Column arrangement for an industrial conveyor

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a column arrangement for an industrial truck with a driver's protective roof or cabin and to such an industrial truck comprising at least one column arrangement according to the invention.

[0002] It is known that in industrial trucks with an overhead guard or a cabin designed to protect the driver sitting in a driver's seat, cables for lighting or other electrical attachments in the area of ​​the overhead guard or cabin sometimes have to be pulled upwards from the vehicle body. Since column profiles with a substantially hollow cross-section are usually used as column arrangements to support the overhead guard or the roof of the cabin, such electrical cables have previously been routed within the corresponding profiles, i.e., pulled upwards through the column profiles from the vehicle body. For this purpose, both the column profiles used as A-pillars and the B-pillars, which are similarly suitable for routing cables, could be used.

[0003] However, this shows that routing such cables within column profiles results in the cables being concealed and therefore difficult to maintain or replace. Furthermore, pulling the cables through during installation is time-consuming and can pose a risk of cable damage if there are sharp edges near the corresponding cutouts.

[0004] Furthermore, reference is made to JP H04 19222 A, which teaches a column arrangement for an industrial truck, which comprises a column profile with an attachment section and a cover unit, wherein the column profile is, however, provided and configured to receive an exhaust pipe.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a column arrangement for an industrial truck with a driver's protective roof or cabin, by means of which the above-mentioned disadvantages of the known prior art can be eliminated.

[0006] For this purpose, within the scope of the present invention, a generic column arrangement is proposed, comprising a column profile extending along an extension direction, which comprises at least one concave section in a plane perpendicular to the extension direction, at least one attachment section provided on the column profile, which is arranged adjacent to the at least one concave section or within it, and at least one cover unit which can be attached to the at least one attachment section by means of a counter section and is designed to cover the corresponding concave section of the column profile at least in sections, so that a cable duct is formed between the concave section and the cover unit.

[0007] Thus, the inventive design of the column profile of the column arrangement proposed here creates the possibility of laying cables along the outside of the column profile and, by means of the cover unit, creating a cable duct that is sealed off from external influences. The design of the column profile with a concave section neither significantly limits the section modulus of the profile nor enlarges the profile. At the same time, simple laying, securing, and covering of the cables is possible, as well as easy access to them by possibly later removing or dismantling the cover unit from the column profile.

[0008] In this case, the column profile used according to the invention can again be designed as a hollow profile and it should also be pointed out that the direction of extension of the column profile does not necessarily have to be strictly straight, but can also be curved to a certain extent, for example, whereby the overall design of the corresponding industrial truck can be used as a basis in this context.

[0009] Although it is of course conceivable to design the cover unit such that it only covers part of the concave section of the column profile in the plane perpendicular to the extension direction, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the cover unit can be designed to completely cover the concave section over a region of the extension direction in said plane, preferably over the entire extension along the extension direction. In this way, a cable duct is formed that is completely sealed to the outside, protecting the cable from external influences.

[0010] According to the invention, the cover unit can comprise a preferably flat plate section covering the concave section, which can, for example, bear against the column profile on both sides of the concave section. In such an embodiment, the plate section, which in other examples can also be convex, concave, or generally have any desired shape, can in particular be formed separately and can be attached to the column profile by means of a retaining anchor acting as the counter-section or encompassing it. This retaining anchor can furthermore be additionally provided with at least one retaining section designed to press a cable running in the cable duct against the column profile in order to firmly fix it in a predetermined position.Of course, other designs of the cover unit are also conceivable, for example profiled shapes that are matched to the cross-sectional shape of the column profile.

[0011] According to the invention, the attachment section is arranged centrally in the concave region of the column profile, so that at least in the region of the at least one counter-section, two separate cable ducts are formed, whereby the cables routed in the respective cable ducts accordingly do not come into contact with each other. In variants not according to the invention, designs would also be conceivable, for example, in which the cover unit is attached to the column profile on both sides of the concave section, so that at least one pair of opposing attachment sections would be provided.

[0012] Although different approaches are conceivable for attaching the mating section to the mounting section and thus the cover unit to the column profile, the mounting section and the mating section, as well as any separate plate section, can each be configured for a plug-in connection and / or a snap-in connection. Such connection types are easy to install by simply plugging or snapping in and can generally be separated again without damage, thus facilitating simplified installation and maintenance or replacement of cables laid in the corresponding cable ducts.In this case, for example, the attachment section can be designed as a bore for inserting a correspondingly formed counter-section, although it should also be pointed out at this point that, for example, a screw connection between the attachment section and the counter-section by means of corresponding screws can be possible.

[0013] In order to achieve the inventive shape of the column profile with at least one concave section in a plane perpendicular to the direction of extension during its manufacture, the column profile can, for example, be roll-profiled or composed of at least two stamped parts, for example, welded. Furthermore, the column arrangement according to the invention can further comprise at least one cable laid in the at least one cable duct.

[0014] According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to an industrial truck with a driver's protective roof or a cabin, comprising at least one column arrangement of the type described above as an A- or B-pillar.

[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, when considered together with the accompanying figures. These show in detail: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an industrial truck with a driver's protection roof in a side view; Fig. 2A is a column arrangement according to the invention for the industrial truck from Fig. 1 in a not yet assembled state; and Fig. 2B the column arrangement from Fig. 2A in an assembled state.

[0016] In Figure 1Firstly, an industrial truck according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10, wherein a longitudinal, a width and a height direction L, B and H are defined by the coordinate system. The industrial truck shown here is designed as a counterbalance forklift with a vehicle body 12 and stands with its wheels 14 on a surface U on which it can move in any direction. The industrial truck 10 further comprises a driver's cab 16, in which a driver's seat 18 and operating elements 20, such as a steering wheel and pedals, are located in a known manner. In front of the driver's cab 16 in the straight-ahead direction of the industrial truck 10, a lifting frame 22 is arranged, which comprises a load-handling device 24 in the form of a load-handling fork, which is known per se. The load-handling device 24 is attached to the vehicle body 12 of the industrial truck 10 in a height-adjustable manner with the aid of the lifting frame 22.

[0017] The driver's cab 16 of the Figure 1 shown industrial truck is limited by a right and a left A-pillar 26 and a right and a left B-pillar 28, from which in the side view Figure 1 Only the left of the two pillars is visible. Depending on the design of the industrial truck 10, transparent panes can be inserted between the pairs of A-pillars 26 and B-pillars 28. A driver's overhead guard 30 extends above the A-pillars 26 and B-pillars 28, with the A-pillars 26 and B-pillars 28 each extending upwards from the vehicle body 12 along their extension directions E26 and E28. It should be noted that the extension directions E26 and E28 are not strictly straight, but rather each exhibit a certain slight curvature.

[0018] In order to supply electrical components, such as headlights, mounted on the driver's overhead guard 30 or generally in an upper region of the A-pillars 26 or B-pillars 28 with electrical energy from the vehicle body 12, in which the main electrical components of the industrial truck 10 are located, at least one of the A-pillars 26 and / or B-pillars 28 can be designed as a column arrangement according to the invention. An example of this is shown in the Figures 2A and 2B shown, whereby this example relates to a B-pillar 28, but the inventive principle explained below can also be easily applied to an A-pillar 26 with a slightly different cross-section.

[0019] First of all, the Figures 2A and 2BIt can be seen that the B-pillar 28 has a pillar profile 100 extending along the extension direction E28 extending out of the drawing plane, which pillar profile includes a concave section 102 in the plane shown here perpendicular to the extension direction E28. Centrally within the concave section 102, an attachment section 104 designed as a bore is provided on the pillar profile 100. The shape of the concave section 102 can be oriented towards the properties of the objects to be accommodated in the resulting cable duct, for example, the number and extent of the cables to be laid there.

[0020] Furthermore, in the Figures 2A and 2Ba cover unit 106 can be seen, which comprises, on the one hand, a flat plate section 108 and, on the other hand, a retaining anchor 110. In alternative variants of the embodiment shown here, the plate section 108 could also be convex, concave, or generally configured with any desired flat shape. Furthermore, it should be noted at this point that in alternative variants of the present invention, the cover unit could also be formed as a single piece.

[0021] In addition, the Figures 2A and 2B two cables 112 laid along the extension direction E28 can be seen, which lie in the concave section on both sides of the attachment section 104.

[0022] To now find the Figures 2A and 2BTo carry out the assembly carried out, the retaining anchor 110 was first inserted into the attachment section 104 by means of a suitable counter-section 114 in the form of a snap connection, whereby at the same time the two cables 112 were pressed against the column profile 100 by means of two holding sections 116 provided on the retaining anchor 110. Subsequently, the flat plate section 108 was also attached to the retaining anchor 110 by means of a plug-in or snap-in connection, so that the Figure 2B shown constellation, in which the two cables 112 lie in respective cable ducts 118.

[0023] It should be noted at this point that, for example, the connection between the flat plate section 108 and the retaining anchor 110 could also be made by means of a screw connection. Furthermore, it should be noted that the connection between the two Figures 2A and 2BThe simplified assembly compared to laying the cables 112 within the column profile 100 saves time during installation and, furthermore, there is no risk of damage to the cables due to sharp edges, nor would later access to them be made more difficult by concealed installation of the cables.

Claims

1. Column arrangement (28) for a factory truck (10) with a driver's overhead guard (30) or cabin, comprising: - a column profile (100) extending along an extension direction (E28), which comprises at least one concave section (102) in a plane perpendicular to the extension direction (E28), - at least one attachment section (104) provided on the column profile (100), which is arranged adjacent to or within the at least one concave section (102); and - at least one cover unit (106) which can be attached to the at least one attachment section (104) by means of a counter-section (114) and is designed to cover the corresponding concave section (102) of the column profile (100) at least in sections, characterised in that a cable duct (118) is formed between the concave section (102) and the cover unit (106), and that the attachment section (104) is arranged centrally in the concave section (102).

2. Column arrangement (28) according to claim 1, wherein the cover unit (106) is designed to completely cover the concave section (102) over a region of the extension direction (E28), preferably over the entire extension.

3. Column arrangement (28) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover unit (106) comprises a preferably flat plate section (108) covering the concave section (102).

4. Column arrangement (28) according to claim 3, wherein the plate section (108) is formed separately and can be attached to the column profile (100) by means of a retaining anchor (110) acting as the counter-section (114) or encompassing the counter-section.

5. Column arrangement (28) according to claim 4, wherein the retaining anchor (110) is provided with at least one retaining section (116) that designed is to press a cable (112) running in the cable duct (118) against the column profile (100).

6. Column arrangement (28) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment section (104) and the counter-section (114), as well as optionally the separate plate section (108), are each designed for a plug-in connection and / or snap-fit connection.

7. Column arrangement (28) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the column profile (110) is roll-formed or composed of at least two stamped parts.

8. Column arrangement (28) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one cable (112) laid in the at least one cable duct (118).

9. Factory truck (10) with a driver's overhead guard (30) or cabin, comprising at least one column arrangement (28) according to one of the preceding claims as an A or B column.