Forklift and control method for forklift

Abstract

The present application provides a forklift and a control method for a forklift. The forklift comprises a forklift body, at least one fork arm, at least one load wheel, and a driving assembly. Each fork arm is movably arranged on the forklift body. Each load wheel is rotatably arranged below a corresponding fork arm. The driving assembly is arranged on the forklift body, is connected to the fork arm and the load wheel, and is used for: when driving the fork arm to lift relative to the forklift body, driving the load wheel to move away from the fork arm so as to bring the load wheel in contact with the ground, and, when driving the fork arm to lower relative to the forklift body, driving the load wheel to move close to the fork arm.

Description

A FORKLIFT AND A FORKLIFT CONTROL METHOD CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0000] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311509989.4 filed on November 13, 2023, all of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0001] The present application relates to the field of cargo transportation technology, and more particularly to a forklift and a forklift control method.

[0002] When the forklift is inserted into the pallet hole of the pallet, the load wheel at the bottom of the fork arm will rub against the pallet.

[0003] An embodiment of the present application provides a forklift, comprising: a forklift body; at least one fork arm, each of the fork arms being movably disposed on the forklift body; at least one load wheel, each of the load wheels being rotatably disposed below the corresponding fork arm; and a drive assembly, respectively connected to the fork arm and the load wheel, for driving the load wheel away from the fork arm when the fork arm is driven to rise relative to the forklift body so that the load wheel contacts the ground, and / or driving the load wheel closer to the fork arm when the fork arm is driven to descend relative to the forklift body.

[0004] An embodiment of the present application provides a forklift control method, which is applied to a forklift comprising a forklift body, at least one fork arm and at least one load wheel, wherein each of the at least one fork arm is movably arranged on the forklift body, and each of the at least one load wheel is rotatably arranged under the corresponding fork arm, and the method comprises: when the fork arm rises relative to the forklift body, synchronously driving the load wheel away from the fork arm to contact the ground; and / or when the fork arm descends relative to the forklift body, synchronously driving the load wheel to leave the ground and move closer to the fork arm.

[0005] The driving assembly of the forklift in the embodiment of the present application drives the fork arm to rise and fall, and drives the load wheel away from or close to the fork arm at the same time. During the operation of the forklift, when the forklift picks up a pallet, the driving assembly drives the fork arm to fall, and also synchronously drives the load wheel to leave the ground and move closer to the fork arm, so that the fork arm has more room for movement when entering the pallet hole to avoid friction with the pallet. When the forklift is transporting pallets and goods, the driving assembly drives the fork arm to rise, and also synchronously drives the load wheel away from the fork arm and contacts the ground, so that the load wheel provides more support for the forklift body and the goods. Through such a setting, the load wheel leaves the ground and is retracted to the fork arm when the fork arm is lowered, and is away from the fork arm and contacts the ground when the fork arm is raised, thereby realizing the synchronization of the movements of the fork arm and the load wheel, reducing the time for the forklift to enter the pallet, and at the same time, the load wheel is lowered in time when the goods are transported-OZ rr 708, ] ] ] Provide support for the forklift and the goods more quickly. rL rL rL Description of the drawings [06J One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by the pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements. Unless otherwise specified, the figures in the drawings do not constitute a scale limitation. FIG. 1 is a first structural schematic diagram of a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2 is a second structural schematic diagram of a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a third structural schematic diagram of a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 5A is a structural schematic diagram of a forklift assembly and a transmission mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 5B is a structural schematic diagram of a driving arm provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a forklift assembly and a transmission mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 7 is a fourth structural schematic diagram of a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 8 is a fifth structural schematic diagram of a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 9 is a first structural schematic diagram of a mounting frame and a load wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 2. FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a transmission arm provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of part C in Fig. 1. Fig. 13 is an enlarged view of part D in Fig. 8. 1 Correction sheet (Article 91) ISA / SG

[0021] FIG. 14 is a second structural schematic diagram of the mounting frame and the load wheel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG. 15 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a forklift provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] Description of Figure Numbers: 100, forklift; 11, forklift body; 111, slide; 112, steering wheel; 113, balance wheel; 114, control button; 115, emergency stop button; 116, tricolor light; 117, clearance light; 118, control panel; 119, radiator; 12, fork assembly; 121, fork arm; 1211, first connection end; 1212, fork pick-up end; 1214, shell; 12141, receiving groove; 1215, support arm; 122, load wheel; 1221, differential wheel; 123, mounting portion; 1231, mounting hole; 124, first obstacle avoidance sensor; 125, base; 126, first motor; 127, second motor; 13, Driving assembly; 131, mounting frame; 1311, swing end; 13111, fork; 13112, platform; 1312, movable end; 1313, first articulated portion; 13131, first articulated hole; 13132, first articulated shaft; 132, transmission mechanism; 1321, driving arm; 13211, first connecting rod; 13212, screw rod; 13213, second connecting rod; 13214, first articulated end; 13215, second articulated end; 1322, transmission arm; 13221, third articulated end; 13222, fixed end; 13223, second articulated portion; 132231, second articulated shaft; 132232, second articulated hole; 133, power mechanism; 1331, lifting device; 13311, cylinder; 13312, first movable shaft; 13313, second movable shaft; 1332, sliding frame; 13321, sliding wheel; 14, auxiliary support assembly; 141, directional wheel; 142, mounting table; 15, guide assembly; 151, guide shaft; 152, guide shaft sleeve; 16, second obstacle avoidance sensor; 17, cantilever; 171, suspension end; 172, second connection end; 18, column; 181, third connection end; 182, fourth connection end; 19, 3D laser radar. Specific implementation method

[0024] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application is described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as "connected" to another element, it can be directly on the other element, or there can be one or more centered elements between them. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "upper", "lower ... The directions or positional relationships indicated by “right”, “upper end”, “lower end”, “top” and “bottom” are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of TFs.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of this application. The terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not used to limit this application.

[0026] When a forklift is inserted into the pallet hole of a pallet, the load wheel at the bottom of the fork arm will rub against the pallet. Over time, this will cause damage to the pallet and affect the service life of the pallet.

[0027] In the actual operation of the forklift, when the first power mechanism controls the fork arm to extend into the pallet hole of the pallet, the second power mechanism controls the load wheel to retract toward the bottom of the fork arm to avoid friction with the bottom of the pallet; when the first power mechanism controls the fork arm to be inserted to the specified position, the second power mechanism controls the load wheel to move away from the fork arm and contact the ground to assist in supporting the forklift. This solution uses different power mechanisms to drive the lifting and lowering of the fork arm and the movement of the load wheel respectively. Since there is a certain time difference between the lifting and lowering of the fork arm and the swinging of the load wheel, the synchronization between the fork arm and the load wheel is poor, which increases the time cost of the fork arm entering the fork and the design cost of the power system.

[0028] An embodiment of the present application provides a forklift, and the types of forklifts include but are not limited to manual forklifts, electric forklifts, automatic guided vehicle (Automatic Guided Vehicle, AVG) forklifts, etc.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 1 , a forklift 100 according to an embodiment of the present application includes a forklift body 11, at least one fork arm 121, at least one load wheel 122, and a drive assembly 13. Each fork arm 121 is movably disposed on the forklift body 11. Each load wheel 122 is rotatably disposed below the fork arm 121. The drive assembly 13 is respectively connected to the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122. The drive assembly 13 is used to synchronously drive the load wheel 122 away from the fork arm 121 when the fork arm 121 is driven to rise relative to the forklift body 11, so that the load wheel 122 contacts the ground, and / or synchronously drive the load wheel 122 to approach the fork arm 121 when the fork arm 121 is driven to descend relative to the forklift body 11, so that the load wheel 122 is away from the ground. In this embodiment, the drive assembly 13 is disposed on the forklift body 11.

[0030] The working principle of the forklift 100 of this embodiment is as follows: the forklift 100 is provided with a driving assembly 13, and the driving assembly 13 drives the fork arm 121 to rise and fall, and drives the load wheel 122 to move away from or approach the fork arm 121. During the operation of the forklift 100, when the forklift 100 forks a pallet, the driving assembly 13 drives the fork arm 121 to descend, and also synchronously drives the load wheel 122 to leave the ground and approach the fork arm 121, so that the fork arm 121 has more room for movement when entering the pallet hole, and avoids friction with the pallet. When the forklift 100 transports a pallet and cargo, the driving assembly 13 drives the fork arm 121 to rise, and also synchronously drives the load wheel 122 to move away from the fork arm 121 and contact the ground, so that the load wheel 122 provides support for the forklift body 11 and the cargo.

[0031] It can be understood that the present embodiment uses a driving assembly 13 to drive the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122. When the fork arm 121 rises relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is moved away from the fork arm 121 and contacts the ground. When the fork arm 121 descends relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is moved away from the ground and moves closer to the fork arm 121. Thus, the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122 are synchronized in their movements, which reduces the time for the forklift 100 to enter the pallet. At the same time, when the fork arm 121 is transporting goods, the load wheel 122 is lowered in time, so as to provide support for the forklift 100 and the goods more quickly.

[0032] In some embodiments, the forklift 100 includes a fork assembly 12, the fork assembly 12 includes the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122, and a load wheel 122 is disposed below at least one fork arm 121. A single load wheel 122 may be disposed below the fork arm 121, or a plurality of load wheels 122 may form a wheel group and be disposed below the same fork arm 121, which is not limited here.

[0033] In the forklift 100 of the present embodiment, there are two fork arms 121 and two load wheels 122. The two fork arms 121 are arranged on the forklift body 11 at intervals. The two load wheels 122 correspond to the two fork arms 121 respectively. The driving assembly 13 is connected to each fork arm 121 and each load wheel 122 respectively. The driving assembly 13 can drive each fork arm 121 and each load wheel 122 to move synchronously.

[0034] It can be understood that in this embodiment, a pair of fork arms 121 and a pair of load wheels 122 are provided, and the fork arms 121 correspond to the load wheels 122, so as to reduce the number of components on the forklift 100 while ensuring good support for the pallet and the goods, and make the overall structure of the forklift 100 lighter. At the same time, the drive assembly 13 can drive each fork arm 121 and each load wheel 122 to move synchronously, thereby solving the problem that the forklift 121 and the load wheel 122 have a delay in the movement, which leads to a long time and great difficulty in operation for picking up and placing the pallet.

[0035] In some embodiments, the installation position of the load wheel 122 is in the length direction of the fork arm 121 and can be adjusted relative to the fork arm 121. When the forklift 100 of this embodiment is forking or shipping goods, the fork arm 121 extends into the pallet hole and the load wheel 122 is exposed in the pallet hole. When the fork arm 121 rises, the load wheel 122 moves away from the fork arm 121 to contact the ground.

[0036] It can be understood that, since different pallets have different lengths, the lengths of the corresponding pallet holes are also different. The load wheel 122 of this embodiment can adjust the installation position in the length direction of the fork arm 121 to adapt to more pallet specifications, which is conducive to improving the applicability of the forklift 100. Secondly, this embodiment can overcome the installation error between the load wheel 122 and the fork arm 121 by adjusting the installation position of the load wheel 122 on the fork arm 121.

[0037] In other embodiments, the fork arm 121 can also move relative to the forklift body 11 in the width direction of the forklift body 11, and at the same time, the load wheel 122 moves with the fork arm 121 and is always located below the fork arm 121. Furthermore, the moving distances of the fork arms 121 are independent of each other.

[0038] It can be understood that when the width of the pallet is large, the distance between the two fork arms 121 can be adjusted to better support the pallet, ensure the stability of the cargo consignment, and avoid the pallet and the cargo from being biased due to inertia during consignment. Alternatively, when the space where the pallet is placed is small and it is not conducive to the movement of the forklift 100, the fork arm 121 can be moved to align with the pallet hole and complete the fork pick-up, and then the fork arm 121 can be reset, so that the forklift 100 can be applied to more complex working conditions. In other words, the at least one fork arm 121 includes a first fork arm 12101 and a second fork arm 12102, and the first fork arm 12101 and the second fork arm 12102 are arranged at intervals and the distance between the two is adjustable; the at least one load wheel 122 includes a first load wheel 12201 corresponding to the first fork arm 12101 and a second load wheel 12202 corresponding to the second fork arm 12101.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the fork arm 121 is provided with a plurality of mounting portions 123 along the length direction, and the load wheel 122 is adaptively connected to one of the plurality of mounting portions 123. The drive assembly 13 includes a mounting frame 131, and the load wheel 122 is mounted on the mounting frame 131 and adaptively connected to the mounting portion 123 through the mounting frame 131.

[0040] It can be understood that, since there are many types of pallets, different pallet specifications require adjustment of the installation position of the load wheel 122, so that the fork arm 121 can be better inserted into the pallet hole and the load wheel 122 can better support the goods on the fork arm 121. In this embodiment, the load wheel 122 is installed on the installation frame 131, and a plurality of installation parts 123 are provided in the length direction of the fork arm 121. By selecting different installation parts 123 to be matched with the load wheel 122, the installation position of the load wheel 122 can be adjusted relative to the fork arm 121 in the length direction of the fork arm 121, thereby improving the application range of the forklift 100.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the driving assembly 13 includes a transmission mechanism 132 and a power mechanism 133. The transmission mechanism 132 is connected to the load wheel 122. The power mechanism 133 is disposed on the forklift body 11 and is respectively connected to the fork arm 121 and the transmission mechanism 132, and is used to drive the fork arm 121 to move relative to the forklift body 11 in the height direction of the forklift body 11, and when the fork arm 121 is driven to rise relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is driven to swing downward by driving the transmission mechanism 132, so that the load wheel 122 is away from the fork arm 121 until it touches the ground, and when the fork arm 121 is driven to descend relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is driven to swing upward by driving the transmission mechanism 132, so that the load wheel 122 is close to the fork arm 121 and is accommodated in the fork arm 121.

[0042] It can be understood that the power system of this embodiment uses a single power mechanism 133 to drive the fork arm 121 and the transmission mechanism 132, and drives the load wheel 122 through the transmission mechanism 132, so that the load wheel 122 leaves the ground and approaches the fork arm 121 when the fork arm 121 descends, and moves away from the fork arm 121 and contacts the ground when the fork arm 121 rises, thereby achieving the synchronization of the movements of the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122, and reducing the time for the forklift 100 to enter the pallet. In addition, since the forklift 100 uses a single power mechanism 133 to achieve the synchronization of the movements of the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122, it is beneficial to reduce the design cost of the forklift power system.

[0043] Please continue to refer to FIG. 4. In some embodiments, the power mechanism 133 includes a sliding frame 1332 and a lifting device 133L. The sliding frame 1332 is connected to the forklift body 11 and can move relative to the forklift body 11 along the height direction of the forklift body 11. The lifting device 1331 is arranged on the forklift body 11 and connected to the sliding frame 1332. Please also refer to FIG. 5A. For example, the fork assembly 12 includes a pair of fork arms 121 and a load wheel 122 arranged at intervals. In the width direction of the forklift body 11, two fork arms 121 are arranged side by side. Each fork arm 121 includes a first connecting end 1211 and a fork-picking end 1212 arranged opposite to each other. The first connecting end 1211 is fixedly connected to the sliding frame 1332. The fork-picking end 1212 is provided with a mounting frame 131 and a load wheel 122 mounted on the mounting frame 131 below. There are two groups of transmission mechanisms 132, each group of transmission mechanisms 132 is installed on a corresponding fork arm 121, one end of each group of transmission mechanisms 132 is respectively hinged to the forklift body 11 and the sliding frame 1332, and the other end is hinged to the corresponding mounting frame 131.

[0044] When the lifting device 1331 drives the sliding frame 1332 to rise to drive the fork arm 121 to rise, the sliding frame 1332 simultaneously drives the two sets of transmission mechanisms 132, so that each set of transmission mechanisms 132 drives a corresponding load wheel 122 away from the fork arm 121 until it touches the ground; when the lifting device 1331 drives the sliding frame 1332 to descend to drive the fork arm 121 to descend, the sliding frame 1332 simultaneously drives the two sets of transmission mechanisms 132, so that each set of transmission mechanisms 132 drives a corresponding load wheel 122 to approach the fork arm 121 and be accommodated in the fork arm 121.

[0045] During the operation of the forklift 100, the lifting device 1331 controls the lifting and lowering of the sliding frame 1332. The fork arm 121 of the fork assembly 12 is fixedly connected to the sliding frame 1332, and the fork arm 121 follows the sliding frame 1332 to perform lifting and lowering actions synchronously. The transmission mechanism 132 is respectively connected to the sliding frame 1332 and the forklift body 11, and the load wheel 122 is connected to the transmission mechanism 132 through the mounting frame 131. When the sliding frame 1332 descends, the transmission mechanism 132 follows the sliding frame 1332 to descend and drives the load wheel 122 to approach the fork arm 121 and be accommodated in the fork arm 121, so that the fork arm 121 has more activity space when entering the pallet hole to avoid friction with the pallet. When the sliding frame 1332 rises, the transmission mechanism 132 rises along with the sliding frame 1332 and drives the load wheel 122 away from the fork arm 121, so that the load wheel 122 contacts the ground, providing auxiliary support for the cargo and the forklift 100.

[0046] It can be understood that the present embodiment adopts a single power source of the lifting device 1331, and the lifting device 1331 drives the sliding frame 1332 to realize the lifting and lowering of the fork arm 121. At the same time, the sliding frame 1332 drives the transmission mechanism 132 to drive the mounting frame 131, thereby realizing the synchronous movement of the fork arm 121 and the load wheel 122, reducing the time for the forklift 100 to enter the pallet, and helping to reduce the design cost of the forklift power system.

[0047] 5A and 6, in some embodiments, the fork arm 121 includes a housing 1214 and a support arm 1215, and the housing 1214 and the support arm 1215 are in the shape of a long strip. The housing 1214 is provided with a receiving groove 12141 arranged along its length direction. and a support surface located at the back of the accommodating groove 12141 and used to support the pallet. The support arms 1215 are arranged in pairs and are parallel to the housing 1214. One of the side walls of the accommodating groove 12141 in the length direction is independently installed with one of the support arms 1215, and the other side wall of the accommodating groove 12141 in the length direction is independently installed with another support arm 1215. The transmission mechanism 132 is accommodated in the accommodating groove 12141 and is located between the two support arms 1215. In order to facilitate forking of goods, the forking end 1212 of the fork arm 121 gradually narrows in width from the side close to the forklift body 11 to the side away from the forklift body 11. In some embodiments, the support arm 1215 and the housing 1214 can be fixedly connected by welding, key connection, bolts and nuts, etc.

[0048] It can be understood that the fork arm 121 of this embodiment includes a housing 1214, and the housing 1214 is provided with a receiving groove 12141 to accommodate the transmission mechanism 132 and the load wheel 122, so as to make the overall structure of the forklift more concise and the space utilization rate higher. In addition, the support arm 1215 is installed in the receiving groove 12141 to support the entire housing 1214, so as to improve the overall strength of the fork arm 121. Exemplarily, the plurality of mounting portions 123 of this embodiment are all provided on the support arm 1215, so that the mounting frame 131 is connected to the support arm 1215, thereby establishing a reliable connection with the fork arm 121. The fork arm 121 of this embodiment accommodates the load wheel 122 and the transmission mechanism 132 through the accommodating groove 12141, and is also used to protect the load wheel 122 and the transmission mechanism 132, so as to prevent the forklift 100 from being damaged due to collision with obstacles during travel, especially to prevent damage to the transmission mechanism 132 accommodated between the pair of support arms 1215. Under the protection of the support arms 1215 with higher strength, the load wheel 122 and the transmission mechanism 132 are better protected from collision.

[0049] Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7. In some embodiments, the forklift body 11 includes a control panel 118, a plurality of control buttons 114, and a plurality of sensors. The controller is electrically connected to the control panel 118, the control buttons 114, the sensors, etc., respectively. The controller can turn on or off the corresponding functional modules according to the control instructions of the control panel 118 or the trigger signal of the control button 114, for example, control the drive assembly 13 to perform the lifting action of the sliding frame 1332, or turn on or off the corresponding modules according to the signal sent by the sensor, for example, when the sensor detects that the forklift 100 is approaching the edge of the platform, the emergency drive wheel group stops moving. In other embodiments, the control panel 118 is provided with a touch screen so that the operator can operate the control panel 118 to control the forklift 100.

[0050] The forklift body 11 is also equipped with an upper limit detection switch and a lower limit detection switch for detecting the height of the fork arm 121. The upper limit detection switch and the lower limit detection switch are electrically connected to the controller. When the height of the fork arm 121 reaches the upper limit position, the upper limit detection switch sends a corresponding trigger signal to the controller to stop the fork arm 121 from rising; when the height of the fork arm 121 reaches the lower limit position, the lower limit detection switch sends a corresponding trigger signal to the controller to stop the fork arm 121 from falling. Exemplarily, the upper limit switch and the lower limit switch can be photoelectric switches or the like.

[0051] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7. In some embodiments, the forklift body 11 may also be equipped with an emergency stop button 115, an audible and visual alarm device, a voice announcer, a tricolor lamp 116, a clearance lamp 117, a driving recorder, a barcode scanner, a radiator 119, etc. Among them, the audible and visual alarm device includes an alarm lamp and a speaker. When the forklift 100 encounters a fault, the alarm lamp and the speaker respectively send out a light alarm signal and a sound alarm signal. The emergency stop button 115 is set on the shell of the forklift body 11. The operator can also stop the forklift in an emergency by triggering the emergency stop button 115. The clearance lamp 117 is used to show the outline of the forklift 100, so as to attract the overall attention of others to the forklift 100 and avoid collision with the forklift 100, thereby playing a role of safety protection. The clearance lamp 117 can be suspended above the forklift body 11 through a bracket.

[0052] Furthermore, the operator can operate the control panel 118 by remote control to remotely control the forklift 100 to perform corresponding actions. In addition, a bracket for storing the control panel 118 can be provided on the forklift body 11. When the control panel 118 is not in use, the control panel 118 can be placed on the bracket. The three-color light 116 is provided on the housing of the forklift body 11 and displays a target color under the control of the controller. For example, the three-color light 116 is used to indicate the current state of the forklift 100. For example, a red light indicates a fault of the forklift 100, a yellow light indicates that the forklift 100 stops working, and a green light indicates that the forklift is operating normally.

[0053] The driving recorder is used to record the state, road conditions, and working process of the forklift 100 during its travel. The recorded data is stored in the memory, or the controller generates a work log based on the recorded content, so as to serve as a basis for daily maintenance and troubleshooting of the forklift. In order to facilitate the recording of the information of the transported goods, a graphic code recording the information of the goods can be attached to the goods or the outer packaging of the goods. When the forklift picks up the goods, the graphic code is scanned by a barcode scanner to obtain the goods information, and the information is recorded and stored in the memory, which is conducive to the management of the transport of goods.

[0054] The radiator 119 is used to provide heat dissipation for the forklift 100. Since the drive assembly 13 (lifting device 1331) and the power system of the forklift 100 are prone to generate a large amount of heat during operation, in order to ensure a good body state, in this embodiment, a hollow area (hollow groove or hollow hole, etc.) for air outlet is provided on the top of the forklift body 11. The hollow area is connected to the hollow area and the gap inside the forklift body 11. The radiator 119 is installed in the hollow area and the air is discharged to the outside of the forklift body 11 through the hollow area. When the forklift 100 is working, the radiator 119 works to form an airflow inside the forklift body 11, and the heat of the drive assembly 13 and the power system is taken away by the airflow. At the same time, the hot airflow also has a tendency to flow upward, and it is easier to flow out from the hollow area to the outside, thereby achieving a good heat dissipation effect. In addition, in this embodiment, through the above arrangement, the radiator 119, such as a cooling fan, can be easily accommodated in the forklift body 11, thereby avoiding increasing the external volume of the forklift body 11. Moreover, the radiator 119 is installed in the hollow area at the top of the forklift body 11, which can effectively save installation space, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the forklift 100.

[0055] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 8. In some embodiments, the sliding frame 1332 of the power mechanism 133 of the driving assembly 13 is a frame structure, and sliding wheels 13321 are provided on both sides of the sliding frame 1332. The forklift body 11 is provided with an activity space, and a slide groove 111 adapted to the sliding wheel 13321 is provided in the activity space. The sliding frame 1332 is accommodated in the activity space of the forklift body 11, and the sliding wheel 13321 is connected with the slide groove 111 through cooperation, so as to realize the lifting and lowering of the sliding wheel 13321 in the activity space. Further, the cooperation between the sliding wheel 13321 and the slide groove 111 provides guidance for the movement of the sliding frame 1332, thereby ensuring the stability of the movement of the fork arm 121.

[0056] Please continue to refer to FIG. 5A and FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism 132 includes a driving arm 1321 and a transmission arm 1322. The length of the driving arm 1321 is adjustable. The driving arm 1321 is connected to the load wheel 122, and is used to adjust its own length to adapt to the installation position of the load wheel 122, and drive the load wheel 122 to swing up and down. The transmission arm 1322 is arranged on the forklift body 11, and is respectively connected to the driving arm 1321 and the power mechanism 133, and is used to transmit power to the driving arm 1321 when the power mechanism 133 drives the fork arm 121 to rise and fall relative to the forklift body 11, so that the driving arm 1321 drives the load wheel 122 to swing up and down.

[0057] It can be understood that the transmission structure of this embodiment adopts a connecting rod mechanism, and the power transmitted by the power mechanism 133 drives the mounting frame 131 to swing up or down, so as to respectively realize the load wheel 122 to approach or move away from the fork arm 121. The power system design adopted in this embodiment realizes the drive of the load wheel 122, which has the characteristics of high efficiency and simplicity. In addition, the driving arm 1321 of this embodiment can adapt to the installation position of the mounting frame 131 by adjusting its own length, avoiding the need for cumbersome disassembly and replacement operations when the installation position of the load wheel 122 changes, so that the adjustment of the load wheel 122 and the transmission mechanism 132 is more flexible.

[0058] 3 and 9 , the mounting frame 131 includes a swing end 1311 and a movable end 1312 that are arranged opposite to each other, a first hinged portion 1313 is provided between the swing end 1311 and the movable end 1312 , the first hinged portion 1313 is hingedly connected to the fork arm 121 , and the load wheel 122 is rotatably mounted on the swing end 1311 .

[0059] 5A and 6 , the driving arm 1321 of the transmission mechanism 132 includes a first hinged end 13214 and a second hinged end 13215 that are arranged opposite to each other, and the first hinged end 13214 is hingedly connected to the movable end 1312 .

[0060] 5A, 6 and 10, the transmission arm 1322 of the transmission mechanism 132 includes a third articulated end 13221 and a fixed end 13222 that are arranged opposite to each other, a second articulated portion 13223 is provided between the third articulated end 13221 and the fixed end 13222, the third articulated end 13221 is articulated to the sliding frame 1332, the fixed end 13222 is articulated to the forklift body 11, and the second articulated portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322 is articulated to the second articulated end 13215 of the driving arm 1321.

[0061] When the third hinged end 13221 of the transmission arm 1322 follows the sliding frame 1332 to rise, the driving arm 1321 drives the mounting frame 131 to swing downward, so as to drive the load wheel 122 away from the fork arm 121 to contact the ground; when the third hinged end 13221 of the transmission arm 1322 follows the sliding frame 1332 to descend, the driving arm 1321 drives the mounting frame 131 to swing upward, so as to drive the load wheel 122 to approach the fork arm 121 and be accommodated in the fork arm 121.

[0062] In this embodiment, the fixed end 13222 of the transmission arm 1322 is hinged to the bottom of the forklift body 11, and the third hinged end 13221 of the transmission arm 1322 is hinged to the bottom of the sliding frame 1332. When the driving assembly 13 drives the sliding frame 1332 to rise, the third hinged end 13221 of the transmission arm 1322 rotates with its own fixed end 13222 as the fulcrum. At the same time, the second hinged portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322 is driven. The second hinged end 13215 of the driving arm 1321 swings following the movement of the second hinged portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322, and the first hinged end 13214 of the driving arm 1321 pulls the movable end 1312 of the mounting bracket 131, so that the swinging end 1311 of the mounting bracket 131 swings with its own first hinged portion 1313 as the fulcrum, thereby the load wheel 122 moves downward away from the fork arm 121 and contacts the ground.

[0063] Correspondingly, when the driving assembly 13 drives the sliding frame 1332 to descend, the third hinged end 13221 of the transmission arm 1322 rotates in the reverse direction with its own fixed end 13222 as the fulcrum. At the same time, the second hinged portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322 is driven. The second hinged end 13215 of the driving arm 1321 swings following the movement of the second hinged portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322, and the first hinged end 13214 of the driving arm 1321 pushes the movable end 1312 of the mounting bracket 131, so that the swinging end 1311 of the mounting bracket 131 swings with its own first hinged portion 1313 as the fulcrum, thereby lifting the load wheel 122 and accommodating it upward in the receiving groove 12141 of the fork arm 121.

[0064] It can be understood that in this embodiment, the driving assembly 13 adopting a link mechanism realizes that when carrying goods, the load wheel 122 moves away from the fork arm 121 while rising with the fork arm 121 until it contacts the ground to support the forklift 100 and the goods. When the fork arm 121 forks the goods, the load wheel 122 moves upward and retracts to the bottom of the fork arm 121 while descending with the fork arm 121.

[0065] Please continue to refer to Figures 5A and 6. In some embodiments, the driving arm 1321 includes a first connecting rod 13211, a screw rod 13212 and a second connecting rod 13213 connected in sequence. One end of the first connecting rod 13211 away from the screw rod 13212 is hingedly connected to the load wheel 122, and one end of the second connecting rod 13213 away from the screw rod 13212 is hingedly connected to the transmission arm 1322. The screw rod 13212 is threadedly connected to at least one of the first connecting rod 13211 and the second connecting rod 13213. Among them, one end of the first connecting rod 13211 away from the screw rod 13212 (the first hinged end 13214 of the driving arm 1321) is hingedly connected to the movable end 1312 of the mounting frame 131, and one end of the second connecting rod 13213 away from the screw rod 13212 (the second hinged end 13215 of the driving arm 1321) is hingedly connected to the second hinged portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322.

[0066] It can be understood that the driving arm 1321 of this embodiment adopts the first connecting rod 13211, the second connecting rod 13213 and the screw rod 13212 to realize the detachable structure of the driving arm 1321. At the same time, the length of the driving arm 1321 can be adjusted by adjusting the connection length between the screw rod 13212 and one of the first connecting rod 13211 and the second connecting rod 13213.

[0067] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B , the driving arm 1321 may include a third connecting rod 132101 and a fourth connecting rod 132102, wherein the third connecting rod 132101 is a hollow rod, and a wall surface of the third connecting rod 132101 is provided with a plurality of through holes 132104 arranged at intervals along its length direction. The fourth connecting rod 132102 is partially accommodated in the third connecting rod 132101 and is slidably connected to the third connecting rod 132101, and a spring plunger 132103 is provided on one end of the fourth connecting rod 132102 accommodated in the third connecting rod 132101, and the spring plunger 132103 is passed through one of the through holes 132104 on the third connecting rod 132101 and is exposed.

[0068] It can be understood that the relative sliding of the third connecting rod 132101 and the fourth connecting rod 132102 is limited by the cooperation between the through hole 132104 and the hole column of the spring plunger 132103. When the spring plunger 132103 is pressed, the third connecting rod 132101 and the fourth connecting rod 132102 resume relative sliding. At this time, the length adjustment of the driving arm 1321 is achieved by aligning the spring plunger 132103 to the other through hole 132104 and connecting them.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 9 , in some embodiments, the first articulated portion 1313 of the mounting frame 131 includes a first articulated hole 13131 and a first articulated shaft 13132, and the first articulated hole 13131 is sleeved on the first articulated shaft 13132. The mounting portion 123 on the fork arm 121 is a mounting hole 1231, and one of the mounting holes 1231 is sleeved on the first articulated shaft 13132. In other words, the mounting portion 123 on the fork arm 121 is a mounting hole 1231, and one of the mounting holes 1231 is coupled to the load wheel 122 to adjust the mounting position of the load wheel 122 in the length direction of the fork arm 121, thereby improving the applicable range of the forklift 100.

[0070] It can be understood that the fork arm 121 of the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 1231 for alignment with the first hinge hole 13131 of the mounting frame 131. The mounting frame 131 can be aligned with one of the different mounting holes 1231 through the first hinge hole 13131, and the first hinge shaft 13132 of the first hinge portion 1313 of the mounting frame 131 is used to complete the insertion and fitting, so as to adjust the installation position of the load wheel 122 in the length direction of the fork arm 121, thereby improving the application range of the forklift 100.

[0071] Please refer to FIG. 11 . In some embodiments, the second articulated portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322 includes a second articulated hole 132232 and a second articulated shaft 132231. The second articulated hole 132232 is sleeved on the second articulated shaft 132231. The second articulated end 13215 of the driving arm 1321 is provided with a third articulated hole and sleeved on the second articulated shaft 132231 of the second articulated portion 13223 of the transmission arm 1322, so as to realize the articulation between the transmission arm 1322 and the driving arm 1321.

[0072] Please refer to FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the lifting device 1331 includes a cylinder 13311 and a first movable shaft 13312. The cylinder 13311 is fixedly connected to the forklift body 11. The first movable shaft 13312 can move relative to the cylinder 13311 along the height direction of the forklift body 11. One end of the first movable shaft 13312 is accommodated in the cylinder 13311, and the other end of the first movable shaft 13312 is connected to the sliding frame 1332.

[0073] This embodiment uses a lifting device 1331, which is, for example, a hydraulic cylinder or a stepping motor, and drives the first movable shaft 13312 by hydraulic means, so that the first movable shaft 13312 lifts the sliding frame 1332, thereby achieving the lifting of the sliding frame 1332. In other embodiments, a linear stepping motor or the like may also be used to drive the sliding frame 1332 to lift and lower.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 12 , in some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes an auxiliary support assembly 14, which is movably disposed on the forklift body 11 and connected to the drive assembly 13. The drive assembly 13 is further used to drive the auxiliary support assembly 14 to move relative to the forklift body 11 in the height direction of the forklift body 11, and to drive the auxiliary support assembly 14 to rise to be away from the ground when the fork arm 121 is driven to rise relative to the forklift body 11, and to drive the auxiliary support assembly 14 to fall relative to the forklift body 11, so that the auxiliary support assembly 14 contacts the ground.

[0075] It can be understood that in this embodiment, by providing the auxiliary support assembly 14, the auxiliary support assembly 14 provides auxiliary support to the forklift 100 when the fork arm 121 descends.

[0076] In some embodiments, the auxiliary support assembly 14 includes a directional wheel 141 and a mounting platform 142. The mounting platform 142 is located below the sliding frame 1332 and is connected to the driving assembly 13. The directional wheel 141 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the mounting platform 142. The driving assembly 13 is also used to drive the mounting platform 142 to rise when the sliding frame 1332 rises so that the directional wheel 141 leaves the ground, and to drive the mounting platform 142 to fall when the sliding frame 1332 falls so that the directional wheel 141 abuts against the ground.

[0077] It can be understood that when the sliding frame 1332 rises, the driving assembly 13 drives the mounting platform 142 to rise so that the directional wheel 141 is lifted; when the sliding frame 1332 descends, the driving assembly 13 drives the mounting platform 142 to descend so that the directional wheel 141 abuts against the ground, thereby auxiliary supporting the fork arm 121 to increase the load of the fork arm 121.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 13, in this embodiment, a balance wheel 113 and a steering wheel 112 are further provided on the forklift body 11, and the support and movement of the forklift 100 are realized through the balance wheel 113 and the steering wheel 112. When the forklift 100 is running normally, the fork arm 121 is in a high position. When the fork arm 121 picks up goods, the forklift 100 moves to the front of the pallet, and the fork arm 121 is driven by the lifting device 1331 to descend to a low position. At this time, the load wheel 122 rotates in the direction close to the fork arm 121 under the drive of the transmission mechanism 132 and retracts to the bottom of the fork arm 121. At this time, the directional wheel 141, the balance wheel 113, and the steering wheel 112 all contact the ground to form a new support and maintain the balance of the forklift 100 body.

[0079] The forklift 100 moves towards the pallet, and the fork arm 121 is inserted into the pallet hole of the pallet. When the forklift 100 arrives at the position, the fork arm 121 is lifted to a high position by the lifting device 1331. At this time, the directional wheel 141 leaves the ground, and the load wheel 122, the steering wheel 112, and the balance wheel 113 all contact the ground to re-form a support system, and at the same time lift the goods off the ground. After the forklift 100 transports the goods to the destination, the fork arm 121 is driven by the lifting device 1331 to run to a low position. At this time, the directional wheel 141, the balance wheel 113, and the steering wheel 112 all contact the ground to form a new support and maintain the balance of the vehicle body.

[0080] After the fork arm 121 completely exits the pallet hole of the pallet, under the action of the lifting device 1331, the fork arm 121 runs to a high position. At this time, the directional wheel 141 leaves the ground, and the load wheel 122 rotates in the direction away from the fork arm 121 under the drive of the transmission mechanism 132 and contacts the ground, so that the load wheel 122, the steering wheel 112, and the balance wheel 113 re-support the forklift 100.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 4, 12 and 13, in some embodiments, the lifting device 1331 of the power mechanism 133 further includes a second movable shaft 13313. The first movable shaft 13312 and the second movable shaft 13313 are coaxially arranged, and the first movable shaft 13312 and the second movable shaft 13313 are respectively located on both sides of the lifting device 1331 (specifically, for example, the cylinder block 13311 of the lifting device 1331). The second movable shaft 13313 can move relative to the cylinder block 13311 in the height direction of the forklift body 11. One end of the second movable shaft 13313 is received in the cylinder block 13311, and the other end of the second movable shaft 13313 is connected to the mounting table 142.

[0082] It can be understood that the lifting device 1331 also includes a second movable shaft 13313, and the forklift 100 drives the directional wheel 141 to rise and fall through the second movable shaft 13313 of the lifting device 1331. Exemplarily, the lifting device 1331 of this embodiment can be a double-acting double-rod hydraulic cylinder. Through the above arrangement, this embodiment uses a single power source to achieve the lifting action of the fork arm 121, the up and down swing of the load wheel 122, and the lifting action of the directional wheel 141, which is conducive to reducing the power of the forklift 100. The design cost of the system is reduced, and the movement synchronization of the fork arm 121, the load wheel 122 and the directional wheel 141 is ensured.

[0083] Please continue to refer to FIG. 12 . In some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes a guide assembly 15 . The guide assembly 15 is connected to both the auxiliary support assembly 14 and the forklift body 11 , and is used to guide the mounting platform 142 to move in the height direction of the forklift body 11 .

[0084] It can be understood that in order to prevent the directional wheel 141 from deflecting, which makes it difficult for the fork arm 121 to be inserted into the pallet hole of the pallet, the present embodiment provides a guide assembly 15 so that the mounting platform 142 can only be lifted and lowered, but cannot be rotated with the second movable shaft 13313 of the lifting device 1331 as the rotation axis, so as to prevent the directional wheel 141 from deflecting.

[0085] In some embodiments, the guide assembly 15 includes at least one guide shaft 151 and a guide sleeve 152 slidably connected to the guide shaft 151, one end of the guide shaft 151 is fixedly connected to the mounting platform 142, the other end of the guide shaft 151 is passed through the guide sleeve 152, and the guide shaft 151 is arranged parallel to the second movable shaft 13313 of the jacking device 1331, and the guide sleeve 152 is installed on the sliding frame 1332.

[0086] It can be understood that, since the mounting platform 142 and the sliding frame 1332 are connected by at least two parallel axes, the second movable shaft 13313 of the lifting device 1331 and the mounting platform 142 cannot rotate around the second movable shaft 13313, and the mounting platform 142 can only move in the height direction of the forklift body 11, so that the directional wheel 141 does not deflect.

[0087] Exemplarily, the present embodiment is provided with two guide shafts 151, and the second movable shaft 13313 of the lifting device 1331 is located between the two guide shafts 151 of the guide assembly 15, and the guide shaft sleeve 152 is installed on the lower frame of the sliding frame 1332. In other embodiments, the guide shaft 151 can be an optical axis with a polygonal or elliptical cross section.

[0088] In some embodiments, the load wheel 122 is a unidirectional wheel or an omnidirectional wheel. It can be understood that the load wheel 122 of this embodiment adopts a unidirectional wheel to meet the simple handling scenario, and adopts an omnidirectional wheel to meet the omnidirectional movement requirements of the forklift 100, and can better avoid obstacles and stack goods in the load handling scenario. In some embodiments, the omnidirectional wheel can be a differential wheel 1221, a spherical wheel, a Mecanum wheel, etc.

[0089] Please refer to FIG. 9. For example, when the load wheel 122 is a one-way wheel, the swing end 1311 of the mounting frame 131 adopts a U-shaped fork structure. Taking one of the fork arms 121 as an example, each fork portion 13111 of the U-shaped fork is provided with a through hole. The load wheel 122 is located between the two forks 13111 of the U-shaped fork. A rotating shaft is provided at the axis of the load wheel 122, and the load wheel 122 is rotatably connected to the U-shaped fork through the cooperation of the rotating shaft and the through hole.

[0090] Please refer to FIG. 14 , and exemplarily, when the load wheel 122 is a differential wheel 1221, the swing end 1311 of the mounting frame 131 adopts a platform 13112 structure, and taking one of the fork arms 121 as an example, the differential wheels 1221 are arranged in pairs at intervals below the platform 13112. The bottom of the platform 13112 is connected to a base 125, and a first motor 126 and a second motor 127 are installed on the base 125, and each motor drives one of the differential wheels 1221 below the platform 13112. When the forklift 100 needs to turn, the two motors drive the corresponding differential wheels 1221 at different speeds, so that there is a speed difference between the two differential wheels 1221, thereby realizing the turning of the forklift 100.

[0091] Please refer to FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, a 3D laser radar 19 is disposed on the top of the forklift body 11 . The 3D laser radar 19 is used to monitor the terrain and objects in the surrounding environment.

[0092] It can be understood that the present embodiment is provided with a 3D laser radar 19, and the 3D laser radar 19 monitors the terrain and objects in the surrounding environment to realize the positioning of the forklift 100. The 3D laser radar 19 is electrically connected to the controller of the forklift 100, and the controller receives the monitoring information sent by the 3D laser radar 19 and controls the forklift power system according to the monitoring information. (e.g., the drive assembly 13) performs corresponding actions. Further, when the forklift 100 is an unmanned electric forklift, the monitoring information generated by the 3D laser radar 19 can be used to plan the activity path of the forklift 100 and adjust the activity state of the load wheel 122, the directional wheel 141, and the fork arm 121. Exemplarily, the 3D laser radar 19 uses the acquired 3D point cloud data to sense whether there are goods or pallets at the forklift station, and can determine the direction and distance of the goods. The controller of the forklift 100 automatically adjusts the travel path and the actions of the fork arm 121, the load wheel 122, and the directional wheel 141 according to the perception result.

[0093] In some embodiments, the environment area sensed by the 3D laser radar 19 includes obstacles on the top, front and sides of the forklift 100, so that multi-directional obstacle avoidance can be achieved. At the same time, it is also possible to avoid setting other obstacle avoidance sensors on the top of the forklift, and reduce the number of obstacle avoidance sensors set at the bottom of the vehicle body for achieving front and side protection of the forklift 100, thereby effectively simplifying the overall structure of the forklift 100 and reducing the design cost of the forklift 100.

[0094] For example, the 3D laser radar 19 detects the road surface conditions of the forklift 100 in the forward and backward directions. Detection, when the road surface state is detected to be abnormal (that is, when the point cloud data of the obstacle is not obtained), the forklift 100 performs an emergency stop to avoid the risk of the forklift 100 falling during the docking task with the elevator or the outdoor platform scene work. In addition, in this embodiment, the 3D laser radar 19 used by the forklift 100 can monitor the distance between the forklift 100 and the suspended part in real time, and limit the driving distance of the forklift 100 according to the monitoring result to ensure that the forklift 100 does not approach the suspended edge when driving, thereby preventing the occurrence of a falling accident.

[0095] It can be seen that the forklift 100 of this embodiment realizes functions such as positioning, sensing, and obstacle avoidance through a single 3D laser radar 19, which simplifies the structure of the forklift 100 and reduces the design cost of the forklift 100.

[0096] Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes a cantilever 17 and a column 18. The cantilever 17 includes a suspension end 171 and a second connection end 172. The suspension end 171 is located above the forklift body 11. The 3D laser radar 19 is installed on the suspension end 171. The column 18 includes a third connection end 181 and a fourth connection end 182. The third connection end 181 is connected to the top of the forklift body 11. The fourth connection end 182 of the column 18 is connected to the second connection end 172 of the cantilever 17.

[0097] The column 18 and the cantilever 17 are combined to form a bracket supporting the 3D laser radar 19, so that the 3D laser radar 19 is placed at a high place to avoid being blocked by the forklift 100, goods, etc., thereby obtaining a wider detection range. Exemplarily, the column 18 and the cantilever 17 can be fixedly connected or rotatably connected, which is not limited here.

[0098] This embodiment adopts the above-mentioned setting mode, so that the 3D laser radar 19 is suspended above the forklift body 11, and the detection laser is not easily blocked by the forklift body 11 and the cargo, thereby avoiding the loss of point cloud data of some areas during the detection process. In addition, in an optional embodiment, the cantilever 17 is an arched cantilever, and the arched cantilever 17 not only provides a suitable height for the 3D laser radar 19, but also provides a better bird's-eye view angle, so that the detection range of the 3D laser radar 19 is wider.

[0099] In other embodiments, the 3D laser radar 19 is provided with a connecting shaft, the suspension end 171 of the cantilever 17 is provided with a accommodating cavity, and a connecting hole adapted to the connecting shaft is provided on at least one side wall of the accommodating cavity. The 3D laser radar 19 is accommodated in the accommodating cavity and rotates through the cooperation between the connecting shaft and the connecting hole, thereby realizing an adjustable detection direction and a wider detection range.

[0100] Please refer to FIG. 8 . In some embodiments, a first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 is disposed at one end of the fork arm 121 away from the forklift body 11 . The first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 may be a 2D laser radar. The first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 is used to monitor obstacles in front of the fork arm 121 .

[0101] It can be understood that the fork arm 121 of the present embodiment is provided with a first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 to monitor obstacles in front of the fork arm 121, which is conducive to emergency stopping of the forklift 100 to avoid collision when an obstacle is detected, so as to further improve the safety protection capability of the forklift 100. The first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 is electrically connected to the controller of the forklift 100, and the controller receives the monitoring information sent by the first obstacle avoidance sensor 124, and controls the forklift power system to perform corresponding actions according to the monitoring information. Exemplarily, the first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 of the present embodiment can also adopt a photoelectric sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, etc.

[0102] 1 and 7 , in some embodiments, at least two second obstacle avoidance sensors 16 are provided around the bottom of the forklift body 11 , and the second obstacle avoidance sensors 16 may be 2D laser radars, and the second obstacle avoidance sensors 16 are used to monitor obstacles around the bottom of the forklift body 11 .

[0103] It can be understood that, although the top of the forklift body 11 of the present embodiment is provided with a 3D laser radar 19, and the front end of the fork arm 121 is provided with a first obstacle avoidance sensor 124, there are still some blind spots at the bottom of the forklift body 11 that cannot be monitored by the 3D laser radar 19 and the first obstacle avoidance sensor 124. Therefore, the present embodiment sets a second obstacle avoidance sensor 16 at the bottom of the forklift body 11 to monitor obstacles around the bottom of the forklift body 11, thereby further improving the safety protection capability of the forklift 100. The second obstacle avoidance sensor 16 is electrically connected to the controller of the forklift 100, and the controller receives the monitoring information sent by the second obstacle avoidance sensor 16, and controls the forklift power system to perform corresponding actions according to the monitoring information. Exemplarily, the forklift body 11 of the present embodiment is provided with a second obstacle avoidance sensor 16 at the bottom of both sides in the length direction (the same length direction of the fork arm 121).

[0104] The embodiment of the present application further provides a control method for a forklift, which is applied to a forklift including a forklift body 11, at least one fork arm 121 and at least one load wheel 122, wherein each fork arm 121 of the at least one fork arm 121 is movably disposed on the forklift body 11, and each load wheel 122 of the at least one load wheel 122 is rotatably disposed below the corresponding fork arm 121, as shown in FIG. 15, the method comprising:

[0105] Step S1501: when the fork arm 121 rises relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is synchronously driven to move away from the fork arm 121 to contact the ground; and / or when the fork arm 121 descends relative to the forklift body 11, the load wheel 122 is synchronously driven to move away from the ground and closer to the fork arm 121.

[0106] In some embodiments, the method further includes: after the load wheel 122 approaches the fork arm 121, controlling the fork arm 121 to insert into the pallet hole of the pallet; after the fork arm 121 is inserted into the pallet hole, controlling the fork arm 121 to rise relative to the forklift body 11, and synchronously driving the load wheel 122 away from the fork arm 121 to contact the ground, so that the load wheel 122 provides support for the forklift body 11 and the goods on the pallet.

[0107] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: when the fork arm 121 exits from the pallet hole of the pallet, controlling the fork arm 121 to drop relative to the forklift body 11, synchronously driving the load wheel 122 to leave the ground and move closer to the fork arm 121;

[0108] After the fork arm 121 completely exits the pallet hole, the fork arm 121 is controlled to rise relative to the forklift body 11, and the load wheel 122 is synchronously driven away from the fork arm 121 to contact the ground, so that the load wheel 122 supports the fork arm 121 to move.

[0109] In some embodiments, the forklift further includes an auxiliary support assembly 14, and the method further includes: when the fork arm 121 descends relative to the forklift body 11, synchronously driving the load wheel 122 to leave the ground and approach the fork arm 121, and the auxiliary support assembly 14 is used to contact the ground to provide auxiliary support for the forklift.

[0110] In some embodiments, a 3D laser radar 19 is provided on the top of the forklift body 11, and the method further includes: controlling the forklift to perform at least one of the following operations based on the 3D point cloud data collected by the 3D laser radar 19: positioning the forklift, controlling the forklift to avoid obstacles, or controlling the travel path of the forklift.

[0111] In some embodiments, a first obstacle avoidance sensor 124 is provided at one end of the fork arm 121 away from the forklift body 11, and the method further includes: controlling the power system of the forklift to perform corresponding actions according to the monitoring information collected by the first obstacle avoidance sensor 124; and / or a second obstacle avoidance sensor 16 is circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the forklift body 11, and the method further includes: controlling the power system of the forklift to perform corresponding actions according to the monitoring information collected by the second obstacle avoidance sensor 16.

[0112] In some embodiments, the installation position of the load wheel 122 in the length direction of the fork arm 121 is adjusted so that after the fork arm 121 is inserted into the tray hole of the tray, the load wheel 122 is exposed outside the tray hole.

[0113] In some embodiments, the at least one fork arm 121 includes two fork arms 121, and the method further includes: adjusting the distance between the two fork arms 121 so that the distance between the two fork arms 121 adapts to the width of the tray.

[0114] The forklift and the control method of the forklift provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure belong to the same inventive concept. For the relevant details and beneficial effects, reference can be made to each other and will not be repeated here.

[0115] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; under the idea of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, and the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other changes in different aspects of the present application as described above. For the sake of brevity, they are not provided in detail; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

Claims 1. A forklift, comprising: Forklift body; At least one fork arm, each of the fork arms being movably disposed on the forklift body; at least one load wheel, each of the load wheels being rotatably disposed below the corresponding fork arm; and a drive assembly, respectively connected to the fork arm and the load wheel, for synchronously driving the load wheel away from the fork arm when the fork arm is driven to rise relative to the forklift body so that the load wheel contacts the ground, and / or synchronously driving the load wheel toward the fork arm when the fork arm is driven to descend relative to the forklift body.

2. The forklift according to claim 1, wherein: The mounting position of the load wheel can be adjusted relative to the fork arm in the length direction of the fork arm.

3. The forklift according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The fork arm is provided with a plurality of mounting parts along the length direction, and the load wheel is adaptively connected to one of the plurality of mounting parts.

4. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The driving assembly includes: a transmission mechanism connected to the load wheel; and a power mechanism respectively connected to the fork arm and the transmission mechanism, and configured to drive the load wheel to swing downward by driving the transmission mechanism when the fork arm is driven to rise relative to the forklift body, so that the load wheel is away from the fork arm until it touches the ground, and to drive the load wheel to swing upward by driving the transmission mechanism when the fork arm is driven to descend relative to the forklift body, so that the load wheel is close to the fork arm.

5. The forklift according to claim 4, wherein: The transmission mechanism includes: a driving arm, which has an adjustable length and is connected to the load wheel, and is used to adapt to the installation position of the load wheel by adjusting its own length and drive the load wheel to swing up and down; and a transmission arm, which is arranged on the forklift body and is hingedly connected to the driving arm and the power mechanism, and is used to transmit power to the driving arm when the power mechanism drives the fork arm to rise and fall relative to the forklift body, so that the driving arm drives the load wheel to swing up and down.

6. The forklift according to claim 5, wherein: The driving arm includes a first connecting rod, a screw rod and a second connecting rod connected in sequence, wherein one end of the first connecting rod away from the screw rod is hingedly connected to the load wheel, one end of the second connecting rod away from the screw rod is hingedly connected to the transmission arm, and the screw rod is threadedly connected to at least one of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod.

7. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an auxiliary support assembly, wherein the auxiliary support assembly is movably arranged on the forklift body and connected to the drive assembly; the drive assembly is further used to drive the auxiliary support assembly to rise to be away from the ground when driving the fork arm to rise relative to the forklift body, and to drive the auxiliary support assembly to fall when driving the fork arm to fall relative to the forklift body so that the auxiliary support assembly contacts the ground.

8. The forklift according to claim 7, further comprising a guide assembly, wherein the guide assembly is connected to both the auxiliary support assembly and the forklift body, and is used to guide the auxiliary support assembly to move relative to the forklift body in a height direction of the forklift body.

9. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one fork arm and the at least There are two load wheels, two fork arms are arranged on the forklift body at intervals, the two load wheels correspond to the two fork arms respectively, the drive assembly is connected to each fork arm and each load wheel respectively, and the drive assembly can drive each fork arm and each load wheel to move synchronously.

10. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: A 3D laser radar is disposed on the top of the forklift body, and the 3D laser radar is used to monitor the terrain and objects in the surrounding environment; and / or the forklift further includes a first obstacle avoidance sensor, which is disposed on an end of the fork arm away from the forklift body, and the first obstacle avoidance sensor is used to monitor obstacles located in front of the fork arm; And / or the forklift further includes a second obstacle avoidance sensor, the second obstacle avoidance sensor is circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the forklift body, and the second obstacle avoidance sensor is used to monitor obstacles located around the bottom of the forklift body.

11. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The at least one fork arm includes a first fork arm and a second fork arm, the first fork arm and the second fork arm are spaced apart and the distance between the first fork arm and the second fork arm is adjustable; the at least one load wheel includes a first load wheel corresponding to the first fork arm and a second load wheel corresponding to the second fork arm.

12. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The load wheel is an omnidirectional wheel or a unidirectional wheel.

13. A forklift control method, applied to a forklift comprising a forklift body, at least one fork arm and at least one load wheel, wherein: Each of the at least one fork arm is movably arranged on the forklift body, and each of the at least one load wheel is rotatably arranged under the corresponding fork arm. The method comprises: when the fork arm rises relative to the forklift body, synchronously driving the load wheel to move away from the fork arm to contact the ground; and / or when the fork arm descends relative to the forklift body, synchronously driving the load wheel to leave the ground and move closer to the fork arm.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: After the load wheel approaches the fork arm, controlling the fork arm to insert into the pallet hole of the pallet; After the fork arm is inserted into the pallet hole, the fork arm is controlled to rise relative to the forklift body, and the load wheel is synchronously driven away from the fork arm to contact the ground, so that the load wheel provides support for the forklift body and the goods on the pallet.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising: When the fork arm withdraws from the pallet hole of the pallet, the fork arm is controlled to descend relative to the forklift body, and the load wheel is synchronously driven to leave the ground and approach the fork arm; after the fork arm completely withdraws from the pallet hole, the fork arm is controlled to rise relative to the forklift body, and the load wheel is synchronously driven to move away from the fork arm to contact the ground, so that the load wheel supports the movement of the fork arm.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The forklift further includes an auxiliary support assembly, and the method further includes: when the fork arm descends relative to the forklift body, synchronously driving the load wheel to leave the ground and approach the fork arm, and the auxiliary support assembly is used to contact the ground to provide auxiliary support for the forklift.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein: The top of the forklift body is provided with 3D laser radar, the method further includes: controlling the forklift to perform at least one of the following operations according to the 3D point cloud data collected by the 3D laser radar: positioning the forklift, controlling the forklift to avoid obstacles, or controlling the travel path of the forklift.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein: A first obstacle avoidance sensor is provided at one end of the fork arm away from the forklift body, and the method further includes: controlling the power system of the forklift to perform corresponding actions based on monitoring information collected by the first obstacle avoidance sensor; and / or a second obstacle avoidance sensor is provided on the bottom circumference of the forklift body, and the method further includes: controlling the power system of the forklift to perform corresponding actions based on monitoring information collected by the second obstacle avoidance sensor.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, further comprising: The installation position of the load wheel in the length direction of the fork arm is adjusted so that after the fork arm is inserted into the pallet hole of the pallet, the load wheel is exposed from the pallet hole.

20. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 19, wherein: The at least one fork arm includes two fork arms, and the method further includes: adjusting a distance between the two fork arms so that the distance between the two fork arms adapts to a width of the pallet. 14

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