Fork lift truck

Abstract

To provide a fork lift truck which is capable of improving rear visibility from an operator as one purpose because it is recognized in problems of a conventional fork lift truck.SOLUTION: A fork lift truck 100 is a fork lift truck which is provided with a counter weight 40 in rear of a vehicle body 20. The counter weight 40 includes a counter weight body 42 and a lifting equipment stationary portion 44 and a top face of the counter weight body 42 is located at a lower position than the lifting equipment stationary portion 44.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a forklift. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a counterbalance type forklift truck with a counterweight disposed at the rear of the vehicle body. In the counterbalance type forklift truck, a counterweight made of casting or the like is attached to the rear of the vehicle body to prevent the rear part of the vehicle body from rising up and losing balance when a load is placed on the forks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-211894 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In counterbalanced forklifts, the counterweight must be attached or removed when assembling or repairing the vehicle body. However, since the counterweight is heavy, the work is performed with the counterweight suspended using a hoisting device such as a crane or chain block.

[0005] In the forklift described in Patent Document 1, a pair of guide grooves, one on each side, is formed on the upper part of the counterweight, which are deeper toward the top, and a pin is installed in the upper front part of each guide groove as a hook for suspending the weight. When assembling or repairing the vehicle body, the counterweight is suspended by hanging the hook of a suspending machine (not shown) on these pins. However, the counterweight of this forklift does not sufficiently take into consideration rear visibility for the driver.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a forklift capable of improving rear visibility for the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a forklift according to one embodiment of the present invention is a forklift equipped with a counterweight at a rear portion of a vehicle body, the counterweight having a counterweight body and a lifting tool fixing part, and an upper surface of the counterweight body is located lower than the lifting tool fixing part.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, systems, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a forklift capable of improving rear visibility for the driver can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a forklift truck according to an embodiment, seen obliquely from behind; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the forklift of FIG. 1 as viewed obliquely from the front. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the forklift truck of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the forklift truck of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a counterweight of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a counterweight of a comparative example. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a counterweight of the forklift of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a counterweight of a comparative example. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the positional relationship of a lifting tool fixing portion of the forklift of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0012] In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component, and the components are not limited by these terms.

[0013] [Embodiment] The overall configuration of a forklift 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the forklift 100. Figs. 3 to 8 are six-view diagrams showing the forklift 100. The traveling direction of the forklift 100 may be referred to as "front" and "rear", the vehicle height direction as "up" and "down", and the vehicle width direction as "right" and "left". These directional notations do not limit the usage posture of the forklift 100, and the forklift 100 may be used in any posture depending on the application. As shown in Fig. 1, the forklift 100 is a so-called counterbalance forklift.

[0014] The forklift 100 includes a vehicle body 20 and a loading / unloading unit 60 provided at a front portion of the vehicle body 20 for lifting and lowering a load. The vehicle body 20 mainly includes a seat 11, a head guard 13, front wheels 14, rear wheels 15, and a counterweight 40.

[0015] The seat 11 is a driver's seat from which the driver operates the forklift 100 while sitting. The head guard 13 is disposed so as to cover the upper central portion of the vehicle body 20, and functions as a roof that protects the seat 11. The front wheels 14 are a pair of wheels disposed at the front of the vehicle body 20 and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and function as drive wheels. The rear wheels 15 are a pair of wheels disposed at the rear of the vehicle body 20 and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and function as steering wheels.

[0016] The counterweight 40 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the counterweight 40 of the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a counterweight 400 of a comparative example. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the counterweight 40 of the embodiment. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the counterweight 400 of the comparative example. The comparative example was created for comparison purposes in the process of creating the embodiment.

[0017] In a counterbalanced forklift, a counterweight 40 made of casting or the like is attached to the rear of the vehicle body 20 to prevent the rear portion of the vehicle body 20 from rising up and losing balance when a load is placed on the forks.

[0018] When assembling or repairing the vehicle body 20, the counterweight 40 is attached and removed. Since the counterweight 40 is heavy, the work is performed with the counterweight 40 hoisted using a hoisting machine such as a crane or chain block.

[0019] For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, two lifting tool fixing parts 44 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "fixing parts 44") are provided at a distance from each other on the left and right sides of the upper part of the counterweight 40, and a lifting tool 41 for lifting the weight is connected to these. The fixing part 44 in this embodiment has a cylindrical member 442 on which a female thread 446 is formed. The cylindrical member 442 is embedded in the upper part of the counterweight 40. The lifting tool 41 has a lifting tool main body 412 and a ring part 414 provided on the upper side of the lifting tool main body 412. A male thread 416 that can be screwed into the female thread 446 of the fixing part 44 is provided on the lower part of the lifting tool main body 412. When assembling or repairing the car body 20, the lifting tool 41 is screwed into the fixing part 44, and a hook of a lifting machine (not shown) is hung on the ring part 414 of the lifting tool 41 to lift the counterweight 40.

[0020] On the other hand, the counterweight 40 is a factor that reduces rear visibility for the driver. Since the driver drives the forklift 100 while checking the ground behind it, it is desirable for the driver to have high rear visibility. As a result of the study, it was found that the shape of the top surface of the counterweight 40 affects rear visibility, and that the driver's rear visibility is improved by lowering the top surface. However, if the top surface of the counterweight 40 is uniformly lowered, the vertical dimension of the lifting tool fixing part 44 becomes smaller, and the connection strength with the lifting tool 41 decreases.

[0021] Therefore, the counterweight 40 of the embodiment has a counterweight body 42 and a lifting tool fixing part 44, and the upper surface of the counterweight body 42 is located lower than the lifting tool fixing part 44. In the counterweight 400 of the comparative example in FIG. 10, the upper surface of the lifting tool fixing part 44 is flush with the upper surface of the counterweight body 42, but in the counterweight 40 of the embodiment in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the counterweight body 42 is located lower than the lifting tool fixing part 44. In other words, the lifting tool fixing part 44 of the embodiment protrudes from the upper surface of the counterweight body 42.

[0022] When the upper surface of the counterweight body 42 is lowered, the volume and mass of the counterweight 40 are accordingly reduced, and the desired mass may not be obtained. Therefore, the counterweight 40 of the embodiment has a first padding portion 45 and a second padding portion 48 to compensate for the reduction in mass, as shown in Fig. 11. The first padding portion 45 is provided at an inner corner of the rear recess 43 that is recessed forward from the rear surface of the counterweight 40.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 11, the rear recess 43 has a rectangular outline when viewed from behind, and this rectangle uniformly retreats toward the front to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped space. The rear recess 43 accommodates, for example, electronic circuits of the forklift 100. The first padding 45 is a rounded corner provided at an inside corner extending vertically at the left and right ends of the rear recess 43. The second padding 48 is a portion that protrudes horizontally at the lower ends of both the left and right sides of the counterweight 40. By providing either the first padding 45 or the second padding 48, it is possible to increase the mass, and the center of gravity can be lowered compared to the comparative example, thereby increasing stability.

[0024] The fixing portion 44 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 shows the relationship between the fixing portion 44 and the head guard 13, and the relationship between the fixing portion 44 and the seat 11. If the fixing portion 44 is disposed too far rearward, it may block the driver's rearward visibility. For this reason, it is desirable to dispose the fixing portion 44 at a position that has minimal effect on the driver's rearward visibility.

[0025] To check the ground near the rear of the forklift 100, the driver checks the rear visibility while sitting in the seat 11. Therefore, the fixing part 44 in this embodiment is located inside the vehicle body from the line La that connects the rear corner 12 of the head guard 13 and the rear upper end 49 of the counterweight main body 42, as shown in Fig. 13. In other words, the rear upper end of the fixing part 44 is located forward of the line La. In this case, even if the driver sits upright or is large in build, the effect of the fixing part 44 on the rear visibility can be reduced.

[0026] The fixing part 44 in the embodiment is located inside the vehicle body from the line Lb connecting the upper end 17 of the seat 11 and the rear upper end 49 of the counterweight body 42. In other words, the rear upper end of the fixing part 44 is located forward of the line Lb. In this case, even if the driver is in a hunched posture or the driver is small in physique, the effect of the fixing part 44 on the rear visibility can be reduced.

[0027] 13, the fixing portion 44 is an island-like portion that protrudes upward and has a generally elliptical shape in a top view, and the rear portion of the fixing portion 44 has a particularly large effect on the rear visibility. Therefore, the fixing portion 44 of the embodiment has an inclined wall 46 that is inclined toward the rear of the vehicle body. In this case, the effect of the fixing portion 44 on the rear visibility can be further reduced.

[0028] Auxiliary members or devices may be attached to the upper side of the counterweight 40. Therefore, the counterweight 40 of the embodiment has an auxiliary protrusion 47 that protrudes from the upper surface of the counterweight body 42. The auxiliary protrusion 47 of the embodiment is a substantially elliptical island-like part that protrudes upward from the counterweight body 42, and has a shape similar to that of the fixing part 44, for example. The auxiliary protrusion 47 is located inside the vehicle body from the line La and the line Lb. The auxiliary protrusion 47 can be used as a fixing part when an optional item that is to be fixed in the future appears. There is no limit to the position and number of the auxiliary protrusion 47 in the vehicle width direction, but in this example, one is provided in the center of the counterweight 40 in the vehicle width direction.

[0029] The features of the forklift 100 of the embodiment will be described. The forklift 100 of the embodiment is a forklift equipped with a counterweight 40 at the rear of the vehicle body 20, and the counterweight 40 has a counterweight body 42 and a lifting tool fixing part 44. The upper surface of the counterweight body 42 is located lower than the lifting tool fixing part 44.

[0030] According to this configuration, since the counterweight body 42 of the forklift 100 is located at a low position, the range that blocks the driver's rearward visibility is narrowed accordingly, and rearward visibility for the driver can be improved. The forklift 100 of the embodiment can also be considered from the viewpoint of design. In this case, it can be considered as a partial design characterized by the shape of the counterweight 40. It can also be considered as a partial design characterized by the shape of the upper surface of the counterweight body 42 and the shape of the fixing part 44. For example, it can be considered as a design of a forklift in which the counterweight 40, the counterweight body 42, the upper surface of the counterweight body 42, or the fixing part 44 are shown by solid lines, and the other parts are shown by dashed lines.

[0031] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, the description and drawings in this specification should be treated as illustrative rather than restrictive. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 11 seat, 12 rear corner, 13 head guard, 17 upper end, 20 vehicle body, 40 counterweight, 42 counterweight main body, 44 lifting tool fixing part, 46 inclined wall, 47 auxiliary protrusion, 49 rear upper end, 100 forklift.

Claims

1. A forklift equipped with a counterweight at the rear of the vehicle body, The counterweight has a counterweight body and a lifting tool fixing portion, A forklift in which the upper surface of the counterweight body is located lower than the lifting tool fixing portion.

2. 2. The forklift according to claim 1, wherein the lifting tool fixing portion is located on the inner side of the vehicle body relative to a line connecting a rear corner portion of the head guard and an upper end of a rear portion of the counterweight body.

3. 3. The forklift according to claim 2, wherein the lifting tool fixing portion is located inside the vehicle body with respect to a line connecting an upper end of the seat and the rear upper end of the counterweight body.

4. The forklift according to claim 3 , wherein the lifting tool fixing portion has an inclined wall inclined toward the rear of the vehicle body.

5. The forklift according to claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary protrusion protruding from an upper surface of the counterweight body.

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