Fixing structure between industrial vehicles and pallets

Abstract

To provide a fixing structure between an industrial vehicle and a pallet, capable of fixing the industrial vehicle and the pallet with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: Forks 16 of an industrial vehicle are provided with fixing protrusions 32. A pallet 20 is provided with a pair of holding members 42. When the pallet 20 is supported by the forks 16, the fixing protrusions 32 are located between the pair of holding members 42. The pair of holding members 42 hold the fixing protrusions 32 by elastic force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet. [Background Art]

[0002] Industrial vehicles such as forklifts and picking lifts are provided with forks. The fork is inserted into the fork insertion hole of the pallet. In order to make it easier to insert the fork into the fork insertion hole, the size of the fork insertion hole is set to be one size larger than that of the fork. For this reason, when the pallet is supported by the fork, there is a gap between the fork and the inner surface defining the fork insertion hole. Therefore, for example, when the pallet is empty or the load placed on the pallet is light, when the industrial vehicle travels on an uneven road, the pallet may shift relative to the fork, or the load placed on the pallet may fall from the pallet. As one solution to this problem, fixing the industrial vehicle and the pallet supported by the fork of the industrial vehicle has been considered. For example, in the pallet fixing structure for a forklift described in Patent Document 1, the forklift is provided with a pair of pressure contact members that are inserted into the fork insertion hole together with the fork. The pair of pressure contact members move in the vertical direction to press against the upper surface and lower surface that define the fork insertion hole. Thereby, the forklift and the pallet are fixed. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 3729711 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] It is desired to fix an industrial vehicle and a pallet with a simpler configuration than the pallet fixing structure for a forklift described in Patent Document 1. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet to solve the above problems is a fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet supported by the forks of the industrial vehicle, comprising a fixing projection provided on one of the industrial vehicle and the pallet, and a pair of holding members provided on the other of the industrial vehicle and the pallet, wherein when the pallet is supported by the forks, the fixing projection is located between the pair of holding members, and the pair of holding members hold the fixing projection by elastic force.

[0006] According to the above configuration, when the pallet is supported by the forks, the industrial vehicle and the pallet are fixed together by fixing protrusions provided on one of the industrial vehicle and the pallet being held by a pair of retaining members provided on the other of the industrial vehicle and the pallet. Therefore, the industrial vehicle and the pallet can be fixed together with a simple configuration.

[0007] In the above-described fixing structure between the industrial vehicle and the pallet, the fixing projection may be provided on the industrial vehicle, and the pair of holding members may be provided on the pallet. In the above-described fixing structure between the industrial vehicle and the pallet, the pallet has a recessed area on the side from which the fork insertion holes into which the forks are inserted are opened, and the pair of retaining members may be housed within the recessed area.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the pair of retaining members are housed in a receiving recess provided on the side of the pallet. Therefore, the fixing projection can be inserted between the pair of retaining members through the opening of the receiving recess. Thus, the fixing projection can be inserted between the pair of retaining members at the same time as the fork is inserted into the fork insertion hole. In addition, the driver of the industrial vehicle can easily grasp the position of the pair of retaining members on the pallet. Therefore, aligning the fixing projection with respect to the pair of retaining members becomes easier. Furthermore, since the pair of retaining members do not protrude from the side of the pallet, the fork can be inserted all the way to the base into the fork insertion hole. Thus, the fork can stably support the pallet.

[0009] In the above-described fixing structure between the industrial vehicle and the pallet, the receiving recess is located above the fork insertion hole, and the space between the pair of holding members may be in communication with the fork insertion hole.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the space between the pair of retaining members communicates with the fork insertion hole. Therefore, when fixing an industrial vehicle to a pallet, the fixing projection can be inserted between the pair of retaining members by first inserting the fixing projection into the fork insertion hole along with the fork, and then raising the fork. In this case, it is not necessary to finely adjust the height of the fork, as is required when inserting the fixing projection between the pair of retaining members at the same time as inserting the fork into the fork insertion hole, thus improving work efficiency.

[0011] When releasing the industrial vehicle from the pallet, the forks can be lowered to pull the fixing protrusion out from between the pair of retaining members, and then move it into the fork insertion hole. In this case, the pallet is less likely to shift relative to the forks than when the fixing protrusion is pulled out from between the pair of retaining members at the same time as the forks are pulled out from the fork insertion hole.

[0012] In the above-described fixing structure between the industrial vehicle and the pallet, the portion of the holding member that contacts the fixing projection may be a ball. According to the above configuration, the fixed protrusion can be smoothly inserted between the pair of holding members both when inserting the fixed protrusion between the pair of holding members through the opening of the accommodation recess, and when inserting the fixed protrusion between the pair of holding members through the fork insertion hole.

Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, an industrial vehicle and a pallet can be fixed with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a forklift. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing a part of a pallet. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a convex-side fixing member attached to a fork. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a pallet and a concave-side fixing member. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view showing a concave-side fixing member. [Figure 6] It is a rear view showing the concave-side fixing member accommodated in the accommodation recess of the pallet. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view showing a fixing structure between a forklift and a pallet. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view showing a fixing structure between a forklift and a pallet. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram of a method for fixing a forklift and a pallet. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram of a method for fixing a forklift and a pallet. [Figure 11] It is a side view showing a forklift to which a sleeve fork is attached. [Figure 12] It is a perspective view showing a sleeve fork to which a convex-side fixing member is attached. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view showing a picking lift to which a convex-side fixing member is attached.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying a fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. The industrial vehicle of the present embodiment is a forklift. In the following description, "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" are defined based on the state where the driver of the forklift faces the front of the vehicle (forward direction).

[0016] <Basic Configuration of Forklift> As shown in FIG. 1, the forklift 10 includes a vehicle body 11 and a cargo handling device 12 provided at a front portion of the vehicle body 11. The cargo handling device 12 includes an outer mast 13, an inner mast 14, a lift bracket 15, and a pair of forks 16. The inner mast 14 is provided so as to be liftable relative to the outer mast 13. The lift bracket 15 is provided so as to be liftable relative to the inner mast 14. The pair of forks 16 are attached to the lift bracket 15. The pair of forks 16 are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction. When the forklift 10 is viewed from the left-right direction, the fork 16 is L-shaped. The fork 16 includes a first fork component 17 extending in the vertical direction, and a second fork component 18 extending forward from the lower end of the first fork component 17.

[0017] <Basic Configuration of Pallet> As shown in FIG. 2, the pallet 20 is a flat plate. A pair of fork insertion holes 21 are formed in the pallet 20. The pair of fork insertion holes 21 are arranged at an interval in a first direction X orthogonal to the thickness direction of the pallet 20. Each fork insertion hole 21 extends in a second direction Y orthogonal to both the thickness direction of the pallet 20 and the first direction X.

[0018] The second fork components 18 of the pair of forks 16 are inserted into the pair of fork insertion holes 21. At this time, the front surface 17a of the lower end of the first fork component 17 of the fork 16 and the side surface 20a of the pallet 20 through which the fork insertion holes 21 open are opposite each other in the front-rear direction. Also, the upper surface 18a of the second fork component 18 of the fork 16 and the upper surface 21a that demarcates the fork insertion holes 21 are opposite each other in the up-down direction. When the pair of forks 16 inserted into the pair of fork insertion holes 21 rise, the pallet 20 is lifted by being supported by the pair of forks 16.

[0019] To facilitate insertion of the second fork component 18 into the fork insertion hole 21, the size of the fork insertion hole 21 is set to be slightly larger than that of the second fork component 18. More specifically, the dimensions of the fork insertion hole 21 in the first direction X are set to be larger than the width of the second fork component 18. The dimensions of the fork insertion hole 21 in the thickness direction of the pallet 20 are set to be larger than the thickness of the second fork component 18.

[0020] <Securing structure between forklift and pallet> As shown in Figure 1, a convex fixing member 30 is attached to the forklift 10. In this embodiment, the convex fixing member 30 is attached to each of the pair of forks 16. The convex fixing member 30 is attached to the front surface 17a of the lower end of the first fork component 17.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the convex fixing member 30 has a plate-shaped mounting portion 31 and a fixing projection 32 that protrudes from the mounting portion 31. The mounting portion 31 is fixed to the front surface 17a of the first fork component 17 by a bolt (not shown). As a result, the fixing projection 32 is provided on the forklift 10. The fixing projection 32 protrudes forward from the first fork component 17. The pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixing projection 32 are curved surfaces that curve to conform to the shape of the ball 42b, which will be described later.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the pallet 20 is provided with a housing recess 22. In this embodiment, the housing recess 22 is provided in a position corresponding to each of the pair of fork insertion holes 21 in the first direction X of the pallet 20. The housing recess 22 is recessed from the side surface 20a of the pallet 20 through which the fork insertion holes 21 open. The housing recess 22 is located above the fork insertion holes 21. A recessed fixing member 40 is housed in each housing recess 22. In Figure 2, one recessed fixing member 40 in the state housed in the housing recess 22 and one recessed fixing member 40 before being housed in the housing recess 22 are shown.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, the pallet 20 has an intervening wall 23 located between the fork insertion hole 21 and the receiving recess 22. The intervening wall 23 is provided with a communication portion 23a that penetrates the intervening wall 23 in the thickness direction of the pallet 20. The fork insertion hole 21 and the receiving recess 22 are in communication with each other via the communication portion 23a.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the recessed fixing member 40 is a ball catch. The recessed fixing member 40 has a housing 41 and a pair of retaining members 42. The housing 41 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped. The housing 41 has a pair of first wall portions 51 that are paired in the first direction X, a pair of second wall portions 52 that are paired in the second direction Y, and a pair of third wall portions 53 that are paired in the thickness direction of the pallet 20.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the outer surfaces of the pair of first wall portions 51 and the pair of third wall portions 53 face the inner surfaces that define the receiving recess 22. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, of the pair of second wall portions 52, the outer surface of one second wall portion 52 faces the inner bottom surface that defines the receiving recess 22, while the outer surface of the other second wall portion 52 is on the same plane as the side surface 20a of the pallet 20.

[0026] The housing 41 has a fixed recess 41a that is recessed from a second wall portion 52 located on the same plane as the side surface 20a of the pallet 20. The fixed recess 41a is also open to the top and bottom of the housing 41. The housing 41 has a pair of partition walls 54 that demarcate the fixed recess 41a and face the first direction X. Through holes 54a are formed in each partition wall 54.

[0027] Each retaining member 42 has an elastic portion 42a and a ball 42b. In this embodiment, the elastic portion 42a is a spring. The elastic portion 42a is located inside the housing 41. The first end of the elastic portion 42a of one retaining member 42 is connected to the inner surface 51a of one first wall portion 51. The first end of the elastic portion 42a of the other retaining member 42 is connected to the inner surface 51a of the other first wall portion 51. The ball 42b is connected to the second end of the elastic portion 42a. A portion of the ball 42b is exposed into the fixed recess 41a through the through hole 54a.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pair of retaining members 42 are positioned opposite each other at a distance in the first direction X. The distance between the pair of retaining members 42 when each elastic portion 42a is at its natural length is smaller than the width of the fixing projection 32. The space S between the pair of retaining members 42 is located within the fixing recess 41a.

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, when the recessed fixing member 40 is housed in the receiving recess 22 of the pallet 20, the recessed fixing member 40 is supported by the intervening wall 23. The fixing recess 41a opens on the side surface 20a of the pallet 20. Therefore, the space S between the pair of holding members 42 located within the fixing recess 41a communicates with the space on the side of the side surface 20a of the pallet 20. In this embodiment, the fixing recess 41a also communicates with the fork insertion hole 21 via the communication portion 23a. Therefore, the space S between the pair of holding members 42 located within the fixing recess 41a also communicates with the fork insertion hole 21 via the communication portion 23a.

[0030] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, with the pallet 20 supported by the forks 16, the fixed projection 32 is located between the pair of holding members 42. At this time, the pair of holding members 42 are pushed apart by the fixed projection 32, so that each elastic portion 42a is contracted to its natural length. Therefore, one holding member 42 presses the fixed projection 32 toward the other holding member 42 by the elastic force of its elastic portion 42a. The other holding member 42 also presses the fixed projection 32 toward the first holding member 42 by the elastic force of its elastic portion 42a. As a result, the fixed projection 32 is held between the pair of holding members 42. In other words, the pair of holding members 42 hold the fixed projection 32 by the elastic force of their elastic portions 42a.

[0031] In this state, with the pallet 20 supported by the forks 16, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 are fixed together by the fixing projection 32 provided on the forklift 10 being held by a pair of holding members 42 provided on the pallet 20.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the pair of holding members 42 are holding the fixed projection 32, the ball 42b is in contact with the fixed projection 32. In other words, the portion of the holding member 42 that contacts the fixed projection 32 is the ball 42b. Furthermore, the ball 42b of the pair of holding members 42 and the pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixed projection 32 are in surface contact.

[0033] <Methods for securing and releasing a forklift and a pallet> First, let's explain how to secure the forklift 10 to the pallet 20. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the operator of the forklift 10 first inserts the second fork component 18 of the fork 16 into the fork insertion hole 21 of the pallet 20. If the second fork component 18 is located towards the bottom within the fork insertion hole 21, when the second fork component 18 is inserted into the fork insertion hole 21 to its base, the fixing projection 32 is also inserted into the fork insertion hole 21. The fixing projection 32 is located below the communication portion 23a within the fork insertion hole 21.

[0034] The operator of the forklift 10 then raises the forks 16 to support the pallet 20 with the forks 16. As the forks 16 are raised, the fixing projections 32 attached to the forks 16 also rise. As described above, the space S between the pair of retaining members 42 communicates with the fork insertion hole 21 via the communication portion 23a. Therefore, as the fixing projections 32 rise with the forks 16, they pass through the communication portion 23a and are inserted between the pair of retaining members 42 while compressing the pair of elastic portions 42a. As a result, the fixing projections 32 are held by the pair of retaining members 42. Consequently, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 supported by the forks 16 are fixed together.

[0035] The method of securing the forklift 10 to the pallet 20 is not limited to the method described above. The operator of the forklift 10 may adjust the height of the forks 16 before inserting the forks 16 into the fork insertion holes 21 so that the upper surface 18a of the second fork component 18 is positioned slightly below the upper surface 21a that defines the fork insertion holes 21. In this case, the fixing projection 32 is located behind the space S between the pair of retaining members 42. The operator of the forklift 10 then moves the forklift 10 forward to insert the forks 16 into the fork insertion holes 21. At the same time that the forks 16 are inserted into the fork insertion holes 21, the fixing projection 32 is inserted between the pair of retaining members 42 through the opening of the housing recess 22, thereby securing the forklift 10 to the pallet 20.

[0036] Next, we will explain how to release the forklift 10 from its fixed position to the pallet 20. The operator of the forklift 10 lowers the forks 16. As the forks 16 are lowered, the fixing projection 32 attached to the forks 16 also lowers. As a result, the fixing projection 32 is pulled out from between the pair of retaining members 42 and is no longer held by the pair of retaining members 42. Therefore, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 are released from their fixed position. The fixing projection 32 then passes through the communication section 23a and moves into the fork insertion hole 21. After that, the operator of the forklift 10 pulls the forks 16 out of the fork insertion hole 21. At this time, the fixing projection 32 is also pulled out of the fork insertion hole 21.

[0037] The method for releasing the forklift 10 from the pallet 20 is not limited to the method described above. The operator of the forklift 10 may reverse the forklift 10 while the forks 16 are inserted into the fork insertion holes 21 and the fixing projection 32 is held by the pair of holding members 42. In this case, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 are released when the forks 16 are pulled out of the fork insertion holes 21 and the fixing projection 32 is pulled out from between the pair of holding members 42.

[0038] [Operation and Effects of This Embodiment] The operation and effects of this embodiment will now be explained. (1) The forklift 10 is provided with a fixing projection 32. The pallet 20 is provided with a pair of holding members 42. When the pallet 20 is supported by the forks 16, the fixing projection 32 is located between the pair of holding members 42. The pair of holding members 42 hold the fixing projection 32 by elastic force.

[0039] In this configuration, when the pallet 20 is supported by the forks 16, the fixing projection 32 provided on the forklift 10 is held by a pair of holding members 42 provided on the pallet 20, thereby fixing the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 together. Therefore, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 can be fixed together with a simple configuration.

[0040] (2) The pallet 20 has a recessed area 22 that is recessed from the side surface 20a through which the fork insertion hole 21 is opened. The pair of retaining members 42 are housed within the recessed area 22. Therefore, the fixing projection 32 can be inserted between the pair of retaining members 42 through the opening of the recessed area 22. Thus, the fixing projection 32 can be inserted between the pair of retaining members 42 at the same time as the fork 16 is inserted into the fork insertion hole 21. In addition, the operator of the forklift 10 can easily grasp the position of the pair of retaining members 42 on the pallet 20. Thus, it becomes easy to align the fixing projection 32 with respect to the pair of retaining members 42. Furthermore, since the pair of retaining members 42 do not protrude from the side surface 20a of the pallet 20, the fork 16 can be inserted into the fork insertion hole 21 all the way to the base. Thus, the fork 16 can stably support the pallet 20.

[0041] (3) The receiving recess 22 is located above the fork insertion hole 21. The space S between the pair of holding members 42 is in communication with the fork insertion hole 21 via the communication portion 23a of the intervening wall 23 located between the fork insertion hole 21 and the receiving recess 22. Therefore, when fixing the forklift 10 and the pallet 20, the fixing projection 32 can be inserted between the pair of holding members 42 by inserting the fixing projection 32 into the fork insertion hole 21 together with the fork 16, and then raising the fork 16. In this case, it is not necessary to finely adjust the height of the fork 16 as when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of holding members 42 from the opening of the receiving recess 22, thus improving work efficiency.

[0042] When releasing the forklift 10 from the pallet 20, the forks 16 can be lowered to pull the fixing projection 32 out from between the pair of holding members 42, and then move it into the fork insertion hole 21. In this case, the pallet 20 is less likely to shift relative to the forks 16 than when the fixing projection 32 is pulled out from between the pair of holding members 42 at the same time as the forks 16 are pulled out from the fork insertion hole 21.

[0043] (4) The portion of the retaining member 42 that contacts the fixing projection 32 is a ball 42b. Therefore, in both cases, when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of retaining members 42 from the opening of the housing recess 22, and when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of retaining members 42 from the fork insertion hole 21, the fixing projection 32 can be smoothly inserted between the pair of retaining members 42.

[0044] (5) When fixing the pallet 20 by pressing a pressure-fitting member against the inner surface that partitions the fork insertion hole 21, as in the prior art, the industrial vehicle requires space to mount the pressure-fitting member and the drive means for the pressure-fitting member. For this reason, it is difficult to apply to forklifts 10 where it is difficult to secure mounting space. In contrast, the fixing structure between the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 of this embodiment does not require a large mounting space, and therefore can be applied to forklifts 10 where it is difficult to secure mounting space.

[0045] (6) The convex fixing member 30 and the concave fixing member 40 can be commercially available products. Therefore, a fixing structure between the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 can be realized at low cost. (7) For example, if the pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixing projection 32 are flat surfaces, the fixing projection 32 and the ball 42b will be in point contact when the fixing projection 32 is held by the pair of holding members 42. In contrast, the pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixing projection 32 in this embodiment are curved surfaces that conform to the shape of the ball 42b. Therefore, when the fixing projection 32 is held by the pair of holding members 42, the fixing projection 32 and the ball 42b will be in surface contact. Consequently, the fixing projection 32 will be held more firmly by the pair of holding members 42. As a result, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 can be fixed more firmly.

[0046] (8) The pallet 20 has an intervening wall 23 located between the fork insertion hole 21 and the receiving recess 22. The recessed fixing member 40 is supported by the intervening wall 23 when it is housed in the receiving recess 22. Therefore, when the fixing projection 32 is pulled out from between the pair of holding members 42 by lowering the fixing projection 32 together with the fork 16, the recessed fixing member 40 is less likely to come out of the receiving recess 22.

[0047] (9) The fixing projection 32 is provided on each of the pair of forks 16. The pair of retaining members 42 are provided at positions corresponding to each of the pair of fork insertion holes 21. Therefore, the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 can be fixed more securely than when the fixing projection 32 is provided on one of the forks 16 and the pair of retaining members 42 are provided at positions corresponding to one of the fork insertion holes 21.

[0048] [Example of changes] The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0049] ○ In the above embodiment, the forklift 10 was provided with a fixing projection 32 and the pallet 20 was provided with a pair of holding members 42. However, the forklift 10 may be provided with a pair of holding members 42 and the pallet 20 may be provided with a fixing projection 32. In other words, it is sufficient for one of the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 to be provided with a fixing projection 32, and the other of the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 to be provided with a pair of holding members 42.

[0050] ○ In the above embodiment, the fixing projection 32 was provided on the forklift 10 by attaching the convex fixing member 30 to the forklift 10, but the fixing projection 32 may be integrally formed with the fork 16. In this case, the mounting portion 31 becomes unnecessary.

[0051] When a pair of retaining members 42 are provided on the forklift 10, the recessed fixing member 40 may be attached to the forklift 10, or the pair of retaining members 42 may be attached directly to the forklift 10.

[0052] ○ In the above embodiment, the pair of retaining members 42 were provided on the pallet 20 by attaching the recessed fixing member 40 to the pallet 20, but the pair of retaining members 42 may be directly attached to the pallet 20. For example, the pair of retaining members 42 are attached to the inner surface that partitions the receiving recess 22 and faces the first direction X.

[0053] When a fixing projection 32 is provided on the pallet 20, the projection-side fixing member 30 may be attached to the pallet 20, or the fixing projection 32 may be integrally formed with the pallet 20. Preferably, the fixing projection 32 is located within the receiving recess 22. In this case, the same effect as effect (2) of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0054] ○ The pair of retaining members 42 may also be provided on the side of the pallet 20 that is opposite to the side surface 20a. ○ In addition to the pair of fork insertion holes 21 in the above embodiment, the pallet 20 may further have a pair of fork insertion holes extending in a first direction X and aligned in a second direction Y. In this case, it is preferable that the pair of holding members 42 are also provided at positions corresponding to the pair of fork insertion holes extending in the first direction X and aligned in the second direction Y.

[0055] ○ The pallet 20 does not necessarily have to be provided with a receiving recess 22. In this case, the recessed fixing member 40 is attached to the side surface 20a of the pallet 20. ○ The fixing projection 32 may be provided on only one of the pair of forks 16, and the pair of holding members 42 may be provided only at the position corresponding to the fork insertion hole 21 into which the fork 16 with the fixing projection 32 is inserted.

[0056] ○ When the pallet 20 is supported by the forks 16, if the fixing projection 32 is located between the pair of holding members 42, the positions in which the fixing projection 32 and the pair of holding members 42 are provided with respect to the forklift 10 and the pallet 20 may be changed as appropriate.

[0057] For example, the upper surface 18a of the second fork component 18 of the fork 16 may be provided with a fixing projection 32 and one of the pair of holding members 42, while the upper surface 21a of the pallet 20 that partitions the fork insertion hole 21 may be provided with the fixing projection 32 and the other of the pair of holding members 42.

[0058] For example, the fixing projection 32 and one of the pair of retaining members 42 may be provided on the front of the backrest of the forklift 10, while the fixing projection 32 and the other of the pair of retaining members 42 may be provided on the side surface 20a of the pallet 20.

[0059] ○ The pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixing projection 32 do not have to be curved surfaces that conform to the shape of the ball 42b. The pair of side surfaces 32a of the fixing projection 32 may be, for example, flat surfaces. In this case, each side surface 32a of the fixing projection 32 and the ball 42b of each holding member 42 will be in point contact.

[0060] ○ The retaining member 42 does not necessarily have to have a ball 42b. ○ Each retaining member 42 does not necessarily have to have an elastic portion 42a. The pair of retaining members 42 may share one elastic portion as long as they can hold the fixed projection 32 by elastic force.

[0061] ○ The elastic part 42a is not limited to a spring. The elastic part 42a may be a leaf spring or a rubber member, as long as the pair of retaining members 42 can hold the fixed projection 32 by elastic force. ○ The concave fixing member 40 does not have to be a ball catch. The concave fixing member 40 may be, for example, a roller catch in which the part that contacts the fixing protrusion 32 of the holding member 42 is a roller.

[0062] For example, when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of holding members 42 through the opening of the receiving recess 22, it is preferable that the recessed fixing member 40 be provided on the forklift 10 or pallet 20 such that the axial direction of the roller extends in the vertical direction. In this case, the fixing projection 32 can be smoothly inserted between the pair of holding members 42.

[0063] For example, when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of holding members 42 through the fork insertion hole 21, it is preferable that the recessed fixing member 40 be provided on the forklift 10 or pallet 20 such that the axial direction of the roller extends in the front-rear direction. In this case, the fixing projection 32 can be smoothly inserted between the pair of holding members 42.

[0064] The portion of the holding member 42 that contacts the fixing projection 32 does not have to be a ball 42b or a roller. The portion of the holding member 42 that contacts the fixing projection 32 may be, for example, a rectangular block.

[0065] For example, when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of retaining members 42 through the opening of the receiving recess 22, it is preferable that the fixing projection 32 is cylindrical in shape with its axial direction extending vertically. In this case, the fixing projection 32 can be smoothly inserted between the pair of retaining members 42.

[0066] For example, when inserting the fixing projection 32 between the pair of holding members 42 from the fork insertion hole 21, it is preferable that the fixing projection 32 is cylindrical in shape with its axial direction extending in the front-rear direction. In this case, the fixing projection 32 can be smoothly inserted between the pair of holding members 42.

[0067] ○ The pallet 20 does not necessarily have an intervening wall 23 located between the fork insertion hole 21 and the receiving recess 22. The receiving recess 22 may be in direct communication with the fork insertion hole 21 by opening at the upper surface 21a that partitions the fork insertion hole 21. In this case, the space S between the pair of holding members 42 is in direct communication with the fork insertion hole 21. Therefore, the same effect as effect (3) of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0068] ○ When the fixing projection 32 is inserted between the pair of retaining members 42 through the opening of the receiving recess 22, the intervening wall 23 does not need to have a communication portion 23a formed thereon. ○ As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the forklift 10 may have a sheath fork 19 attached to the fork 16. The sheath fork 19 has an insertion opening 19a into which the second fork component 18 is inserted. In this case, the convex fixing member 30 is attached to the portion of the upper surface 19b of the sheath fork 19 that is close to the insertion opening 19a.

[0069] ○ Industrial vehicles are not limited to forklifts. As shown in Figure 13, the industrial vehicle may be a picking lift 60. The picking lift 60 comprises a vehicle body 61, a lifting section 62, and a mast device 63.

[0070] The vehicle body 61 has a main body 64 and a pair of legs 65. The main body 64 is located at the front of the picking lift 60. The pair of legs 65 extend rearward from the main body 64. The lifting section 62 is located at the rear of the picking lift 60. The lifting section 62 has a driver's cab 66, a pair of forks 67, and a wall section 68. The driver's cab 66 is the part where the passengers of the picking lift 60 sit. The driver's cab 66 is located between the pair of legs 65. The pair of forks 67 extend rearward from the driver's cab 66. The pair of forks 67 are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The wall section 68 is erected above the front of the driver's cab 66. The mast device 63 is located between the main body 64 of the vehicle body 61 and the wall section 68 of the lifting section 62. The lifting section 62 is raised and lowered by the mast device 63.

[0071] In this case, the convex fixing member 30 is attached to the rear end surface 66a of the driver's cab 66. The fixing projection 32 protrudes rearward from the rear end surface 66a of the driver's cab 66. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10...Forklift as an industrial vehicle, 16...Fork, 20...Pallet, 20a...Side, 21...Fork insertion hole, 22...Retaining recess, 32...Fixing protrusion, 42...Holding member, 42b...Ball, S...Space.

Claims

1. A fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet supported by the forks of the industrial vehicle, A fixing projection is provided on either the industrial vehicle or the pallet, A pair of retaining members provided on the other side of the industrial vehicle and the pallet, Equipped with, With the pallet supported by the fork, the fixing projection is located between the pair of holding members, and the pair of holding members hold the fixing projection by elastic force. The aforementioned fixed protrusion is provided on the industrial vehicle, and the pair of holding members are provided on the pallet. The pallet has a recessed area on the side from which the fork insertion hole into which the fork is inserted is opened, The pair of retaining members are housed in the housing recess, The aforementioned receiving recess is located above the fork insertion hole, A fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet, characterized in that the space between the pair of holding members is in communication with the fork insertion hole.

2. The fixing structure for an industrial vehicle and a pallet according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the holding member that contacts the fixing projection is a ball.

Images