Industrial Truck Axle Cooling with Frame-Mounted Forced Ventilation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling systems for industrial truck axles with smooth outer surfaces are costly to manufacture and cannot be applied to trucks with smooth axles, posing a challenge in reducing production costs while ensuring effective cooling of both the electric motor and control module.

Innovation Solution

A forced ventilation cooling system that fixes to the truck's frame using fixing means, directing air towards the axle system, including a structure with a suction mouth, support part, and plate to accommodate the control module, without direct attachment to the axle, thus allowing cooling of both the electric drive device and control module.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the cooling system is mounted directly on the axle with anchoring means (threaded holes, fins), then the cooling system can be effectively applied to the axle, but the manufacturing cost increases and the axle requires additional machining

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidapplicability to smooth axles
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a mounting plate as an intermediary component between the cooling system and the axle. This plate can be attached to the axle body without requiring machining of the axle surface itself, thereby enabling the cooling system to be installed on smooth axles while avoiding additional machining costs and preserving axle surface integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the cooling system is designed to mount directly on the axle, then the cooling can be effectively applied, but it cannot be applied to industrial trucks with smooth axles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplicability to different axle typesVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into separate modular components: the cooling device itself and the mounting plate. This segmentation allows the mounting plate to be independently designed and optimized for different axle types, enabling the same cooling device to be adapted to various axle configurations without redesigning the entire system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively cools both the electric drive device and control module by using frame fixation, reducing manufacturing costs and enabling application to trucks with smooth axles without additional machining, while maintaining cooling efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

A forced ventilation cooling system for cooling an axle system of an industrial truck... includes an air conveyor and a fan that are coupled directly to the axle... directing the air moved by the ventilation device towards a surface of the axle system

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

These systems include an air conveyor and a fan that are coupled directly to the axle of the industrial truck... the cooling system is configured to direct the air moved by the ventilation device towards a surface of the electric drive device and a surface of the control module

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection cooling: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4620895A1A cooling system for an axle system of an industrial truck
Publication Date: 2025.09.24 TOYOTA MATERIAL HANDLING MFG ITAL SPA
  • EP4620895A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4620895A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4620895A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A forced ventilation cooling system (10) for cooling an axle system (30, 31) comprising an electric drive device (31) of an industrial truck and a control module (30) of the electric drive device; the cooling system comprises: a structure (11, 12, 13), a ventilation device (16) connected to the structure (11, 12, 13), wherein said structure includes a conveying portion (13) for directing the air moved by the ventilation device (16) towards a surface of the axle system (30, 31). The system comprises fixing means (14, 15) for fixing the structure (11, 12, 13) to a frame (40) of the industrial truck.