Forklift front working area visibility device

Abstract

A visual confirmation device for the front working part of a forklift is provided, which enables visual confirmation of the positional relationship with surrounding objects and enables safety confirmation. [Solution] The device comprises a video camera 11 mounted at the tip of the fork F, capable of capturing images of the scenery ahead of the fork F without interfering with the upper or lower surface of the opening when the fork F enters the opening of the pallet, a wireless transmitter 18 mounted at an appropriate position on the outer mast M2 and receiving the images captured by the video camera via a wired connection and transmitting them wirelessly via wireless communication, a video display with wireless receiver 21 mounted at a position visible to the driver and receiving and displaying the images wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmitter 18 via wireless communication, a transmitter secondary battery 19 mounted at a position close to the wireless transmitter 18 and supplying power to the video camera 11 and the wireless transmitter 18, and a vehicle-side secondary battery 22 mounted on the vehicle body and supplying power to the video display with wireless receiver 21.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a visual recognition device for a front working section of, for example, a forklift. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when using a forklift for cargo handling, the operator inserts the forks into the opening of a pallet to lift it. Because the area in front of the forks is a blind spot for the operator due to the load on the pallet, the forklift is driven in reverse to move the load on the pallet, and then rotates at the loading / unloading position to face the truck bed or the like to perform the cargo handling operation. Because of the blind spot for the operator (driver) during this cargo handling operation, there is a risk of the forklift damaging the load or harming other workers. To address this issue, a forklift front work area visualization device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The device equips the forks of the forklift with a video camera, displays the video captured by the video camera on a monitor above the front of the driver's seat, and allows the operator to check for safety in front of the forks while viewing the video, allowing the forklift to be moved without reversing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6467616 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The inventors have devised the present invention after extensive research into (1) selecting an appropriate location for attaching a video camera to an outer mast or other location that does not interfere with the operation of the forks when wirelessly transmitting video data captured by the video camera to a monitor using wireless communication such as Miracast (a registered trademark of the WIFI Alliance), (2) realizing a system that notifies the system of the destination of the cargo on the pallet, (3) devising a method for supplying power to a wireless transmitter that is mounted on an outer mast or other location and moves up and down, and (4) improving the method for attaching the video camera to the tip of the fork so that the video camera does not break down when the fork enters the pallet opening and when lifting the pallet after entering the pallet opening.

[0005] In view of the above, the present invention generally aims to provide a forklift front working part visualization device that can capture images of the front working part of the fork with a video camera and visually check its position relative to surrounding objects on a monitor in the driver's seat, thereby ensuring safety.

[0006] More specifically, the first object of the present invention is to provide a forklift front working area visualization device that can capture images of the area in front of the forks using a video camera, transmit the images to a monitor or tablet device in the driver's seat using the wireless communication standard Miracast or similar, and visually confirm the positional relationship with surrounding objects on the monitor, thereby ensuring safety.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to provide a forklift front work area visualization device that allows the wireless transmitter to be attached to an outer mast or the like in an appropriate position so as not to interfere with the operation of the forklift when video data captured by a video camera is wirelessly transmitted to a monitor.

[0008] A third object of the present invention is to provide a forklift front working section visualization device that can scan an information code (for example, a QR code (registered trademark of Denso Wave Inc.)) using a video camera attached to the tip of the fork, obtain the pallet ID, storage location ID, product ID, etc. contained in the information code, and present them to the system.

[0009] A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a fork front working part visual confirmation device that allows for innovation in the method of supplying power to a wireless transmitter including a video camera.

[0010] Furthermore, a fifth object of the present invention is to provide a forklift front working area visualization device that can improve the method of attaching a video camera to the tip of the fork so that the video camera does not malfunction when the fork enters the pallet opening, or when the pallet is lifted after entering the pallet opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, the forklift front working area visualization device according to a first aspect of the present application comprises a video camera that is attached to the tip of one of the forks of the forklift and that can capture video of the scenery in front of the fork without interfering with the upper and lower surfaces of the opening when the two forks on the left and right enter the opening of the pallet; a wireless transmitter that is attached to an appropriate position such as the outer mast of the forklift and wirelessly transmits the video captured by the video camera; a video display with a wireless receiver that is attached in a position visible to the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the forklift and receives and displays the video wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmitter; and a transmitter secondary battery that is attached in a position close to the wireless transmitter and supplies power to the video camera and the wireless transmitter.

[0012] As a second aspect of the present application, in the first aspect described above, the video camera may comprise: a camera housing that is attached to the tip surfaces of the forks and that is kept out of contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the opening when the forks enter the opening; an image sensor that is located within the opening provided in the camera housing so as to correspond to the center of the tip surfaces of the forks and that is attached to the tip surfaces of the forks and that captures an image of the scenery in front of the forks; and an objective lens that is positioned in front of the image sensor; a control board that is attached to the underside of the tip portions of the forks and is connected to the image sensor via an image transmission cable and drives the image sensor; and a pair of bumpers that are attached to the underside of the tip portions of the forks on both sides of the cable and the control board and that protect the cable and the control board from interference with the pallet.

[0013] As a third aspect of the present application, in the first aspect described above, the transmitter secondary battery may have a non-contact charging function unit and a power storage unit, and when the outer mast of the forklift is at the lowest stop position, power may be supplied contactlessly between the transmitter secondary battery and the vehicle body secondary battery via a non-contact power transmitter provided at an opposite position on the inner mast of the forklift (first embodiment).

[0014] As a fourth aspect of the present application, in the first aspect described above, the secondary battery for the transmitter may be a secondary battery, a mobile battery, a portable power source, etc. that is charged with power and is provided in an attachable / detachable manner (second embodiment).

[0015] As a fifth aspect of the present application, in any one of the above aspects 1 to 4, the video display with wireless receiver may have a scanner function that is activated when the image displayed on the screen includes an image of a two-dimensional code, and when the video camera captures the two-dimensional code attached to the edge adjacent to the entrance of the horizontal opening that receives the forks of a pallet loaded with a load to be handled by the forklift and the image is displayed on the screen, the scanner function may decode the information contained in the two-dimensional code.

[0016] As a sixth aspect of the present application, in the fifth aspect, the video display with wireless receiver may be configured to compare the information of the two-dimensional code decoded by the scanner function with table data in a memory unit or an accessible system, and display on a screen the destination of the pallet carrying the load to be handled by the forklift so that the driver can see it.

[0017] As a seventh aspect of the present application, in the above fifth aspect, the two-dimensional code may be at least one type of information including a barcode, a QR code, PDF417, and DataMatrix, and the information linked to the two-dimensional code may be at least one type of information including a pallet ID, a storage destination ID, and a product ID.

[0018] As an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the wireless receiver-equipped video display may be a monitor or a tablet terminal capable of displaying video. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the first objective is to provide a forklift front working area visualization device that can capture images of the area in front of the forks using a video camera, transmit the images to a monitor or tablet device in the driver's seat using the wireless communication standard Miracast or the like, and visually confirm the positional relationship with surrounding objects on the monitor, thereby ensuring safety.

[0020] According to the present invention, the second objective is to provide a forklift front working area visualization device that allows for the appropriate selection of the mounting height of the wireless transmitter on the outer mast, etc., so as not to interfere with the operation of the fork when wirelessly transmitting video data captured by a video camera to a monitor via wireless communication such as Miracast.

[0021] According to the present invention, the third objective is to provide a forklift front working section visualization device that can scan a two-dimensional code using a video camera attached to the tip of the fork and present the pallet ID, storage location ID, product ID, etc. contained in the two-dimensional code to the system.

[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a fork front working part visualization device that can realize the fourth objective, which is an innovative method of supplying power to a wireless transmitter that is mounted on an outer mast or the like and moves up and down.

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a forklift front working area visualization device that can improve the method of attaching a video camera to the tip of the fork so that the video camera does not break down when the fork enters the pallet opening, and when the pallet is lifted after entering the pallet opening, as the fifth objective. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a front working unit visual confirmation device for a forklift according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 6 is a side view of a device for visually checking a front working unit of a forklift according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show an example of the configuration and installation of a video camera applied to the front working part visualization device of a forklift according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, in which (A) is a view of the tip surface from the front of the fork, and (B) is a bottom view. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the tip of the forklift, the video camera, and the opening of the pallet, which can be confirmed by the forklift front working unit visualization device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A front working unit visual confirmation device for a forklift according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [First embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 1 shows a front working unit visual confirmation device 1 for a forklift according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Configuration of the forklift front working area visual confirmation device 1] The forklift front working area visualization device 1 includes a video camera 11 mounted on the tip of the fork F of the forklift FL, a wireless transmitter 18 mounted on the outer mast M2 of the forklift FL, a transmitter secondary battery 19 mounted on the outer mast M2 near the wireless transmitter 18, a non-contact power transmitter 20 mounted on the inner mast M1, a video display with wireless receiver 21 mounted in a position visible to the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the forklift FL, for example, slightly higher than the driver's horizontal line of sight, and a vehicle-side secondary battery 22 mounted in an appropriate position on the vehicle body side of the forklift FL.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the video camera 11 is mounted at the tip of one of the two forks F on the left and right sides of the forklift FL, and as shown in Figure 4, it is mounted so that when the two forks F enter the opening P1 of the pallet P, it can capture an image of the scenery in front of the forks F without interfering with the upper, lower, left, and right surfaces of the opening P1.

[0028] 3, video camera 11 has camera housing 12, image sensor 13, objective lens 14, video transmission cable 15, control board 16, and bumper 17. Video camera 11 may be provided as a single unit excluding bumper 17. However, it is not limited to being separated into left and right as shown in the figure.

[0029] The camera housing 12 is made of a material that is not easily deformed or damaged, is fixed to the tip surface of the fork F, and is thin and large enough to remain out of contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the opening P1 of the pallet P when the fork F enters the opening P1.

[0030] The image sensor 13 and the objective lens 14 located in front of the image sensor 13 are positioned inside a conical opening 12a with a vertex angle of approximately 120 degrees (provisional angle) provided in the camera housing 12 so as to correspond to the center of the tip surface of the fork F. The image sensor 13 is supported by the camera housing 12 in close proximity to the tip surface of the fork F. The image sensor 13 is preferably a CCD image sensor, but may also be a CMOS image sensor. The objective lens 14 focuses images from a wide angle in front of the image sensor 13 and allows the light to enter the image sensor 13.

[0031] The control board 16 is housed in a board case 16A and is provided on the underside of the tip of the fork F. The control board 16 is connected to the image sensor 13 via an image transmission cable 15 and drives the image sensor 13 to scan. The control board 16 transmits image data of the scenery ahead of the fork F captured by the image sensor 13 to a wireless transmitter 18 via an image data transmission line 23. From the image of the scenery ahead, the driver can judge the distance from the tip of the fork F to an object ahead, and can move the forklift FL without colliding with the object ahead.

[0032] The bumpers 17 are made of a square rod-shaped material that is resistant to damage and deformation, have a height greater than the thickness of the control board 16, and are firmly attached to the underside of the tip of the fork F in a pair on both sides of the cable 15 and the control board 16, protecting the cable 15 and the control board 16 from collision with the pallet P. Note that instead of the bumpers 17, other objects that can protect the cable 15 and the control board 16 may be provided.

[0033] 1, wireless transmitter 18 wirelessly transmits imaging data transmitted from control board 16 of video camera 11 to video display device with wireless receiver 21. Video display device with wireless receiver 21 is a monitor or tablet terminal capable of displaying video, and receives the video signal transmitted by wireless transmitter 18 and displays the video.

[0034] The wireless transmitter 18 and the video display with wireless receiver 21 are devices that support Miracast, a wireless communication method established by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Wireless transmission of image data between the wireless transmitter 18 and the video display with wireless receiver 21 is performed using a wireless communication method such as Miracast (also known as Wireless HDMI). This method is not limited to Miracast, and other methods such as Google Chromecast (a registered trademark of Google Inc.) may also be used.

[0035] The vehicle-side secondary battery 22 is provided at an appropriate position on the vehicle body of the forklift FL, for example, at the rear under the seat. The vehicle-side secondary battery 22 may be a battery in a gasoline engine vehicle or a battery in an EV vehicle, but it may also be a secondary battery with a large storage capacity, such as a lithium-ion battery, that is provided separately.

[0036] The vehicle-side secondary battery 22 supplies power to the wireless receiver-equipped video display 21 via a power feeder 24, and also supplies power to the non-contact power transmitter 20 provided on the inner mast M1 of the forklift FL via a power feeder 25. The non-contact power transmitter 20 supplies power to the transmitter secondary battery 19 provided on the outer mast M2, which has a non-contact charging function unit and a power storage unit, by non-contact transmission and charging using an electromagnetic induction method. Note that the wireless receiver-equipped video display 21 does not have to be configured to receive power from the vehicle-side secondary battery 22 via the power feeder 24 if it has a battery with the required capacity.

[0037] This embodiment employs a non-contact charging and transmission system using electromagnetic induction, which generates an induction magnetic flux between the power transmitting side and the power receiving side to charge, making it small and low-cost, and since the transmission distance is short, it is necessary to prevent misalignment. For this reason, in this embodiment, the non-contact power transmitter 20 provided on the inner mast M1 is provided at a height equal to the floor level where the driver sitting in the seat of the forklift FL places his feet, so that when the outer mast M2 of the forklift FL is at its lowest stop position, the transmitter secondary battery 19 and the outer mast M2 are exactly aligned in height and face each other, allowing for non-contact charging and transmission.

[0038] Therefore, the transmitter secondary battery 19 transmits and charges electricity to and stores electricity from the non-contact power transmitter 20, which is provided on the inner mast M1 that faces the outer mast M2 of the forklift FL when the outer mast M2 is at the lowest stop position, and receives power from the vehicle-side secondary battery 22, and supplies power to the wireless transmitter 18 and the video camera 11. Note that a power supply line that supplies power from the transmitter secondary battery 19 to the control board 16 of the video camera 11 is not shown.

[0039] The non-contact charging method is not limited to the electromagnetic induction method, but may be any of the magnetic resonance method, electric field coupling method, and radio wave receiving method, which are less susceptible to positional deviation. Also, instead of the transmitter secondary battery 19 for non-contact charging, a mobile battery or portable power source may be used.

[0040] [Scanner function of the video display with wireless receiver 21] The video display 21 with wireless receiver of the present invention is equipped with a scanner function that reads the pallet ID, storage destination ID, etc. that are linked to a two-dimensional code in the image displayed on the screen, and is configured so that the video camera 11 photographs the two-dimensional code attached to the edge of the pallet P that is adjacent to the entrance end of the horizontal opening P1 that receives the forks F of the pallet P that is loaded with the cargo to be handled by the forklift FL, and the scanner function decodes the pallet ID, storage destination ID, etc.

[0041] The video display device 21 with wireless receiver is configured to compare the pallet ID and storage destination ID decoded by the scanner function with the memory unit within the video display device 21 with wireless receiver or table data of an accessible system, and display text on the screen so that the driver can see the destination of the pallet P loaded with the cargo to be handled by the forklift FL.

[0042] The two-dimensional code is displayed in one of the following formats: barcode, QR code, PDF417, Data Matrix, etc., and contains the pallet ID, storage destination ID, product ID, etc. that are linked to the two-dimensional code. The storage destination ID is the content of the two-dimensional code attached to each stock area of ​​the pallet rack.

[0043] [Function of the forklift front working area visual confirmation device 1] The forklift's front working area visualization device 1 is equipped with a video camera 11 on the tip surface of the fork F, so that before the fork F first enters the opening P1 of the pallet P, as described above, the video camera 11 photographs the two-dimensional code attached to the edge of the pallet, and the scanner function decodes the pallet ID and storage destination ID, etc., which are compared with the memory unit within the main body of the video display device 21 with wireless receiver or table data of an accessible system, causing the video display device 21 with wireless receiver to display in text the destination of the pallet P.

[0044] Then, while watching the image on the video display 21 with wireless receiver, the operator can confirm that the tip of the fork F is facing the opening P1 of the pallet P so that it can enter the opening P1 of the pallet P without colliding with it.

[0045] Then, the video camera 11 provided on the tip surface of the fork F that has passed through the opening P1 of the pallet P continues to photograph the view ahead of the fork F, and this image can be viewed on the image display 21 with a wireless receiver. Therefore, even if the cargo on the pallet P is piled high and the driver cannot directly see the front of the cargo, the cargo on the pallet P can be transported to the designated destination without colliding with surrounding objects.

[0046] [Second embodiment of the present invention] FIG. 2 shows a front working unit visualizing device 1A for a forklift according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Configuration of the forklift front working area visual confirmation device 1A] The forklift front working area visualization device 1A includes a video camera 11A mounted on the tip of the fork F of the forklift FL, a wireless transmitter 18A mounted on the top of the outer mast M2 of the forklift FL, a transmitter secondary battery 19A mounted on the outer mast M2 near the wireless transmitter 18A, a wireless receiver-equipped video display 21A mounted in a position visible to the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the forklift FL, for example, slightly higher than the driver's eye level, and a vehicle-mounted secondary battery 22A mounted in an appropriate position on the vehicle body of the forklift FL. With the exception of the transmitter secondary battery 19A, this configuration is identical to the configuration and operation of the forklift front working area visualization device 1 of the first embodiment. Note that the wireless receiver-equipped video display 21A does not need to be configured to receive power from the vehicle-mounted secondary battery 22A via the power supply line 24A if it has a battery with the required capacity.

[0047] The device 1A for visually checking a front working part of a forklift according to the second embodiment does not have any component corresponding to the non-contact power transmitter 20 provided on the inner mast M1 according to the first embodiment.

[0048] The transmitter secondary battery 19A does not have the function of generating an induction magnetic flux between itself and the non-contact power transmitter 20 according to the first embodiment and is provided as an attachable / detachable battery, and the transmitter secondary battery 19A is attached in a fully charged state at the beginning of the forklift's operating day, so that power is supplied to the wireless transmitter 18A and the video camera 11A. Note that the transmitter secondary battery 19A is preferably a mobile battery or a portable power source.

[0049] [Function of the forklift front working area visual confirmation device 1A] The operation of the device 1A for visually checking a front working area of ​​a forklift is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0050] According to the present invention, (1) an image in front of the fork F can be acquired by the video camera 11A, and the image can be transmitted to the video display (monitor) 21A with a wireless receiver at the driver's seat using the wireless communication standard Miracast or the like, and the positional relationship with surrounding objects can be visually confirmed on the monitor or tablet terminal at the driver's seat, thereby ensuring safety; (2) the height position of the wireless transmitter 18A attached to the outer mast M2 is set to a height at which the vehicle body does not block the transmitted radio waves, so that when the image acquired by the video camera 11A is wirelessly transmitted to the video display (monitor) 21A with a wireless receiver at the driver's seat using wireless communication such as Miracast, a transmission position that does not interfere with the operation of the fork can be indicated; and (3) the video camera 11 attached to the tip of the fork F acquires a pallet ID, a storage destination ID, etc., and the acquired ID is stored in the memory unit or access point within the video display main body 21 with a wireless receiver. (4) Power can be smoothly supplied to the wireless transmitter 18A attached to the outer mast M2 of the forklift FL and to the video camera 11A attached to the tip of the fork F, (5) the camera housing of the video camera is not easily broken and is recessed from the top and left and right sides of the fork, and the image sensor 13 and objective lens 14 are housed in the camera housing, and the cable 15 and control board 16 attached to the underside of the fork are protected by bumpers 17 on both sides, so that even if the tip of the fork collides with other objects above, below, left, or right, the video camera will not collide and the housing is strong enough to be fixed to the fork, so the video camera can be safely attached to the tip of the fork without breaking. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] FL...forklift, F...fork, M1...inner mast, M2...outer mast, P...palette, P1...opening, 1...Forklift front working area visibility device, 11...Video camera, 12...Camera housing, 12a...conical opening, 13...Image sensor, 14...objective lens, 15...cable, 16...Control board, 16A...Board case, 17...bumper, 18...Radio transmitter, 19... Secondary battery for transmitter, 20... Non-contact power transmitter 21... Video display with wireless receiver, 22...Vehicle body secondary battery, 23...Video data transmission line.

Claims

1. a video camera provided at the tip of one of the forks of the forklift, capable of capturing an image of the scenery ahead of the forks when the two forks on the left and right enter the opening of the pallet without interfering with the upper and lower surfaces of the opening; a wireless transmitter that is provided at an appropriate position such as an outer mast of the forklift and wirelessly transmits the video captured by the video camera; a video display with a wireless receiver that is provided in a position visible to a driver sitting in the driver's seat of the forklift and that receives and displays the video wirelessly transmitted by the wireless transmitter; A transmitter secondary battery is provided in the vicinity of the wireless transmitter and supplies power to the video camera and the wireless transmitter. A forklift front working area visual confirmation device.

2. The video camera is a camera housing provided on the tip surface of the fork and maintained in a non-contact state with the upper and lower surfaces of the opening when the fork enters the opening of the pallet; an image sensor located in an opening provided in the camera housing so as to correspond to the center of the tip surface of the fork and provided on the tip surface of the fork for capturing an image of a scene ahead of the fork, and an objective lens located in front of the image sensor; a control board provided on the underside of the tip of the fork, connected to the image sensor via a video transmission cable, and driving the image sensor; 2. The forklift front work area visualization device according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of bumpers provided on the underside of the tip of the fork on both sides of the cable and the control board to protect the cable and the control board from collision with the pallet.

3. 2. The forklift forward working area visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter secondary battery has a non-contact charging function unit and a power storage unit, and when the outer mast of the forklift is at the lowest stop position, power is supplied contactlessly between the transmitter secondary battery and the vehicle-side secondary battery via a non-contact power transmitter provided at an opposite position on the inner mast of the forklift.

4. 2. The forklift front working area visualization device according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery for the transmitter is a rechargeable secondary battery, a mobile battery, a portable power source, or the like, which is provided in an attachable and detachable manner.

5. The forklift front working area visualization device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the video display with wireless receiver has a scanner function that is activated when a two-dimensional code image is included in the image displayed on the screen, and the video camera photographs the two-dimensional code attached to the edge adjacent to the entrance of the horizontal opening that receives the forks of a pallet loaded with a load to be handled by the forklift, and when the image is displayed on the screen, the scanner function decodes the information contained in the two-dimensional code.

6. The forklift front working area visualization device according to claim 5, wherein the video display with wireless receiver is configured to compare the information of the two-dimensional code decoded by the scanner function with table data in a memory unit or an accessible system, and display on a screen the destination of the pallet carrying the load to be handled by the forklift so that the driver can see it.

7. The forklift front working section visualization device according to claim 5, characterized in that the two-dimensional code is at least one type of information including a barcode, a QR code, PDF417, and DataMatrix, and the information linked to the two-dimensional code is at least one type of information including a pallet ID, a storage location ID, and a product ID.

8. 6. The forklift front working area visual confirmation device according to claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver-equipped video display device is a monitor or tablet terminal capable of displaying video.

Images