Industrial vehicle

Abstract

To provide an industrial vehicle that ensures the operator's field of view during manned operation and has excellent operability for an automatic driving unit.SOLUTION: An industrial vehicle has a vehicle body and an automatic driving unit 42 mounted on the vehicle body and integrating a plurality of devices required for automatic driving. In industrial vehicles capable of both manned and unmanned driving, the plurality of devices include an automatic driving controller that controls the automatic driving, a display device that displays information related to the automatic driving, an input device that allows input of data related to the automatic driving, and an emergency stop device that brings the automatic driving to an emergency stop. The automatic driving unit 42 has a housing case 43 that houses the automatic driving controller, display device, input device, and emergency stop device. The housing case 43 is installed on the vehicle body so that the automatic driving unit 42 is at or below a predetermined height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial vehicle, and more particularly to an industrial vehicle capable of unmanned and manned travel. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, unmanned driving has been realized for industrial vehicles such as forklifts, and for example, a manned / unmanned forklift is known (see Patent Document 1). This type of forklift is obtained by modifying an existing manned forklift to enable automatic driving. Therefore, the manned forklift is additionally equipped with the equipment required for automatic driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5856362 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because there is limited space inside the body of a manned forklift, it is not possible to accommodate all of the equipment required for autonomous driving (except for sensors) inside a manned / unmanned forklift. Therefore, it is necessary to consider where and how to mount the equipment required for autonomous driving. For example, in the case of a forklift, it is conceivable to install the equipment required for autonomous driving in the head guard that protects the driver's seat. However, this could obstruct the operator's view when the forklift is being operated by a manned operator, and the installation of such equipment at a high position makes it difficult to perform maintenance work on the equipment. On the other hand, it is conceivable to install the equipment required for autonomous driving inside the counterweight, but this would require the preparation of a dedicated counterweight, which increases manufacturing costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an industrial vehicle that ensures the operator's field of vision during manned operation and has excellent operability for the automatic operation unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an industrial vehicle that can be driven manned or unmanned through automatic driving, and that has a vehicle body and an automatic driving unit mounted on the vehicle body that integrates multiple devices necessary for automatic driving, wherein the multiple devices include an automatic driving controller that controls the automatic driving, a display device that displays information related to the automatic driving, an input device that can input data related to the automatic driving, and an emergency stop device that brings the automatic driving to an emergency stop, and the automatic driving unit has a storage case that stores the automatic driving controller, the display device, the input device, and the emergency stop device, and the storage case is installed on the vehicle body so that the automatic driving unit is at a height that does not obstruct the operator's field of view when the vehicle is driven manned.

[0007] In the present invention, the housing case that houses the automatic driving controller, display device, input device, and emergency stop device is installed on the vehicle body at a height that does not obstruct the operator's field of vision when the automatic driving unit is manned. Therefore, obstruction of the operator's field of vision by the automatic driving unit during manned driving is suppressed, and the operator's field of vision during manned driving can be ensured. Furthermore, because the automatic driving unit is at a height that does not obstruct the operator's field of vision during manned driving, maintenance work on the automatic driving unit can be easily performed, resulting in excellent workability for the automatic driving unit.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-described industrial vehicle, the vehicle body may have a vehicle body main body, a driver's seat provided on the vehicle body main body, and a counterweight provided at the rear of the vehicle body main body, and the storage case may be configured to be installed on the counterweight and behind the driver's seat. In this case, the storage case is installed on the counterweight and behind the driver's seat. Therefore, when the vehicle is moving forward under manned driving, the automatic driving unit does not obstruct the operator's forward field of view. Also, when the vehicle is moving backward under manned driving, the automatic driving unit does not obstruct the operator's rearward field of view.

[0009] In the above industrial vehicle, the storage case may be installed so as to be lower than the height of the operator's seat. In this case, the storage case is installed so that it is below the height of the driver's seat, so even when the vehicle is reversing while being driven by a person, the automatic driving unit is less likely to obstruct the operator's rearward view.

[0010] In the above industrial vehicle, the accommodation case may be configured to be located inside an outer edge of the counterweight in a plan view. In this case, the storage case is positioned inside the outer edge of the counterweight in a plan view, thereby reducing interference between the automated unit and obstacles around the vehicle body while it is traveling.

[0011] In the above industrial vehicle, the counterweight may have an obstacle detection sensor that is installed facing rearward, and the storage case may be positioned inside the obstacle detection sensor in a plan view. In this case, the storage case is located inside the obstacle detection sensor when viewed in a plane, which not only increases the storage space of the storage case but also reduces interference between the autonomous driving unit and obstacles around the vehicle body while driving.

[0012] The above-described industrial vehicle may also be configured to have a displacement mechanism that enables the storage case to be displaced relative to the vehicle body. In this case, the storage case can be displaced relative to the vehicle body via the displacement mechanism, so that even when the driver's seat is tilted backward, the automatic driving unit can avoid interfering with the backward tilt of the driver's seat.

[0013] In the above industrial vehicle, the emergency stop device may have an emergency stop button that protrudes from a surface of the storage case. In this case, the emergency stop device has an emergency stop button that protrudes from the surface of the storage case, so there is no need to install an emergency stop button on the vehicle body, and there is no need to modify the vehicle body or run wiring to install the emergency stop button.

[0014] In the above-described industrial vehicle, the storage case may be configured to include stacked signal lights that light up to indicate the state of the industrial vehicle. The storage case is equipped with stacked signal lights that illuminate to indicate the status of the industrial vehicle, eliminating the need to provide stacked signal lights on the vehicle body, and eliminating the need to modify the vehicle body or run wiring to install an emergency stop button. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, an industrial vehicle can be provided that ensures the operator's field of vision during manned operation and has excellent operability for an automatic driving unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a forklift according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a forklift according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a forklift according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the left rear. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a forklift according to a first embodiment, seen from the right rear. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the devices housed in the automatic driving unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the automatic driving unit displaced behind the right pillar. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view of a forklift according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (First embodiment) An industrial vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The industrial vehicle of this embodiment is a battery-powered forklift, which is a manned / unmanned forklift capable of both automatic and manned operation. The terms "front / back," "left / right," and "up / down" that specify directions are used based on the state in which the forklift operator is seated in the driver's seat and facing the forward direction of the forklift. First, the forklift will be described.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle body 11 of the forklift 10 has a vehicle body main body 12. Front wheels 13 are provided at the front of the vehicle body main body 12, and rear wheels 14 are provided at the rear of the vehicle body main body 12. The front wheels 13 are drive wheels, and the rear wheels 14 are steered wheels. A cargo handling device 15 is provided at the front of the vehicle body main body 12, and a counterweight 16 is provided at the rear of the vehicle body main body 12. A driver's seat 17 is provided near the center of the vehicle body main body 12. The vehicle body main body 12 is equipped with a travel motor 18 as a travel drive source, as well as a battery 19 that stores electricity for driving the travel motor 18.

[0019] The cargo handling device 15 is equipped with a mast 22 having outer masts 20 and inner masts 21. The pair of left and right outer masts 20 are equipped with inner masts 21 that can slide inside the outer masts 20. The masts 22 are equipped with single-acting lift cylinders 23 that are operated by hydraulic oil. When the lift cylinders 23 are operated, the inner masts 21 slide inside the outer masts 20 and move up and down.

[0020] A pair of left and right forks 24 that support a load W are attached to the mast 22 via lift brackets 25, and the lift brackets 25 are arranged to move up and down relative to the inner mast 21. A double-acting tilt cylinder 26 that is operated by hydraulic oil is installed between the vehicle body 12 and the outer mast 20. Operation of the tilt cylinder 26 causes the mast 22 to tilt in the front-to-rear direction with the lower end of the mast 22 as a fulcrum. The tilt cylinder 26 is operated by the supply and discharge of hydraulic oil.

[0021] A counterweight 16 is provided at the rear of the main body 12. The counterweight 16 is used to adjust the weight of the forklift 10 and to achieve weight balance within the body 11. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the counterweight 16 has a rear surface 27 that curves in an arc so as to protrude rearward in a plan view, a pair of left and right side surfaces 28, and a flat top surface 29. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a wheel house 30 for the rear wheels 14 is formed across the main body 12 and the counterweight 16.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a head guard 31 is provided above the driver's seat 17. The head guard 31 is supported by a pair of left and right front pillars 32 provided at the front of the vehicle body 12 and a rear pillar 33 provided at the rear of the vehicle body 12. The vehicle body 12 is provided with a toe board 34 that forms the floor of the driver's seat 17. The battery 19 is housed below the toe board 34. As shown in Figure 2, an instrument panel 35 is provided in front of the toe board 34, and the instrument panel 35 is provided with a steering column 36 and multiple loading levers 37. The steering column 36 supports a steering wheel 38.

[0023] An openable and closable seat stand 39 is provided behind the toe board 34 of the vehicle body 12. A driver's seat 40 is installed on the seat stand 39. A recess 41 is formed in the front of the seat stand 39 so as to recess toward the rear (see FIG. 1). When replacing the battery 19, the toe board 34 is removed and the seat stand 39 is rotated toward the counterweight 16, thereby enabling the battery 19 to be removed from the vehicle body 12. Note that the vehicle body 11 of this embodiment includes, in addition to the vehicle body 12, at least the counterweight 16, head guard 31, front pillars 32, rear pillars 33, toe board 34, instrument panel 35, and seat stand 39.

[0024] The forklift 10 of this embodiment has an automatic driving unit 42 installed on the counterweight 16, which is part of the vehicle body 11, and behind the driver's seat 40. In this embodiment, the automatic driving unit 42 is added to a forklift of an existing design that can be driven by a driver, thereby realizing a forklift 10 that can be used both as a manned and an unmanned vehicle. To automatically drive the forklift 10, multiple devices (hereinafter referred to as "a group of devices for automatic driving") are required to enable unmanned driving by automatic driving. Most of the group of devices for automatic driving are integrated into the automatic driving unit 42.

[0025] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the automatic driving unit 42 includes a housing case 43 that houses devices for automatic driving. The housing case 43 has a bottom 44, a front panel 45, an upper panel 46, a right panel 47, a left panel 48, and a rear panel 49. The bottom 44 is the bottom of the housing case 43 and is formed by a frame. As shown in Figure 6, the front panel 45 is formed by a plate member erected from the front of the bottom panel 44. The upper panel 46 is formed by a plate member connected to the upper part of the front panel 45 and forms the upper surface of the housing case 43. The upper panel 46 is inclined downward from the front to the rear. Specifically, the upper panel 46 is inclined so that the automatic driving unit 42 is below a predetermined height and below the height of the driver's seat 40. The height and inclination of the upper panel 46 are determined so that the automatic driving unit 42 does not obstruct the operator's rearward visibility during manned driving. The front plate portion 45 and the upper plate portion 46 are integrally formed.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, the right side plate 47 is formed by a plate member located on the right side of the storage case 43. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the left side plate 48 is formed by a plate member located on the left side of the storage case 43. The rear plate 49 is formed by a plate member located at the rear of the storage case 43. Like the rear surface 27 of the counterweight 16, the rear plate 49 has a surface that curves in an arc so as to protrude rearward in a plan view. The storage case 43 is also installed on the counterweight 16 so as to be located inside the outer edge of the counterweight 16 in a plan view. The rear plate 49, right side plate 47, and left side plate 48 are integrally formed and are detachable from the bottom 44, front plate 45, and top plate 46.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a base 50 that supports the storage case 43 is installed on the counterweight 16. As shown in FIG. 4, a pivot shaft 51 is provided on the base 50 near the right rear pillar 33. The axis of the pivot shaft 51 is in the vertical direction, and the right end of the bottom 44 is attached to the pivot shaft 51. Therefore, the storage case 43 can rotate approximately horizontally around the pivot shaft 51 and can be displaced relative to the vehicle body 11. As shown in FIG. 6, when the storage case 43 is in the state where it is displaced to its maximum, the storage case 43 is located behind the right rear pillar 33. The base 50 and the pivot shaft 51 correspond to a displacement mechanism that allows the storage case 43 to be displaced relative to the vehicle body 11. A stopper 52 that restricts the rotation of the storage case 43 is provided on the base 50 near the left rear pillar 33 (see FIGS. 3 and 6). A protrusion 53 is provided at the left end of the bottom 44 of the storage case 43 as a portion to be locked by the stopper 52. By releasing the stopper 52, the storage case 43 becomes rotatable.

[0028] Next, the group of devices for automatic driving collected in the accommodation case 43 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5 , the group of devices for automatic driving includes an automatic driving controller 55, a touch panel device 56, a changeover switch device 57, an emergency stop device 58, a PLC unit 59, a DCDC converter 60, a wireless communication device 61, a stacked indicator light 62, an emergency stop receiver 63, and a hub 64. The automatic driving controller 55 controls each device related to automatic driving and includes a CPU (not shown) that executes various calculations and control programs and a memory unit (not shown) that stores various data and programs. The automatic driving controller 55 is fixed to the bottom 44 of the accommodation case 43. The automatic driving controller 55 is connected to the touch panel device 56, the changeover switch device 57, the emergency stop device 58, the PLC unit 59, the DCDC converter 60, the wireless communication device 61, the stacked indicator light 62, the emergency stop receiver 63, and the hub 64. The automatic driving controller 55 is also connected to an on-board controller (not shown) mounted on the vehicle body 12. The on-board controller has the function of controlling the driving motor 18 and the cargo handling device 15 during manned and unmanned driving.

[0029] The touch panel device 56 has a panel screen 65 that can display various types of information and that can be touched to input information (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Therefore, the touch panel device 56 corresponds to an input device that can input data necessary for automatic driving, and corresponds to a display device that displays information related to automatic driving. In this embodiment, the touch panel device 56 is attached to the housing case 43 so that the panel screen 65 is exposed at the right side plate portion 47. An operator of the touch panel device 56 can input information to the panel screen 65 to, for example, release an emergency stop state.

[0030] The changeover switch device 57 is a device that includes a switch unit 66 for switching between automatic operation and manual operation. In this embodiment, the changeover switch device 57 is attached to the housing case 43 so that the switch unit 66 is exposed on the right side plate 47. The emergency stop device 58 is a device for emergency stopping the forklift 10 when it is in unmanned operation, and includes an emergency stop button 67. In this embodiment, the emergency stop button 67 is installed so as to protrude from the rear plate 49, the right side plate 47, and the left side plate 48 of the housing case 43, respectively. If any of the emergency stop buttons 67 is pressed during unmanned automatic operation, the forklift 10 will immediately stop.

[0031] The PLC unit 59 is a device that aggregates multiple PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) into a unit. The DC-DC converter 60 is a device that changes DC voltage and performs voltage conversion. In this embodiment, the DC-DC converter 60 is attached to the front panel 45 of the housing case 43. The wireless communication device 61 is provided to communicate wirelessly with a host system (not shown) that manages the operation of the forklift 10.

[0032] The stacked indicator light 62 is a rod-shaped indicator light equipped with multiple lights on the top and bottom, and is arranged in the following order from top to bottom: a red light 68, a yellow light 69, and a green light 70. The red light 68 is turned on when the forklift 10 makes an emergency stop. The yellow light 69 is turned on when an abnormality occurs in the forklift 10, and the green light 70 is turned on when the forklift 10 is operating normally. In this embodiment, the stacked indicator light 62 is erected on the top plate portion 46 of the storage case 43, near the right rear pillar 33.

[0033] The emergency stop receiver 63 is a receiver that receives a signal transmitted from the emergency stop device 58 when the emergency stop button 67 is pressed. The hub 64 is an aggregating device that aggregates cables for communication between the autonomous driving controller 55 and each device. In this embodiment, the PLC unit 59, the DC-DC converter 60, the wireless communication device 61, the emergency stop receiver 63, and the hub 64 are attached to the front panel 45 of the accommodation case 43. The power wiring and communication control wiring are pulled out together from near the right rear pillar 33 of the accommodation case 43.

[0034] The group of devices for automatic driving includes a plurality of devices that are not integrated into the automatic driving unit 42. The plurality of devices that are not integrated into the automatic driving unit 42 include, for example, sensors provided in various parts of the vehicle body 11. In this embodiment, in addition to a forward camera (not shown) and an obstacle detection sensor (not shown) provided on the cargo handling device 15, these include a plurality of obstacle detection sensors 71 provided so as to protrude outward from the rear surface 27 of the counterweight 16 (see FIG. 2). These types of sensors are connected to the automatic driving controller 55.

[0035] Next, the operation of the forklift 10 of this embodiment will be described. First, when the forklift 10 is to be driven automatically and unmanned, the operator sets the switch section 66 of the changeover switch device 57 in the automatic driving unit 42 to the automatic driving position. Then, the operator performs the necessary operations on the touch panel device 56 to start automatic driving. The forklift 10 starts automatic driving and travels along a preset travel route. The forklift 10 travels while detecting obstacles around the vehicle body 11.

[0036] During unmanned driving, if the forklift 10 is operating normally, only the green light 70 of the stacked indicator light 62 remains lit. If some abnormality occurs in the forklift 10, only the yellow light 69 of the stacked indicator light 62 lights up, and if the forklift 10 is brought to an emergency stop, only the red light 68 lights up. If the emergency stop button 67 is pressed during unmanned driving, the forklift 10 will come to an emergency stop.

[0037] When the forklift 10 is being driven by an operator, the operator sets the switch unit 66 of the changeover switch device 57 in the automatic driving unit 42 to the manual driving position. The operator then sits in the driver's seat 40 and drives the forklift 10 while manned. When reversing during manned driving, the operator checks the rear. The automatic driving unit 42 is installed so that it is at or below the height of the driver's seat 40, so the automatic driving unit 42 hardly obstructs the operator's rearward field of vision. In addition, the automatic driving unit 42 is installed on the counterweight 16 so that it is located inside the outer edge of the counterweight 16 in a plan view. Therefore, when the forklift 10 is reversing or turning, it is unlikely to interfere with obstacles around the vehicle body 11.

[0038] Because the forklift 10 is equipped with a battery 19, when charging or replacing the battery, it is necessary to remove the toe board 34 and rotate the seat stand 39 rearward to stand upright, thereby opening up the space above the battery 19. When rotating the seat stand 39, the operator releases the stopper 52 and rotates the automatic driving unit 42 so that it is positioned behind the right rear pillar 33 so that the automatic driving unit installed on the counterweight 16 does not get in the way (see Figure 6). After charging or replacing the battery 19 is complete, the operator lowers the seat stand 39. After lowering the seat stand 39, the automatic driving unit 42 is rotated so that it is positioned on the counterweight 16, and the protrusion 53 is engaged with the stopper 52 to secure the automatic driving unit 42.

[0039] Incidentally, it is conceivable that maintenance work will be performed on the various devices concentrated in the automatic driving unit 42, but since the automatic driving unit 42 is installed so that it is at a height lower than the driver's seat 40, workers can easily perform the work without having to work at heights that require ladders or the like.

[0040] The forklift 10 of this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) The storage case 43 that houses the automatic driving controller 55, touch panel device 56, and emergency stop device 58 is installed on the vehicle body 11 so that it is at or below a predetermined height. Therefore, during manned operation, the automatic driving unit 42 does not obstruct the operator's field of vision, ensuring the operator's field of vision during manned operation. Furthermore, because the automatic driving unit 42 is at or below a predetermined height, maintenance work on the automatic driving unit 42 can be easily performed, resulting in excellent workability for the automatic driving unit 42.

[0041] (2) The vehicle body 11 has a vehicle body main body 12, a driver's seat 40 provided on the vehicle body main body 12, and a counterweight 16 provided at the rear of the vehicle body main body 12, and the storage case 43 is installed on the counterweight 16 and behind the driver's seat 40. Therefore, when the vehicle is driven forward by a human operator, the automatic driving unit 42 does not obstruct the operator's forward field of vision. Also, even when the vehicle is driven in reverse by a human operator, obstruction of the operator's rearward field of vision by the automatic driving unit 42 is suppressed.

[0042] (3) The storage case 43 is installed so that it is lower than the height of the driver's seat 40, so that even when the vehicle is being driven in reverse, the automatic driving unit 42 does not obstruct the operator's rearward visibility.

[0043] (4) The storage case 43 is located inside the outer edge of the counterweight 16 in a plan view, which reduces interference between the automatic driving unit 42 and obstacles around the vehicle body 11 while driving.

[0044] (5) The storage case 43 has the base 50 and the pivot shaft 51 as a displacement mechanism that allows the storage case 43 to be displaced relative to the vehicle body 11. Therefore, even when the driver's seat 40 is tilted backward, the automatic driving unit 42 can avoid interfering with the backward tilt of the driver's seat 40.

[0045] (6) The emergency stop device 58 has the emergency stop button 67 that protrudes from the surface of the housing case 43, so there is no need to provide the emergency stop button 67 on the vehicle body 11, and there is no need to process the vehicle body 11 or route wiring to attach the emergency stop button 67. In addition, because the emergency stop button 67 is provided on the housing case 43, there are almost no restrictions on the position of the emergency stop button 67, and it is expected that the position of the emergency stop button 67 will be easy to intuitively determine.

[0046] (7) The storage case 43 is equipped with stacked indicator lights 62 that light up to indicate the status of the forklift 10, so there is no need to provide stacked signal lights on the vehicle body 11, and there is no need to modify the vehicle body 11 or route wiring to install the emergency stop button 67.

[0047] (8) The automatic driving unit 42 is integrated into the box-shaped storage case 43 that houses most of the automatic driving devices, and therefore can be installed not only in the forklift 10 of this embodiment but also in other models. In other words, the automatic driving unit 42 is less dependent on the forklift model, and can be installed in many different types of forklifts, thereby increasing its versatility. Furthermore, by using the automatic driving unit 42, the manufacturing costs of the forklift 10 can be significantly reduced compared to when a dedicated counterweight is provided that can house most of the automatic driving devices.

[0048] (Second embodiment) Next, a forklift according to a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the configuration and installation position of the automatic driving unit are different from those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be referred to and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 7, the forklift 80 has an automatic driving unit 81 installed below the driver's seat 17 in the vehicle body 11. Specifically, the automatic driving unit 81 is installed so as to fit into a recess 41 formed in the front part of the seat stand 39. The automatic driving unit 81 has a storage case 82 and a group of devices for automatic driving that are collected in the storage case 82.

[0050] The storage case 82 is formed of a plurality of plate members into a shape that fits the shape of the recess 41. The automatic driving devices collected in the storage case 82 include an automatic driving controller 55, a touch panel device 56, a changeover switch device 57, a PLC unit 59, a DC-DC converter 60, a wireless communication device 61, an emergency stop receiver 63, and a hub 64. The emergency stop device 83 is provided on the counterweight 16. Furthermore, a stacked indicator light 84 is provided on the right rear pillar 33.

[0051] The forklift 80 of this embodiment has the same effects as the effects (1) and (3) of the first embodiment. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the automatic driving unit 81 is installed in the recess 41 formed in the front part of the seat stand 39, so there is no need to displace the automatic driving unit 81 relative to the vehicle body 11, eliminating the need for a displacement mechanism and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the automatic driving devices collected in the storage case include an automatic driving controller, a touch panel device, a changeover switch device, an emergency stop device, a PLC unit, a DC-DC converter, a wireless communication device, a stacked indicator light, an emergency stop receiver, and a hub, but are not limited to this. The automatic driving devices collected in the storage case may include at least an automatic driving controller, a display device, an input device, and an emergency stop device. In the first embodiment, the autonomous driving unit is displaced relative to the vehicle body so as to rotate around a pivot shaft as a fulcrum, but this is not limited to this. The autonomous driving unit may be displaced relative to the vehicle body so as to slide, for example, in the front-to-rear direction or the up-to-down direction relative to the vehicle body. In this case, a guide rail for sliding the autonomous driving unit may be provided on the vehicle body. In the first embodiment, the autonomous driving unit is installed on the counterweight so as to be located inside the outer edge of the counterweight in a plan view. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the storage case may be located inside the obstacle detection sensor provided on the counterweight in a plan view. In this case, the autonomous driving unit can protrude outside the counterweight. As a result, the storage space of the storage case can be increased and interference between the autonomous driving unit and obstacles around the vehicle body during driving can be reduced. In the above embodiment, a forklift is used as an example of an industrial vehicle, but the invention is not limited to this. The industrial vehicle may be any industrial vehicle capable of manned or unmanned travel, such as a towing vehicle, other than a forklift. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10, 80 Forklift (industrial vehicle) 11 Body 12 Body 15 Cargo handling equipment 16 Counterweight 17 Driver's seat 19 Battery 39 Seat stand 40 Driver's seat 41 Recess 42, 81 Autonomous Driving Unit 43, 82 Storage Case 50 Base (displacement mechanism) 51 Rotating axis (displacement mechanism) 55 Autonomous driving controller 56 Touch panel device (input device, display device) 57 Changeover switch device 58, 83 Emergency stop device 59 PLC unit 60 DC-DC converter 61 Radio Communication Device 62, 84 Stacked indicator lights 63 Emergency stop receiver 64 Hub 67 Emergency stop button 71 Obstacle detection sensor

Claims

1. The car body and an automatic driving unit mounted on the vehicle body and integrating a plurality of devices required for automatic driving; In industrial vehicles that can be driven by humans or autonomously, the plurality of devices, an autonomous driving controller that controls autonomous driving; a display device that displays information related to autonomous driving; an input device capable of inputting data related to autonomous driving; An emergency stop device that brings automatic operation to an emergency stop, the automatic driving unit has a housing case that houses the automatic driving controller, the display device, the input device, and the emergency stop device, An industrial vehicle characterized in that the storage case is installed on the vehicle body so that the automatic driving unit is at a height that does not obstruct the operator's field of vision when the vehicle is being driven.

2. The vehicle body is The vehicle body, a driver's seat provided in the vehicle body; a counterweight provided at the rear of the vehicle body, 2. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the storage case is installed on the counterweight and behind the operator's seat.

3. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the storage case is installed so as to be lower than the height of the operator's seat.

4. 4. The industrial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the storage case is located inside an outer edge of the counterweight in a plan view.

5. The counterweight has an obstacle detection sensor installed facing rearward, 4. The industrial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the storage case is located inside the obstacle detection sensor in a plan view.

6. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a displacement mechanism for displacing the storage case relative to the vehicle body.

7. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the emergency stop device has an emergency stop button that protrudes from the surface of the housing case.

8. 3. The industrial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the storage case is provided with stacked signal lights that light up to indicate the state of the industrial vehicle.

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