Industrial truck, in particular narrow forklift

Abstract

Industrial truck (1), in particular a narrow-aisle forklift truck, with a lifting mast (4) and a load handling device (6) arranged on the lifting mast (4) that can be raised and lowered, wherein the load handling device (6) is designed as a pivoting push fork (20) which has a push slide (12) movable in the transverse direction (Q) of the vehicle on the lifting mast (4). The push slide (12) is designed as a one-piece cast component.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a forklift truck, in particular a narrow aisle forklift truck, with a lifting mast and a load handling device arranged on the lifting mast that can be raised and lowered, wherein the load handling device is designed as a swiveling push fork which has a push carriage that can be moved in the transverse direction of the vehicle on the lifting mast.

[0002] These types of industrial trucks, such as narrow-aisle order pickers, are used in racking systems, for example, high-bay racking systems, for storing and retrieving pallets and loads from the racking bays. During operation, the truck moves along a row of racking in a corresponding aisle of the racking system. The load handling device is used to access the racking bays located to the side of the truck, allowing a pallet or load to be stored or retrieved in a single cycle. The load handling device is designed as a pivoting fork. The pivoting fork comprises a push carriage that is mounted on the lifting frame and can move laterally across the vehicle. A load fork, formed by two fork tines, is mounted on the push carriage and can pivot around a vertical axis to allow pallets or loads to be stored or retrieved on both sides of the racking aisle.

[0003] In well-known narrow-aisle forklift trucks, the push carriage is designed as a welded assembly and thus as a welded construction. The push carriage is formed from several plate-like components and is therefore a multi-part component, composed of several parts that are welded together to form the push carriage.

[0004] During operation of the industrial truck, significant forces are introduced into the push carriage due to the load it carries. These forces result in corresponding stresses in the welded assembly.

[0005] A disadvantage of such a push slide designed as a welded assembly is that the welds with which the individual components are welded to form the push slide are usually the smallest profile cross-section, which means that the stress values ​​in the welds are very high in relation to the cross-sectional area.

[0006] From CN 113 307 187 A a narrow aisle forklift truck with a lifting mast and a load handling device arranged on the lifting mast that can be raised and lowered is known, wherein the load handling device is designed as a pivoting push fork which has a push slide that can be moved in the transverse direction of the vehicle on the lifting mast, wherein the push slide is designed as a one-piece cast component.

[0007] The present invention is based on the objective of providing a forklift truck of the aforementioned type in which the push carriage is improved with regard to the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0008] This problem is solved according to the invention by the fact that the push slide is designed as a one-piece cast component, wherein the push slide designed as a cast component comprises an L-shaped hollow profile, wherein the hollow profile has a vertical hollow profile section and a horizontal hollow profile section, wherein a rounded transition is formed between the vertical hollow profile section and the horizontal hollow profile section.

[0009] The concept of the invention thus consists of designing the sliding slide as a cast component and manufacturing it using a casting process. With a cast component, the wall thicknesses can be easily and variably defined. Therefore, with a sliding slide designed as a cast component, wall thicknesses adapted to the occurring loads can be easily produced in order to achieve a reduced stress level in the sliding slide. In addition, the safety factor can be easily increased by selecting a casting material for the sliding slide that has a higher permissible stress.

[0010] According to the invention, the sliding carriage, designed as a cast component, comprises an L-shaped hollow profile, wherein the hollow profile has a vertical hollow profile section and a horizontal hollow profile section, with a rounded transition between the vertical hollow profile section and the horizontal hollow profile section. In a cast component, a rounded transition between the vertical hollow profile section and the horizontal hollow profile section of the sliding carriage can be easily produced, resulting in a favorable stress distribution and force flow between the vertical hollow profile section and the horizontal hollow profile section of the sliding carriage.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hollow profile sections have wall thicknesses adapted to the loads, with highly stressed areas having thicker walls than low-stressed areas. In a sliding slide designed as a cast component, highly stressed areas can be easily provided with thicker walls and thus thicker cross-sections, thereby reducing the stress level in these areas of the sliding slide.

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, an upper flange plate and a lower flange plate are integrally formed, in particular cast, onto the vertical hollow profile section, each flange plate being provided with a mounting interface for a guide device by which the pusher carriage is movably arranged on the lifting frame in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This allows the pusher carriage to be easily arranged on the lifting frame in the transverse direction of the vehicle, for example, by sliding it, and achieves a favorable force transmission between the flange plates and the vertical hollow profile section.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, an end-face flange plate is integrally formed, in particular cast, onto the horizontal hollow profile section, wherein the flange plate is provided with a mounting interface for a rotary guide by which the load-handling device is pivotably arranged on the push slide about a vertical pivot axis. This allows the load-handling device, for example a load fork formed by two fork tines, to be easily pivotably arranged on the push slide about the vertical pivot axis.

[0014] The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing a push slide of a load handling device designed as a swivel push fork of an industrial truck, in particular a narrow aisle forklift.

[0015] The problem is solved procedurally by manufacturing the sliding carriage using a casting process carried out as a form casting process.

[0016] In a sliding slide manufactured by die casting, variable wall thicknesses can be easily achieved through the casting pattern, the mold, and appropriately inserted cores. This allows for the simple production of wall thicknesses adapted to the occurring loads, thereby reducing the stress level within the sliding slide. Additionally, the safety factor can be easily increased by selecting a casting material for the sliding slide that exhibits a higher allowable stress.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, different variants of the sliding carriage, which differ in length, are produced by length-dependent intermediate pieces of a casting pattern of the sliding carriage. This allows for the simple creation of variations in the length of the sliding carriages.

[0018] The invention has a number of advantages.

[0019] In the case of the sliding slide, which is designed as a cast component and manufactured using a casting process, a reduced stress level can be easily achieved by using thicker walls at highly stressed points.

[0020] Furthermore, a homogeneous structure without notch points can be easily implemented in the sliding slide, which is designed as a cast component.

[0021] Furthermore, a sliding carriage designed as a cast component offers simplified manufacturing, as only a single component needs to be produced in a casting process. In contrast, a sliding carriage designed as a welded assembly requires several individual components to be laboriously joined together using appropriate welds.

[0022] Furthermore, the sliding carriage, which is designed as a cast component and manufactured using a casting process, offers a high degree of design freedom with regard to wall thicknesses, radii, ribbing and / or reinforcements.

[0023] In the case of the sliding slide, which is designed as a cast component and manufactured using a casting process, functional geometries, such as domes for threaded holes and / or thickenings for surfaces to be machined, can also be easily incorporated and created.

[0024] By inserting cores, internal cavities can be easily created in the sliding carriage to optimize the weight of the sliding carriage.

[0025] Further advantages and details of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the schematic figures. Here, Figure 1 shows a side view of a forklift truck according to the invention, Figure 2 shows the forklift truck of the Figure 1 in a perspective view with the lifting frame extended upwards, Figure 3 shows a section of the Figure 2 Figure 4 shows an enlarged view and a load located on the load-bearing device, Figure 4 shows a prior art push slide in a perspective view, and Figure 5 shows a push slide according to the invention in a perspective view.

[0026] In the Figure 1 and 2Figure 1 shows a forklift truck according to the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the forklift truck 1 is designed as a narrow-aisle forklift.

[0027] The industrial truck 1 has a body with a frame 2, in which a battery compartment for a traction battery 3 of a battery-electric drive system of the industrial truck 1 is provided. The industrial truck 1 has a lifting mechanism formed by a lifting mast 4, on which, in the illustrated embodiment, a driver's platform 5, designed as a platform or driver's cabin and forming a workstation F for an operator, is mounted and can be raised and lowered by means of a lifting drive (not shown in detail). A load handling device 6 for operating shelves located on the side of the industrial truck 1 is arranged on the liftable and lowerable driver's platform 5 of the illustrated industrial truck 1.

[0028] In the illustrated embodiment, the load-handling device 6 is designed as a swiveling push fork 20.

[0029] The swiveling push fork 20 includes - as in the Figure 2 and 3 As can be seen more clearly, a sliding carriage 12 is arranged to be movable in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle on the driver's platform 5 and thus on the lifting frame 4. A support 11 is arranged at the front of the driver's platform 5 for this purpose, on which the sliding carriage 12 is arranged to be displaceable horizontally in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle. The sliding carriage 12 is movable on the support 11 in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle by means of a sliding drive 13.

[0030] In the load-handling device 6, designed as a pivoting push fork 20, an additional lifting mast 7 can be pivoted about a vertical axis V relative to the push carriage 12, which is displaceable in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle, by means of a rotary guide 21 and a rotary drive (not shown). A load fork 22 with two fork tines is arranged on the additional lifting mast 7 and can be raised and lowered.

[0031] The swiveling push fork 20 can generate a horizontal push movement in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle and a swiveling movement about the vertical axis V as a movement of the load handling device 6, so that shelf compartments on both sides of the industrial truck 1 can be operated with the swiveling push fork.

[0032] The thrust drive 13 of the pivoting thrust fork 20 comprises, for example, a hydraulic motor (not shown) arranged on the thrust carriage 12. The hydraulic motor drives a pinion that meshes with racks 18 located on the front of the support 11. By driving the hydraulic motor, the thrust carriage 12 can thus be moved along the support 11 in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle.

[0033] The sliding carriage 12 is further guided on the support 11 so as to be displaceable in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle by means of a guide device (not shown in detail). The guide device can be formed by guide rollers which are rotatably arranged on the sliding carriage 12 and interact with the support 11.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the industrial truck 1 has a three-wheel chassis and is supported on a roadway FB by means of two non-steered and non-driven load wheels 8, which are arranged at a load-side end of the vehicle frame 2, and a steerable drive wheel 9, which is driven by means of a drive system not shown in detail, for example an electric drive motor, and which is arranged at a drive-side end of the vehicle frame 2.

[0035] In the drive-side end of the frame 2, an electric drive system (not shown in detail) is further arranged, comprising the electric drive motor and a steering drive, for example an electric steering motor, for the steerable drive wheel 9, as well as an electrically operated hydraulic pump unit, which is intended to supply the working hydraulics, which are formed by the lifting drive of the lifting mechanism 4, a lifting drive of the additional lifting mast 7, and the drives (thrust drive, rotary drive) for the pivoting thrust fork 20.

[0036] The operator's cab 5 contains the control and operating elements required for operating the industrial truck 1, for example in the form of a control unit designed as a control panel B. The control panel B is equipped with corresponding operating elements for controlling the drive and load handling functions of the industrial truck 1, as well as a steering control element for controlling the steering.

[0037] The lifting mast 4 of the industrial truck 1 according to the invention is designed as a multi-stage lifting mast. In the illustrated embodiment and according to the Figure 2 The lifting mast 4 is designed as a so-called triplex lifting mast with a support mast 4a arranged on the vehicle frame 2, a first extension mast 4a extendable upwards in the support mast 4a, and a second extension mast 4b extendable upwards in the first extension mast 4a, in which the driver's platform 5 is arranged to extend upwards. Figure 2 The industrial truck 1 is shown with the lifting mast 4 fully extended upwards and the operator's platform 5 fully raised. In the Figure 2 The pivoting push fork 20 is actuated in such a way that the push slide 12 is retracted and the load fork 22 is located within the lateral vehicle contour of the vehicle frame 2.

[0038] To stack or unstack a load 25 into a rack (not shown in detail), the load fork 22, with the load 25 possibly located on it, is moved in the horizontal transverse direction Q of the vehicle by means of the push drive 13 of the swivel push fork 20. Figure 3 The pivoting push fork 20 is shown in a position where the push carriage 12 is extended in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle and the load fork 22 is in a position extended laterally into the rack. In the extended position, the load fork 22 with the load 25 on it is located outside the lateral vehicle contour of the vehicle frame 2.

[0039] In the Figure 4Figure 1 shows a push slide 12 of a prior art industrial truck 1, which is designed as a welded assembly. The push slide 12 is formed from several plate-like components and is thus designed as a multi-part component, composed of several parts and therefore several components, which are welded together to form the push slide 12 by corresponding welds. In the illustrated embodiment, the push slide 12 is formed from two side plates S1, S2, several flange plates F1, F2, F3, and several cover plates D1, D2, D3 arranged between the side plates S1, S2, which are welded together by means of welds N1 to N8.

[0040] In the Figure 5A push slide 12 of a forklift truck 1 according to the invention is shown, which is designed as a one-piece cast component according to the invention. The push slide 12 is preferably manufactured in a casting process carried out as a form casting.

[0041] The sliding carriage 12, designed as a cast component, comprises an L-shaped hollow profile 30. The hollow profile 30 has a vertical hollow profile section 31 and a horizontal hollow profile section 32. The horizontal hollow profile section 32 is integrally cast onto the lower region of the vertical hollow profile section 31, and a rounded transition 33 is formed between the vertical hollow profile section 31 and the horizontal hollow profile section 32.

[0042] The hollow profile sections 31, 32 preferably have wall thicknesses adapted to the occurring loads, with highly loaded areas having thicker wall thicknesses than low-loaded areas.

[0043] An upper flange plate 35 and a lower flange plate 36 are cast in one piece onto the vertical hollow profile section 31. The flange plates 35 and 36 are each provided with a fastening interface 37, for example corresponding bores, for attaching the guide device by which the push slide 12 is movably arranged on the support 11 in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle.

[0044] At the front end of the horizontal hollow profile section 32, an end-face flange plate 38 is cast in one piece. The flange plate 38 is provided with a fastening interface 39, for example corresponding bores, for fastening the rotary guide 21, by which the auxiliary lifting mast 7 and the load fork 22 are pivotably arranged about the vertical pivot axis V on the push-carriage 12.

[0045] The hollow profile sections 31, 32 are produced by inserting cores into a casting mold.

[0046] Different variants of the push slide 12, which differ in the length of the vertical hollow profile section 31 and / or the length of the horizontal hollow profile section 32, can be easily produced by length-dependent intermediate pieces of the casting model of the push slide 12.

[0047] The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment of a forklift truck 1 with a driver's platform 5 arranged on the lifting frame 4 that can be raised and lowered.

[0048] An industrial truck 1 according to the invention can alternatively be equipped with a driver's workstation F arranged on the vehicle frame 2. The support 11, on which the push carriage 12 is arranged to be displaceable horizontally in the transverse direction Q of the vehicle, is here arranged directly on the lifting mast 4.

Claims

1. Industrial truck (1), in particular narrow-aisle fork lift truck, having a lifting frame (4) and a load receiving means (6) which is able to be lifted on the lifting frame (4) and is disposed so as to be able to be lowered, wherein the load receiving means (6) is designed as a swivelling reach fork (20) which has a reach carriage (12) which is movable in a vehicle transverse direction (Q) on the lifting frame (4), wherein the reach carriage (12) is formed as an integral casting, characterized in that the reach carriage (12), which is formed as a casting, comprises a L-shaped hollow section (30), wherein the hollow section (30) has a vertical hollow section portion (31) and a horizontal hollow section portion (32), wherein a radiused transition (33) is formed between the vertical hollow section portion (31) and the horizontal hollow section portion (32).

2. Industrial truck according to Claim 1, characterized in that the hollow section portions (31; 32) have wall thicknesses that are adapted to the loads, wherein highly stressed locations have thicker wall thicknesses than lightly stressed locations.

3. Industrial truck according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that integrally moulded, in particular cast, on the vertical hollow section portion (31) are an upper flange plate (35) and a lower flange plate (36), wherein the flange plates (35, 36) are in each case provided with a fastening interface (37) for a guide mechanism by way of which the reach carriage (12) is disposed so as to be movable in the vehicle transverse direction (Q) on the lifting frame (4).

4. Industrial truck according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that integrally moulded, in particular cast, on the horizontal hollow section portion (32) is an end-side-proximal flange plate (38), wherein the flange plate (38) is provided with a fastening interface (39) for a rotary guide (21) by way of which the load receiving means (6) is disposed so as to be pivotable about a vertical pivot axis (V) on the reach carriage (12) .

5. Method for producing a reach carriage (12) of a load receiving means (6), designed as a swivelling reach fork (20), of an industrial truck (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reach carriage (12) is produced by a casting method carried out as dead-mould casting.

6. Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that different variants of the reach carriage (12), which differ in terms of length, are generated by length-dependent intermediate pieces of a casting pattern of the reach carriage (12).

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