. Furthermore, these sensors detect objects in a relatively large sector.

[0014] The distance sensors preferably have a maximum range between 5 and 15 meters. This ensures a good correlation between the maximum speed of the industrial truck, in particular a tractor, typically less than 30 km / h, its driving, maneuvering, and speed profiles, and the range or measuring range of the distance sensors, which provide object information from a distance range that still ensures timely reactions by the driver or automatic interventions, such as an emergency braking function, in the driving systems of the industrial truck.The use of distance sensors designed as ultrasonic sensors, which have a maximum range of between 5 and 15 meters, enables the complete implementation of collision protection with little technical effort and proven sensor technology in accordance with the high maneuverability and all operating conditions of a tractor vehicle.

[0015] A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that at least one sensor for detecting the driving speed and direction of travel, or a signal proportional to the driving speed, or the steering angle, or a signal proportional to the steering angle, is connected to the evaluation and / or display device, and the evaluation and display device is designed such that the information determined by this sensor(s) is displayed together with the object information at least on the graphic display, or the display of the object information is adapted accordingly. This allows driving information, such as direction of travel, driving speed, and steering angle, to be taken into account during processing in order to link the object information determined by the distance sensors with the information about the vehicle movement.This allows the industrial truck driver to react more easily and quickly to obstacles in the environment, and it is easy to automatically adapt the object information to the human reaction time.

[0016] According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the industrial truck is characterized in that the evaluation and display device is designed to process the information from the sensor for the direction of travel and the information about the arrangement of the distance sensors along the circumference of the industrial truck. This makes it easy to classify the object information into particularly relevant parts, for example, in the direction of travel or in one direction for the desired coordination with other objects, and into less important information, such as those relating to objects opposite the direction of travel.

[0017] Advantageously, the distance sensors in a sector opposite to the direction of travel can be switched off or their signals can be ignored during processing in order to ignore objects permanently located in the monitoring area, such as trailers of the tractor vehicle, and thus not to distract the driver's attention from actual obstacles or to automatically supply driver assistance systems with irrelevant data.

[0018] The invention provides that the evaluation and / or display device is operatively connected to the drive and braking system and the steering system of the industrial truck and is designed to generate control signals to the drive and braking system and to the steering system of the industrial truck depending on the object information. This direct influence on the drive and steering systems of the industrial truck already enables the integration of the sensor arrangement into a wide variety of driver assistance systems or allows the implementation of such systems in the industrial truck equipped according to the invention. The information about the environment determined by the distance sensors can, for example, be used to reduce the drive speed of the industrial truck and, in the event of an impending collision with an obstacle, the maximum travel speed of the industrial truck can be reduced, in extreme cases even to the point of the industrial truck coming to a standstill.The information about the surroundings determined by the distance sensors can, for example, be used to regulate the distance to a vehicle ahead by intervening in the drive system of the industrial truck. According to the invention, the information about the surroundings determined by the distance sensors is used to reduce the steering assistance. If an imminent collision with an obstacle is detected, the maximum steering assistance is reduced.

[0019] A particularly advantageous variant of the invention is one in which the drive and / or braking system, possibly also the steering system, of the industrial truck is operatively connected to a control unit, which in turn is connected to the evaluation and / or display device for control purposes in order to generate control signals for the drive and braking system, possibly also for the steering system, of the industrial truck depending on the determined object information. Due to the expanded functionality of a separate control unit and its greater programming flexibility, this allows the implementation of at least partially autonomous systems such as parking aids or lane departure warning systems, up to and including fully autonomous operation, especially in conjunction with position detection systems.

[0020] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the schematic figures. Figure 1 shows a side view of an industrial truck according to the invention with a schematically illustrated embodiment of the sensor system, and Figure 2 shows a plan view of the industrial truck of the Fig. 1 , also with a schematically illustrated embodiment of the sensor system according to the invention.

[0021] In the Figures 1 and 2 an industrial truck according to the invention is shown, which is designed as a tractor vehicle S.

[0022] The tractor vehicle S is equipped with a drive and braking system 1, a steering system 2, and, according to the invention, with a plurality of distance sensors 4 mounted on the chassis 3 of the tractor vehicle S for monitoring at least one sector 5 of the peripheral area of ​​the tractor vehicle S. A control device 6 is operatively connected to at least the drive and braking system 1 and implements the driver's inputs, whereby the tractor vehicle S is operable in forward and reverse directions and is freely movable. The tractor vehicle S is equipped with a loading platform P for transporting loads and / or with a trailer coupling 10 to which one or more trailers can be attached.

[0023] The orientation, distance and shape or size of the monitored sector 5 of the distance sensors 4 preferably provide a complete 360-degree detection of the surroundings of the tractor vehicle S, as shown in Figure 2 is shown.

[0024] For example, several distance sensors 4, for example four, can be mounted at a constant distance on each side of the tractor vehicle S, so that several distance sensors 4, for example sixteen, are distributed over the entire circumference of the tractor vehicle S. The arrangement and number of sensors 4 can be highly variable, in particular, they can be designed to be vehicle- and system-specific.

[0025] In the tractor vehicle S according to the invention, several distance sensors 4 are distributed in such a way that complete detection of the surroundings of the tractor vehicle S and 360-degree collision protection are achieved. The distance sensors 4 detect all surrounding objects within the range of the distance sensors 4 that are located in the vicinity of the tractor vehicle S.

[0026] In particular, if less environmental coverage is required, for example a coverage of only 180° or even only 90°, a smaller number of distance sensors 4 can be used.

[0027] The distance sensors 4 are connected to an evaluation and / or display device 7 located on or in the tractor S. Some of the connections between the distance sensors 4 and the device 7, as well as other sensor, control, or signal lines, are shown as examples in the drawings. The evaluation and / or display device 7 is designed, typically as an electronic circuit or program-controlled computer, to process the signals from the distance sensors 4 and the object information determined via these distance sensors 4. This always includes presenting this object information on a graphic display 8 for the driver of the tractor S and / or signaling it via an acoustic output device. This sensor system 4, 7, 8 detects all environmental objects within the range of the distance sensors 4 that are located in the vicinity of the tractor S.

[0028] The distance sensors 4 are each designed as ultrasonic sensors.

[0029] Optionally, the processing can also include driving information of the tractor vehicle S, for example the direction of travel, the driving speed and the steering angle, which is connected to the evaluation and / or display device 7 via at least one sensor for detecting the driving speed and direction of travel or a signal proportional to the driving speed or the steering angle or a signal proportional to the steering angle. In this case, the evaluation and / or display device 7 is designed or programmed such that the aforementioned information, together with the object information determined by the distance sensors 4, is displayed at least on the graphic display 8, or the display of the object information is adapted accordingly in order to link the object information with the information about the vehicle movement.

[0030] The evaluation and / or display device 7 is also operatively connected, if necessary via the control device 6, to the drive and braking system 1 and the steering system 2 of the tractor S. It is then designed to generate control signals to the drive and braking system 1 and the steering system 2 of the tractor S depending on the object information determined by the distance sensors 4, so that the information about the environment can be used to intervene in the drive system. Thus, if a collision with an obstacle is imminent, the maximum speed of the tractor S can be reduced, in extreme cases even to a standstill.

[0031] In addition, the information about the surroundings of the tractor S obtained via the sensor system 4, 7, 8 can also be used to regulate the distance to a vehicle traveling ahead. This is achieved by appropriately intervening in the drive and braking system 1 to adapt the tractor S to the speed of a vehicle traveling ahead, both by increasing the speed and by reducing the speed, in extreme cases even to a standstill.

[0032] The information about the surroundings determined by the distance sensors 4 is also used to reduce the steering assistance of the steering system 2 of the tractor vehicle 2. Thus, if a collision with an obstacle is imminent, the maximum steering assistance of the steering system 2 is reduced.

[0033] The above-mentioned possibilities for influencing the driving and steering systems of the tractor S based on the information obtained via the sensor arrangement 4, 7, 8 allow for the implementation of many other functions and driver assistance systems. For example, an environmental survey can be performed to identify parking positions and / or enable automatic parking in semi-autonomous operation, or generally automate reversing. The problem of the blind spot in rearview mirrors can also be eliminated by monitoring this area using the arrangement according to the invention.

[0034] Especially during towing operations of the tractor vehicle S, the arrangement 4, 7, 8 according to the invention can enable monitoring of the trailers pulled by the industrial truck configured as a tractor vehicle S for presence, correct distance, and correct movement correlated with the travel information of the tractor vehicle S. This results in particularly safe operation in logistics applications.

[0035] Using the laterally arranged distance sensors 4, it is also possible to set a parallel drive along, for example, a wall, barrier or guardrail and thus to implement a lane keeping function.

Claims

1. Industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle (S), which is provided with a drive and brake system (1) and a steering system (2), wherein the tractor vehicle (S) can be operated in a forward and reverse direction and can be moved freely, characterized in that the tractor vehicle (S) is provided with at least one distance sensor (4), designed as an ultrasonic sensor, for monitoring at least one sector of the perimeter area of the tractor vehicle (S), wherein a plurality of distance sensors (4), designed as ultrasonic sensors, are distributed along the entire perimeter of the tractor vehicle (S) and connected to an evaluation and / or display device (7) present on or in the tractor vehicle (S), which evaluation and / or display device is configured to process the signals from the distance sensors (4), designed as ultrasonic sensors, and to process the object information determined via these distance sensors (4), designed as ultrasonic sensors, to represent same on a graphic display (8) and / or to signal same via an acoustic output device, wherein the evaluation and / or display device (7) is operatively connected to the drive and brake system (1) and the steering system (2) of the tractor vehicle (S) and is configured to generate control signals to the drive and brake system (1) and to the steering system (2) of the industrial truck based on the object information, wherein the information about the environment that is determined by the distance sensors (4) is used as a reducing intervention in a steering assistance process of the steering system (2) and, in the event of an imminent collision with an obstacle, the maximum steering assistance process of the steering system (2) is reduced.

2. Industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle (S) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the distance sensors (4) have a maximum range in the range between 5 and 15 metres.

3. Industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle (S) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one sensor for detecting the driving speed and direction of travel or a signal proportional to the driving speed or the steering angle or a signal proportional to the steering angle is connected to the evaluation and / or display device (7) and the evaluation and display device (7) is configured so that the information determined via this sensor or these sensors is represented together with the object information at least on the graphic display (8) or the representation of the object information is adapted accordingly.

4. Industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle (S) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the evaluation and / or display device (7) is configured to process the information from the sensor for the direction of travel and the information about the arrangement of the distance sensors (4) along the perimeter of the industrial truck and to switch off the distance sensors (4) in a sector opposite to the direction of travel or not to take their signals into account during processing.

5. Industrial truck designed as a tractor vehicle (S) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive and brake system (1), optionally also the steering system (2), of the industrial truck is operatively connected to a control unit (6), which in turn is connected to the evaluation and / or display device (7) for control purposes in order to generate control signals for the drive and brake system (1), optionally also for the steering system (2), of the industrial truck, depending on the object information determined.