Side shift forklift

Abstract

To provide a side shift forklift capable of reliably preventing deformation and damage of a load due to interference between the load and an article, and capable of maintaining high loading efficiency of the load.SOLUTION: A side shift forklift 10 has a vehicle body 11 and a loading device 23. The loading device 23 has a mast, forks 29 that can be raised and lowered relative to the mast, and a side shift mechanism 30 that performs side shifts on the forks 29 in the right and left direction. The side shift forklift has a sensor 45 that detects the outermost side surfaces in the right and left direction of a load supported by the forks 29, a sensor displacement mechanism that can displace the sensor 45 in the right and left direction, and a controller that controls the sensor displacement mechanism. The controller determines the amount of side shift of the forks 29 by the side shift mechanism 30 based on the position of the outermost side surface in the right and left direction of the load detected by the sensor 45 and the position of the side of an article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a side-shift forklift.

Background Art

[0002] As a prior art related to a side-shift forklift, for example, a side-shift control device for a forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The side-shift control device for a forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a side-shift control unit, a plurality of laser sensors, and a contact determination unit. The side-shift control unit controls the side-shift unit to start moving the forks toward the existing pallet side after the forks are inserted into a pair of fork holes provided in the pallet. The plurality of laser sensors detect the operating state of the pallet when the forks are inserted into the fork holes. The contact determination unit determines whether the pallet has come into contact with the existing pallet based on the operating state of the pallet detected by the plurality of laser sensors.

[0003] According to the side-shift control device for a forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to place the pallet at a lateral position of the object so that there is no gap between the pallet and the object while preventing the pallet from pushing the object excessively.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the side shift control device of the forklift disclosed in Patent Document 1 stacks the load (cargo and pallet) without grasping the state of the stacking destination. For this reason, for example, when the cargo placed on the pallet protrudes in the width direction from the pallet, if the pallet supported by the fork is strongly pressed against the already stacked pallet as an article, there is a risk of interference between the load and the article when stacking the load. Also, for example, when there are protrusions as articles on the cargo bed wall of the truck bed, when the pallet is strongly pressed against the cargo bed wall by side shift, there is a risk that the cargo may be deformed or damaged by the protrusions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a side shift forklift that can surely prevent deformation and damage of the load due to interference between the load and the article, and can maintain a high loading efficiency of the load.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has a vehicle body and a cargo handling device provided at the front of the vehicle body, and the cargo handling device has a mast, a fork that can move up and down with respect to the mast, and a side shift mechanism that side shifts the fork in the left-right direction with respect to the mast. In the side shift forklift, it has a sensor that detects the outermost side surface in the left-right direction of the load mounted on the fork, a sensor displacement mechanism that enables the sensor to be displaced in the left-right direction, and a controller that controls the sensor displacement mechanism. The sensor is displaced in the left-right direction by the sensor displacement mechanism and detects the side surface of the article at the stacking destination that faces the load in the left-right direction, and the controller determines the side shift amount of the fork by the side shift mechanism based on the position of the outermost side surface in the left-right direction of the load detected by the sensor and the position of the side surface of the article.

[0008] In the present invention, when a side-shift forklift side-shifts the forks to stack the load onto the stacking destination, if the sensor detects the side surface of the article at the stacking destination facing the load in the left-right direction, the controller determines the side-shift amount of the forks by the side-shift mechanism based on the position of the outermost side surface of the load in the left-right direction detected by the sensor and the position of the side surface of the article. For this reason, during side-shifting, the forks are side-shifted by the determined side-shift amount, and it becomes possible to stack the load so as not to interfere with the article at the stacking destination.

[0009] Further, in the above-described side-shift forklift, the controller may be configured to control the sensor displacement mechanism so that the sensor moves in synchronization with the side-shift of the forks. In this case, since the sensor can move in synchronization with the side-shift of the forks, it is possible to detect the outermost side surface of the load and the side surface of the article at the stacking destination during side-shifting, and to perform the loading of the cargo, enabling efficient loading of the cargo.

[0010] Further, in the above-described side-shift forklift, the controller may be configured to control the sensor displacement mechanism so that the sensor is separated outward in the left-right direction by a predetermined distance from the outermost side surface of the load in the left-right direction. In this case, since the sensor is displaced to a position separated outward by a predetermined distance from the outermost side surface of the load in the left-right direction, when one sensor detects the side surface of the article at the stacking destination during side-shifting, it is possible to surely prevent interference between the load and the article at the stacking destination during side-shifting.

[0011] Further, in the above-described side-shift forklift, the controller may be configured to control the side-shift mechanism so that the forks are side-shifted toward the side surface of the article after the sensor detects the side surface of the article at the stacking destination. In this case, by detecting the side surface of the article at the loading destination in advance, it is possible to surely prevent interference between the loaded object and the article at the loading destination during side shift.

Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a side shift forklift that can surely prevent deformation and breakage of the loaded object due to interference between the loaded object and the article, and can maintain a high loading efficiency of the loaded object.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 9

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a side-shift forklift according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The side-shift forklift of the present embodiment is a reach-type forklift that travels electrically in a factory or the like, and is an unmanned forklift capable of autonomous driving.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 11 of a side-shift forklift (hereinafter simply referred to as "forklift") 10 has a vehicle body main body 12 and a pair of left and right reach legs 13 (13R, 13L) extending forward from the front part of the vehicle body main body 12. The reach legs 13 are provided with rotatable driven wheels 14 corresponding to the front wheels. The right driven wheel is the driven wheel 14R, and the left driven wheel is the driven wheel 14L. In FIG. 2, only the left reach leg 13 and the left driven wheel 14L are shown.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, on the left side of the rear part of the vehicle body main body 12, a drive unit 15 having a traveling motor 16 and drive wheels 17 as rear wheels is provided. The traveling motor 16 drives the drive wheels 17. The forklift 10 travels on the road surface F by driving the drive wheels 17. Further, the drive unit 15 is provided with a steering motor (not shown) for steering the drive wheels 17. As shown in FIG. 3, on the right side of the rear part of the vehicle body main body 12, a caster wheel 18 is provided. The caster wheel 18 is a rotatable wheel for making the attitude of the vehicle body 11 more stable.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, a right pillar 20 and a left pillar 21 are erected on the vehicle body main body 12. A head guard 22 is provided on the upper parts of the right pillar 20 and the left pillar 21. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the illustration of the head guard 22 is omitted in FIG. 3.

[0018] Between a pair of reach legs 13, a loading device 23 that can move forward and backward with respect to the vehicle body main body 12 is provided. The loading device 23 includes an outer mast 24 supported by the left and right reach legs 13, and an inner mast 25 supported by the outer mast 24 so as to be able to move up and down. As shown in Fig. 4(a), a lift support 26 is supported by the inner mast 25 so as to be able to move up and down. A pair of left and right lift supports 26 are connected by an upper guide bar 27 and a lower guide bar 28 extending in the left-right direction.

[0019] The loading device 23 includes a fork 29 that can move up and down with respect to the outer mast 24 and the inner mast 25, and a side shift mechanism 30 that side-shifts the fork 29 in the left-right direction with respect to the outer mast 24 and the inner mast 25. The side shift mechanism 30 includes a side shifter 31 to which a pair of left and right forks 29 are locked, and a shift cylinder 32 that slides the side shifter 31 in the left-right direction with respect to the upper guide bar 27 and the lower guide bar 28.

[0020] The side shifter 31 has an upper finger bar 33 extending in the left-right direction and locked to the upper guide bar 27, and a lower finger bar 34 extending in the left-right direction and locked to the lower guide bar 28 below the upper finger bar 33. The right end portions of the upper finger bar 33 and the lower finger bar 34 are connected by a connecting member 35.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4(b), the shift cylinder 32 has a cylinder main body 36 and a rod 37 that moves forward and backward with respect to the cylinder main body 36. The cylinder main body 36 is fixed to the upper guide bar 27. The end of the rod 37 is connected to the connecting member 35 of the side shifter 31. When the rod 37 of the shift cylinder 32 is in the most extended state, the side shifter 31 is most displaced to the right with respect to the lift support 26. When the rod 37 of the shift cylinder 32 is in the most contracted state, the side shifter 31 is most displaced to the left with respect to the lift support 26. When the rod 37 is extended to an intermediate position, the side shifter 31 is located in the middle in the left-right direction.

[0022] A backrest 38 is provided above the side shifter 31 via a bracket 39. The fork 29, the side shifter 31, and the backrest 38 correspond to the movable parts of the side shift mechanism 30. On the other hand, the lift support 26, the upper guide bar 27, and the lower guide bar 28 correspond to the fixed parts of the side shift mechanism 30. A lift cylinder 40 for raising and lowering the inner mast 25 is fixed behind the outer mast 24.

[0023] The vehicle body main body 12 houses a controller 41 for controlling each part of the vehicle body 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 41 includes a CPU 42 as an arithmetic processing unit and a storage unit 43 composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The controller 41 may include dedicated hardware for executing at least a part of various processes, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The controller 41 can be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that operate according to a computer program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. The controller 41 is connected to the traveling motor 16. Although the forklift 10 of the present embodiment is capable of autonomous driving, the necessary configuration for autonomous driving is based on known technologies such as magnetic induction or SLAM, and thus specific description is omitted.

[0024] Incidentally, the forklift 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a pair of left and right sensors 45. The pair of left and right sensors 45 is capable of detecting the outermost side surfaces in the left - right direction of the load carried on the forks 29, and also has a function of detecting the side surfaces of the articles at the stacking destinations that face each other in the left - right direction of the load. The load is a general term for the pallet and the cargo on the forks 29, and the articles include pallets and cargos that have already been stacked at the stacking destination, as well as walls and obstacles. In the present embodiment, the right sensor is designated as sensor 45R and the left sensor as sensor 45L. A pair of sensor guide bars 46 is provided on the upper finger bar 33 in the left - right direction. The right sensor 45R is provided on the right sensor guide bar 46R so as to be reciprocally movable. The left sensor 45L is provided on the left sensor guide bar 46L so as to be reciprocally movable. A pair of left and right sensor guide bars 46 is each provided with an electric motor 47 (47R, 47L) for sliding the sensor 45. The electric motors 47R and 47L are controlled by the controller 41.

[0025] The sensor guide bars 46 and the electric motors 47 correspond to a sensor displacement mechanism that enables the change of the distance between the pair of left and right sensors 45 in the left - right direction. The pair of left and right sensors 45 is slidable with respect to the sensor guide bars 46, and by driving the pair of left and right electric motors 47, the pair of left and right sensors 45 move apart or approach in the left - right direction. When the forks 29 perform side shift, the pair of left and right sensors 45 can move integrally with the forks 29 and the load without changing the distance between the pair of left and right sensors 45 and the forks 29 or the load.

[0026] The sensor 45 is an area sensor that forms a two-dimensional detection area E and has a function of detecting a placement part or an article that interferes with the detection area E (see Fig. 2). The detection area E is a substantially rectangular area that extends vertically forward and is demarcated by two front and rear sides in a direction intersecting the road surface F and two upper and lower sides in a direction along the road surface F. The height of the detection area E is slightly lower than the backrest 38, and the foremost end of the detection area E is slightly in front of the tip of the fork 29. When a placement part or an article interferes with the detection area E, the sensor 45 emits an ON signal, and when no placement part or article interferes with the detection area E, the sensor 45 emits an OFF signal.

[0027] The separation distance between the pair of left and right sensors 45 is measurable, and the separation distance of the sensors 45 is transmitted to the controller 41. Therefore, by displacing the sensors 45 in the left-right direction and the sensors 45 detecting the outermost side surface of the loaded goods, the controller 41 can measure the position of the outermost side surface of the loaded goods. Even for a load that protrudes from the width of the pallet scooped by the fork 29, the controller 41 can measure the position of the outermost side surface of the load and can also measure the position of the outermost side surface of the pallet. In the case of a load that protrudes from the width of the pallet, the side surface of the load corresponds to the outermost side surface of the loaded goods, and in the case of a load that does not protrude from the width of the pallet, the side surface of the pallet corresponds to the outermost side surface of the loaded goods.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 6, when loading a load onto a loading destination, the controller 41 controls each part according to the following procedure. First, the controller 41 inserts the fork 29 into the loaded goods to support the loaded goods (see step S01). Next, the controller 41 measures the position of the outermost side surface of the loaded goods supported by the fork 29 with the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L (see step S02). When measuring the position of the outermost side surface of the loaded goods, the pair of left and right electric motors 47R and 47L are each operated. At this time, when the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L are located at the innermost positions, while the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L detect the loaded goods, the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L are displaced in a direction away from each other.

[0029] When the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L no longer detect the outermost sides of the load, the controller 41 stops the displacement of the sensors 45R and 45L and measures the positions of the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L. Alternatively, when the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L are located at the outermost positions where they do not detect the load, the pair of left and right electric motors 47 may be operated respectively to move the sensors 45R and 45L closer to each other. In this case, the positions of the sensors 45R and 45L when they detect the outermost sides of the load respectively are measured.

[0030] Next, the controller 41 moves the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L to positions separated by a preset distance X from both outermost sides of the load (see step S03). In this case, a gap corresponding to the preset distance X is formed between the sensors 45 and the side surface of the load. The preset distance X is set to prevent interference between the load scheduled to be stacked and the article at the stacking destination.

[0031] Next, the controller 41 moves the forklift 10 to the vicinity of the stacking position (see step S04). The forklift 10 moves toward the vicinity of the stacking position where side shift is possible, and advances the vehicle body 11 and the forks 29 to the vicinity of the stacking position. The vicinity of the stacking position is the handling position of the forklift 10 and is a position separated from the article by a preset distance from the position where the load is actually placed.

[0032] Next, the controller 41 performs a side shift so that the fork 29 faces the loading position in the vicinity of the loading position in the direction in which the fork 29 approaches the article (see step S05). By the side shift, the side shifter 31 is displaced in the left-right direction (the vehicle body width direction) with respect to the lift support 26, and the controller 41 determines whether the sensor 45 has detected the side surface of the article at the mounting destination facing the load in the left-right direction (see step S06). When it is determined that the sensor 45 has detected the side surface of the article, the controller 41 stops the side shift (see step S07). After stopping the side shift, the controller 41 lowers the fork 29 to complete the loading of the load (step S08). In step S06, when it is determined that the sensor 45 has not detected the side surface of the article, the side shift is continued.

[0033] In this way, when the sensor 45 detects the side surface of the article during the side shift, the side shift is stopped. Therefore, it can be said that the controller 41 determines the side shift amount by the side shift mechanism 30 based on the distance by which one of the sensors 45 that has detected the side surface of the article at the mounting destination facing the outermost side surface of the load has been displaced.

[0034] Next, the loading of the load by the forklift 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. When the forklift 10 supports the load to be loaded on the fork 29, the electric motors 47R and 47L are operated, and the positions of the outermost side surfaces of the load supported by using the sensors 45R and 45L are acquired. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), it is the load W that protrudes from the pallet P in the width direction, and the side surface of the load W corresponds to the outermost side surface of the load. As shown in FIG. 7(b), after acquiring the position of the outermost side surface of the load W, the forklift 10 operates the electric motors 47R and 47L to displace the sensors 45R and 45L to a position separated from the side surface of the load W by a predetermined distance X.

[0035] Next, the forklift 10 travels while supporting the load W and moves toward the vicinity of the loading destination, which is the loading position, near the loading destination. As shown in FIG. 7(c), the loading destination is, for example, the cargo bed B of the truck, and there is already an existing load W0 loaded on the cargo bed B at the front of the cargo bed B. In this case, the load W0 corresponds to an article. Here, it is planned to load the load W of the forklift 10 to the left of the load W0. The forklift 10 stops such that the fork 29 is positioned above the cargo bed B to the left of the load W0, which is the loading position.

[0036] Next, the forklift 10 activates the shift cylinder 32 to start the side shift. When the side shift is started, the side shifter 31, the fork 29, and the backrest 38 are displaced rightward. The sensors 45R and 45L are displaced rightward together with the side shifter 31 while maintaining a separation distance L corresponding to the distance obtained by adding 2X to the width of the load. That is, when the fork 29 performs a side shift, the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L move integrally with the fork 29 and the load being carried without the distance between the pair of left and right sensors 45R and 45L and the fork 29 or the load changing. As shown in FIG. 7(d), when the sensor 45R detects the load, the forklift 10 stops the operation of the shift cylinder 32 to stop the side shift. At this time, a gap of a predetermined distance X is created between the right side surface of the load W and the left side surface of the load W0.

[0037] The forklift 10 activates the lift cylinder 40 to lower the fork 29 and loads the pallet P on which the load W is placed onto the cargo bed B. The forklift 10 reverses and withdraws the fork 29 from the pallet P to complete the loading.

[0038] In this embodiment, the stacking of the load has been described by exemplifying the load W that protrudes in the width direction from the pallet P. However, it is also possible to stack the load W that does not protrude in the width direction from the pallet P in the same manner. In this case, since the side surface of the pallet corresponds to the outermost side surface of the loaded object, the position of the outermost side surface of the pallet P may be obtained as the position of the outermost side surface of the loaded object, and the sensors 45R and 45L may be displaced by a distance X from the position of the outermost side surface of the pallet P to perform the stacking of the load.

[0039] The forklift 10 according to this embodiment has the following effects. (1) When the forklift 10 side-shifts the forks 29 to stack the loaded object at the stacking destination, when the pair of left and right sensors 45 detect the side surfaces of the articles at the stacking destination that face each other in the left-right direction of the loaded object, the controller 41 determines the side-shift amount of the forks 29 by the side-shift mechanism 30 based on the position of the outermost side surface in the left-right direction of the loaded object detected by the sensors 45 and the position of the side surface of the article. Since the forks 29 are side-shifted by the determined side-shift amount, the loaded object can be stacked without interfering with the articles at the stacking destination.

[0040] (2) The controller 41 controls the sensor displacement mechanism so that the pair of left and right sensors 45 move in synchronization with the side-shift of the forks 29. Therefore, since the pair of left and right sensors 45 can move in synchronization with the side-shift of the forks 29, it is possible to simultaneously detect the outermost side surface of the loaded object and the side surface of the article at the stacking destination during side-shifting, and to stack the loaded object efficiently.

[0041] (3) Control the sensor displacement mechanism so that the pair of left and right sensors 45 are separated from the outermost side surface of the loaded object by a predetermined distance X. For this reason, after the fork 29 supports the loaded object, the pair of left and right sensors 45 are displaced to positions separated from the outermost side surface of the loaded object by a predetermined distance X. By one of the sensors 45 detecting the side surface of the article at the stacking destination during side shift, interference between the loaded object and the article at the stacking destination during side shift can be reliably prevented. Also, by adjusting the predetermined distance X, the distance between the loaded object and the article at the stacking destination can be adjusted.

[0042] (4) Since the side shift amount is determined after detecting the state of the article at the loading destination of the load, the loaded object can be loaded with a gap from the article at the loading destination. At least, the loaded object is not strongly pressed against the article when the loaded object is loaded, and damage and deformation of the load due to loading can be suppressed.

[0043] (Second Embodiment) Next, the forklift according to the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, it is different from the first embodiment in that the sensor displacement mechanism is provided on the fixed part of the side shift mechanism. In this embodiment, the description of the first embodiment is incorporated for the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, and common reference numerals are used.

[0044] A pair of left and right sensors 51 are provided at the front part of the vehicle body main body 12 of the forklift 50 shown in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the right sensor is designated as sensor 51R, and the left sensor is designated as sensor 51L. A pair of left and right sensor guide bars 52 are provided at the upper part of the front part of the vehicle body main body 12 so as to face left and right.

[0045] The right sensor 51R is provided on the right sensor guide bar 52R so as to be reciprocally movable. The left sensor 51L is provided on the left sensor guide bar 52L so as to be reciprocally movable. The pair of left and right sensor guide bars 52 are each provided with an electric motor 53 (53R, 53L) for sliding the sensor 51. The electric motors 53R and 53L are controlled by the controller 41. The sensor guide bar 52 corresponds to a sensor displacement mechanism that can change the lateral separation distance L between the pair of left and right sensors 51. The electric motor 53 is controlled by the controller 41. When the electric motor 53 operates, the pair of left and right sensors 51 move apart or approach each other in the lateral direction.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the forklift 10 supports the load W to be loaded on the forks 29, the electric motors 53R and 53L are operated, and the positions of the outermost surfaces of the load W supported by the sensors 51R and 51L are acquired. After acquiring the positions of the outermost surfaces of the load W, the forklift 10 operates the electric motors 53R and 53L to displace the sensors 51R and 51L to positions separated from the side surfaces of the load W by a predetermined distance X.

[0047] The forklift 10 travels toward the loading destination while supporting the load W and moves near the loading position. The forklift 10 operates the shift cylinder 32 to start the side shift. When the side shift is started, the side shifter 31, the forks 29, and the backrest 38 are displaced to the right. At this time, the controller 41 controls the electric motors 53R and 53L to displace the sensors 51R and 51L to the right in synchronization with the side shift.

[0048] When the sensor 51R detects the load W0, the forklift 10 stops the operation of the shift cylinder 32 to stop the side shift and also stops the operation of the electric motors 53R and 53L. At this time, a gap of a predetermined distance X is created between the right side surface of the load W and the left side surface of the load W0. The forklift 10 operates the lift cylinder 40 to lower the fork 29 and stacks the pallet P on which the load W is mounted at the stacking destination. The forklift 10 retreats, pulls out the fork 29 from the pallet P, and completes the stacking.

[0049] In this embodiment, even when a sensor cannot be provided on the movable part of the side shift mechanism 30, the load can be stacked without interfering with the article at the stacking destination. By providing the sensors 51R and 51L on the vehicle body main body 12 and synchronizing them with the side shift, it is possible to simultaneously detect the side surfaces of the load and the article at the stacking destination during the side shift and stack the load, enabling efficient stacking of the load.

[0050] (Modification example) Next, a modification example of the first embodiment will be described. In this modification example, as shown in Fig. 9(a), in the vicinity of the stacking position, before performing the side shift, a pair of left and right sensors 45R are moved in the direction of the side shift (for example, the right direction). As shown in Fig. 9(b), when the sensor 45R detects the side surface of the article, the displacement of the sensors 45R and 45L is stopped. The controller 41 determines the side shift amount based on the displacement amount of the sensor 45R. As shown in Fig. 9(c), the side shift is performed by the determined side shift amount, and the load is stacked.

[0051] The side shift amount may take into account a predetermined distance X, and by setting the side shift amount considering the predetermined distance X, it is possible to stack the load with a gap from the article. At least, the load will not be strongly pressed against the article when the load is stacked. Regarding the second embodiment as well, before performing the side shift, the pair of left and right sensors 51R and 51L may be moved in the side shift direction (for example, the right direction), the side surface of the article may be detected, and then the side shift amount may be determined to perform the side shift.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0053] 〇 In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), the sensor is positioned at a predetermined distance from the outermost side surface of the load, but it is not limited to this. For example, the side shift may be performed without providing a predetermined distance. In this case, there is a possibility that the load to be stacked and the article at the stacking destination facing the load in the left-right direction may come into contact, but at least, the load will not be strongly pressed against the article at the stacking destination when the load is stacked. 〇 In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), an area sensor that sets a two-dimensional detection area is used as the sensor, but it is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of one-dimensional laser sensors may be arranged in the vertical direction as sensors, and these sensor groups may be provided in a pair on the left and right. In this case, depending on the conditions of the load to be stacked and the article at the stacking destination, the number of sensors can be suppressed, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Further, the sensor may be a three-dimensional laser sensor capable of acquiring a point cloud instead of the area sensor. 〇 In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), the pair of left and right sensors are used to detect the side surface of the article at the stacking destination during the side shift, but it is not limited to this. The pair of left and right sensors, for example, do not prevent being used for detecting obstacles during traveling. 〇 In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), the sensor displacement mechanism is configured to displace the sensor by combining an electric motor and a sensor guide bar, but it is not limited thereto. The sensor displacement mechanism can freely select a configuration for displacing the actuator or the sensor as long as it can displace the sensor. 〇 In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), a side-shift forklift equipped with a pair of left and right sensors has been illustrated and described, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when side-shifting is performed only in a specific direction (e.g., the right direction), a single sensor that can be displaced in the specific direction (right direction) may be provided. ○ In the above-described embodiments (including modified examples), an autonomous unmanned side-shift forklift has been illustrated and described, but it is not limited thereto. The side-shift forklift may be, for example, a side-shift forklift on which an operator can board and drive. In this case, the loading operation by side-shifting may be performed automatically instead of by the operator's operation.

Explanation of Signs

[0054] 10, 50 Side-shift forklift 11 Vehicle body 12 Vehicle body main body 14 Driven wheel 17 Driving wheel 23 Cargo handling device 24 Outer mast 25 Inner mast 29 Fork 30 Side-shift mechanism 31 Side-shifter 32 Shift cylinder 38 Backrest 40 Lift cylinder 41 Controller 45 (45R, 45L), 51 (51R, 51L) Sensors 46 (46R, 46L), 52 (52R, 52L) Sensor guide bars 47 (47R, 47L), 53 (53R, 53L) Electric motors B Loading platform E Detection Area F Road Surface L Separation Distance P Pallet (Part of the Load) X Predetermined Distance W Load (Part of the Load) W0 Load (Article)

Claims

1. A vehicle body, and a cargo handling device provided at the front of the vehicle body, characterized in that, the cargo handling device includes, a mast, forks that can move up and down relative to the mast, and a side shift mechanism that side-shifts the forks in the left-right direction relative to the mast, in a side shift forklift, a sensor that detects the outermost side surfaces in the left-right direction of the load mounted on the forks, a sensor displacement mechanism that enables the sensor to be displaced in the left-right direction, and a controller that controls the sensor displacement mechanism, wherein the sensor is displaced in the left-right direction by the sensor displacement mechanism and detects the side surfaces of the articles at the mounting destinations facing each other in the left-right direction of the load, and the controller determines the side shift amount of the forks by the side shift mechanism based on the position of the outermost side surfaces in the left-right direction of the load detected by the sensor and the position of the side surfaces of the articles. A side shift forklift characterized by this.

2. The side shift forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller controls the sensor displacement mechanism so that the sensor moves in synchronization with the side shift of the forks.

3. The side shift forklift according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller controls the sensor displacement mechanism so that the sensor is separated from the outermost side surfaces in the left-right direction of the load by a predetermined distance.

4. The side shift forklift according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller controls the side shift mechanism so that the forks are side-shifted toward the side surfaces of the articles after the sensor detects the side surfaces of the articles at the mounting destination.

Images