Three-wheel forklift steering axle, and forklift

Abstract

A three-wheel forklift steering axle, and a forklift. The three-wheel forklift steering axle comprises a first bearing, a second bearing, a steering gear, and a steering axle body; the steering gear is connected to the steering axle body and drives the steering axle body to steer, and the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged on the steering axle body. By embedding the first bearing and the second bearing into a forklift body, the steering axle body is connected to the forklift body.

Description

Three-point forklift steering axle and forklift

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on February 29, 2024, with application number 202420383832.5. The entire contents of the above application are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to a steering structure, and in particular to a steering structure of a forklift. Background Art

[0004] Currently, the steering axle support used in three-point counterbalanced forklifts mostly uses a single steering bearing. Steering bearings are commonly used in short-wheelbase forklifts due to their high load-bearing capacity and small footprint. In long-wheelbase forklifts, it is difficult to position the steering axle with a single bearing, making it difficult to ensure the stability of the steering axle. Furthermore, the high pressure borne by a single bearing makes it prone to wear during operation, affecting the forklift's steering performance and service life.

[0005] Application Contents

[0006] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a three-point forklift steering axle, comprising: a first bearing, a second bearing, a steering gear and a steering axle body; the steering gear is connected to and drives the steering axle body to steer, and a first bearing and a second bearing are provided on the steering axle body. By embedding the first bearing and the second bearing into the forklift body, the steering axle body is connected to the forklift body.

[0007] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a forklift, comprising the three-point forklift steering axle as described above.

[0008] The three-point forklift steering axle provided in the present application has a simple structure and strong stability. The cooperation between the first bearing and the second bearing makes the steering action of the steering axle smooth and smooth, thereby improving the stability of the steering axle. The setting of the two bearings shares the load, making the bearings less likely to be damaged, extending the service life of the bearings, and thus also extending the service life of the three-point forklift steering axle.

[0009] The forklift provided in this application has all the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned three-point forklift steering axle, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG1 is an exploded view of a three-point forklift steering axle provided by the present application;

[0011] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a three-point forklift steering axle provided by the present application;

[0012] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the installation of a three-point forklift steering axle provided by the present application;

[0013] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the installation of the three-point forklift steering axle provided in this application.

[0014] In the picture:

[0015] 1. End cover; 2. Split pin; 3. Nut; 4. Small washer; 5. Third bearing; 6. Hub nut; 7. Hub connecting shaft; 8. Hub bolt; 9. Turning rod; 10. First bearing; 10', second bearing; 11. Steering column; 12. Steering gear; 13. Washer; 14. Locking nut; 15. Turning gear; 16. Steering wheel; 20. Steering hole; 201. Bearing limit hole; 202. Bridge body limit hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] In order to be able to understand the features and technical contents of the embodiments of the present application in more detail, the implementation of the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for reference only and are not used to limit the embodiments of the present application. In the following technical description, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a full understanding of the disclosed embodiments is provided through multiple details. However, one or more embodiments can still be implemented without these details. In other cases, to simplify the drawings, well-known structures and devices can be simplified for display.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the present application provides a three-point forklift steering axle, including a first bearing 10, a second bearing 10', a steering gear 12 and a steering axle body; the steering gear 12 is connected to and drives the steering axle body to steer, and a first bearing 10 and a second bearing 10' are provided on the steering axle body. By embedding the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10' into the forklift body, the steering axle body is connected to the forklift body.

[0018] The outer ring of the steering gear 12 is configured to engage with the transfer gear 15, and the transfer gear is configured to provide power to the three-point forklift steering axle; the steering axle body includes a steering column 11 and a rotating rod 9, the steering column 11 is vertically arranged, and the lower end of the steering column 11 is laterally fixedly connected to the rotating rod 9; the steering gear 12 is arranged at the upper end of the steering column 11, and a first bearing 10 is installed below the steering gear 12, and the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10' are arranged at intervals on the steering column 11, and the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10' cooperate to withstand a composite load; the steering gear 12 is linked with the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10'. When the transfer gear rotates, the meshing force between it and the steering gear 12 drives the steering gear 12 to rotate, thereby driving the steering axle body to move in conjunction.

[0019] During the operation of the three-point forklift steering axle, after the transmission gear 12 is connected to the transfer gear 15, the transfer gear 12 is driven to rotate after the transmission force is input to the transfer gear 15. Since the steering axle and the vehicle body are fixed with bearings, when the transmission gear 12 rotates, the entire steering axle body is driven to rotate, thereby driving the tire to rotate with the center of the transmission gear 12 as the rotation axis.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10 ′ are tapered roller bearings, which are coaxial and arranged opposite to each other to offset the axial load.

[0021] Tapered roller bearings are primarily designed to withstand combined radial and axial loads, primarily radial. Single-row tapered roller bearings can withstand radial loads and unidirectional axial loads. When the bearing is subjected to radial loads, an axial force component is generated. Therefore, another bearing capable of withstanding the axial force in the opposite direction is required to balance the load. Therefore, in this embodiment, tapered roller bearings are arranged in pairs.

[0022] This embodiment uses a high-precision processing technology to make the centers of the cross sections of the two bearings coincide as much as possible in the vertical direction, ensuring that the two bearings have a high vertical concentricity, thereby improving the matching accuracy of the two bearings, reducing wear, and ensuring that the steering gear 12 drives the steering column 11 to steer more smoothly, thereby improving the stability of the steering axle; the setting of the two bearings shares the load in each direction, can offset the influence of the axial force component, improve the carrying capacity of the steering axle, make the two bearings less likely to be damaged, extend the service life of the bearings, and thus extend the service life of the three-point forklift steering axle.

[0023] It should be noted that the outer rings of the first and second bearings 10, 10' are fixedly connected to the vehicle body to partially bear the stress of the steering column 11. Referring to Figure 3, a steering hole 20 is provided in the forklift body to secure the steering axle. This hole 20 includes a bearing retaining hole 201 configured to receive two tapered roller bearings and a bridge retaining hole 202 extending through the steering column 11. The inner rings of the first and second bearings 10, 10' are sleeved within the steering column 11, while the outer rings of the first and second bearings 10, 10' are embedded within the forklift body. The steering column 11 extends through the steering hole 20 of the forklift body and is connected to the forklift body via a bearing sleeved thereon.

[0024] It should be noted that the inner diameter of the bearing retaining hole 201 is slightly larger than the outer diameters of the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10' to accommodate and secure the two bearings. The inner diameter of the bridge retaining hole 202 is larger than the outer diameter of the steering column 11. When the steering column 11 is inserted into the bridge retaining hole 202, a certain gap is left between the two to facilitate rotation of the steering column 11 relative to the vehicle body. The inner diameter of the bearing retaining hole 201 is larger than the inner diameter of the bridge retaining hole 202 to form an annular plane between the two holes for contact with the bearings to limit the bearings in the axial direction. It is understood that tapered roller bearings are generally separable, that is, the tapered inner ring assembly, consisting of an inner ring with rollers and a retainer assembly, can be installed separately from the tapered outer ring. Single-row tapered roller bearings are generally installed in pairs. The two outer ring large end faces can be installed back-to-back (DB, Two bearings matched for mounting back-to-back), the two outer ring small end faces can be installed face to face (DF, Two bearings matched for mounting face-to-face), or one outer ring small end face is connected to the other outer ring large end face in series (DT, Two bearings matched for mounting in tandem). In this embodiment, the back-to-back installation method is adopted.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1 , the upper portion of the first bearing is connected to the steering gear 12, which is secured to the steering column 11 via a lock nut 14. A washer 13 is positioned between the lock nut 14 and the steering column 11. During installation, the inner ring of the second bearing 10' is first mounted on the steering column 11 by means of a sleeve. The assembly is then loaded into the vehicle from below, allowing the inner ring of the second bearing 10' to mate with the outer ring, which is already engaged with the bearing retaining hole 201. The inner ring of the first bearing 10 is then sleeved onto the steering column 11 from above, mates with the outer ring, which is already engaged with the upper bearing retaining hole 201. Finally, the steering gear 12 is sleeved, and the washer 13 and lock nut 14 are tightened. This secures the steering gear 12 while applying axial downward pressure to securely engage and lock the first and second bearings 10, 10' at both ends of the steering hole 11.

[0026] Referring to Figures 1 and 4 , two third bearings 5 ​​are positioned on either side of the rotating rod 9. A hub nut 6, a hub connecting shaft 7, and a hub bolt 8 are positioned sequentially along the third bearings 5 ​​to the center of the rotating rod 9 to mount the steering wheel 16. The third bearings 5 ​​are sealed deep groove ball bearings, and the hub connecting shaft 7 and the rotating rod 9 are connected by two deep groove ball bearings. Therefore, rotation of the hub connecting shaft 7 drives the wheel hub rotation. Nuts 3, cotter pins 2, and end caps 1 are positioned at each end of the rotating rod 9 to secure the steering wheel 16.

[0027] In one embodiment, lubricating grease is applied between the first bearing 10 and the steering column 11, between the second bearing 10' and the steering column 11, and between the third bearing 5 and the rotating rod 9. The lubricating grease can be lubricating oil or grease, which forms an oil film on the surface of the steel to prevent rust and lubricate, thereby improving the operational stability of the steering axle.

[0028] The installation process of the three-point forklift steering axle provided in this application is as follows:

[0029] Step 1: First, weld the rotating rod 9 and the steering column 11 as shown;

[0030] Step 2: As shown in Figure 1, install the third bearing 5 into the rotating rod 9;

[0031] Step 3: As shown in FIG1 , install the hub connecting shaft 7 into the rotating rod shaft 9;

[0032] Step 4: As shown in Figure 1, install the third bearing 5 into the rotating rod 9;

[0033] Step 5: Install the small washer 4 and nut 3 and tighten them as shown in Figure 1;

[0034] Step 6: Assemble the other side in the same order as steps 2-5;

[0035] Step 7: Install the end caps 1 of the hub connecting shaft 7 at both ends;

[0036] Step 8: Install the inner ring of the second bearing 10';

[0037] Step 9: As shown in FIG2 , install the assembly assembly into the vehicle body from below, so that the inner ring of the second bearing 10 ′ is assembled with the outer ring that has been embedded in the bearing limiting hole 201 ;

[0038] Step 10: As shown in FIG1 , the inner ring of the first bearing 10 is installed into the assembly component so that the inner ring of the first bearing 10 is assembled with the outer ring that has been embedded in the bearing limiting hole 201 ;

[0039] Step 11: As shown in FIG1 , install the steering gear 12 into the assembly component;

[0040] Step 12: Tighten the washer 13 and the lock nut 14 as shown in FIG. 1 to fix the steering gear 12 , the first bearing 10 and the second bearing 10 ′.

[0041] Through the above installation steps, the first bearing and the second bearing are embedded and fixed in the vehicle body, and the steering axle is connected to the forklift body through the first bearing and the second bearing. By utilizing the cooperation between the steering hole of the vehicle body and the structure of the steering axle, compared with the related art, the three-point forklift steering axle provided by the present application has a simple structure and strong stability. The two bearings are engaged with the forklift body structure to position the steering axle, so that the steering action is smooth and the stability of the steering axle is improved. The cooperation of the first bearing and the second bearing shares the load in all directions, and can offset the influence of the axial component force, so that the two bearings are not easily damaged, and the service life of the bearings is extended, thereby also extending the service life of the three-point forklift steering axle.

[0042] In step 2, when the third bearing 5 is installed into the rotating rod 9, lubricating oil (such as butter) can be added for lubrication.

[0043] In step 4, when the third bearing 5 is installed into the rotating rod 9, lubricating oil (such as butter) can be added for lubrication.

[0044] In step 8, when the inner ring of the second bearing 10' is installed, lubricating oil (such as butter) may be added for lubrication.

[0045] In step 10, when the inner ring of the first bearing 10 is installed into the assembly, lubricating oil (such as butter) may be added for lubrication.

[0046] In step 11, a flat key is used between the steering gear 12 and the steering column 11 to prevent the gear from rotating.

[0047] In a second aspect of the present application, a forklift is provided, comprising the three-point forklift steering axle as described above.

[0048] The forklift provided in the present application improves the stability and durability of the steering axle by providing a three-point forklift steering axle with two bearings, thereby enabling the forklift to have smoother steering performance and a longer service life.

[0049] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific implementation methods and are not intended to limit the exemplary implementation methods according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0050] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to actual proportional relationships. The techniques, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0051] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0052] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0053] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Various modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A three-point forklift steering axle, comprising: A first bearing, a second bearing, a steering gear and a steering axle body; The steering gear is connected to and drives the steering axle body to steer. The steering axle body is provided with the first bearing and the second bearing. The steering axle body is connected to the forklift body by embedding the first bearing and the second bearing into the forklift body.

2. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 1, wherein: The first bearing and the second bearing are arranged at intervals on the steering axle body, and the second bearing is arranged below the first bearing.

3. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 2, wherein: The first bearing and the second bearing are tapered roller bearings, and the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged in a back-to-back manner at intervals on the steering axle body.

4. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 2, wherein: The first bearing and the second bearing are sleeved on the steering axle body with intervals.

5. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 2, wherein: The first bearing and the second bearing 20 are coaxially arranged to offset each other's axial loads.

6. The three-point forklift steering axle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The steering bridge body includes a steering column and a rotating rod. The steering column is vertically arranged, and the lower end of the steering column is fixedly connected to the rotating rod in a transverse direction.

7. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 4, wherein: The steering column is inserted into the steering hole of the forklift body. The first bearing and the second bearing are disposed on the outer shell of the steering column, and the steering column is further connected to the forklift body.

8. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 5, wherein: The steering hole includes a bearing limiting hole and a bridge body limiting hole. The first bearing and the second bearing are clamped in the bearing limiting hole. The steering column is passed through the bridge body limiting hole and is positioned and clamped with the forklift body through the first bearing and the second bearing.

9. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 6, wherein: The inner diameter of the bearing limiting hole is larger than the outer diameters of the first bearing and the second bearing, the inner diameter of the bridge limiting hole is larger than the outer diameter of the steering column, and the inner diameter of the bearing limiting hole is larger than the inner diameter of the bridge limiting hole.

10. The three-point forklift steering axle according to claim 4, wherein: The inner rings of the first bearing and the second bearing are sleeved on the steering column, and the outer rings of the first bearing and the second bearing are embedded in the inner wall of the bearing limiting hole.

11. The three-point forklift steering axle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The steering gear is fixed to the steering column via a locking nut, and a washer is provided between the locking nut and the steering column.

12. The three-point forklift steering axle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Lubricating grease is applied between the first bearing and the steering column, and between the second bearing and the steering column.

13. A forklift comprising the three-point forklift steering axle according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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