Battery Carrier Floor Support Mechanism for Industrial Trucks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery-operated work vehicles, such as electric counterbalanced forklift trucks, face challenges in conveniently and reliably inserting and removing battery blocks from the battery compartment due to high surface pressure and wear on the castor, especially on uneven or soft surfaces, and require additional operating steps for floor support manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A battery-operated work vehicle with a battery compartment and a lateral opening, featuring a battery carrier and a battery changing device with a linear drive system that includes a floor support for supporting the battery carrier when extended, allowing the linear drive device to exchange forces between the battery carrier and the floor support, and locking mechanisms to manage their positions, enabling automated and low-wear deployment of the battery tray and floor support using hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric drives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery carrier is supported directly on the road surface using a roller or castor, then the battery carrier can be moved outwards through the battery compartment opening, but this results in relatively high surface pressure (line load) and wear-promoting stress on the castor, especially on uneven or soft surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
A floor support is introduced as an intermediary element between the battery carrier and the road surface. The floor support extends from the battery compartment floor to the road surface, providing a stable support path that distributes the load over a larger area. This mediator reduces the line load and pressure points on both the road surface and the support mechanism, while enabling smooth movement of the battery carrier even on uneven or soft surfaces.
2Ease of operation
If a floor support is pulled out by hand before extending the battery pack, then the battery pack can be extended with even effort independent of road surface quality, but additional operating steps are required (pulling out floor support before battery extension and retracting after insertion)
Solution Approach 1:
The floor support mechanism is merged with the battery carrier movement mechanism. Both the floor support extension and the battery carrier extension are controlled by a single linear drive device. When the linear drive is activated, it simultaneously extends the floor support and then the battery carrier, eliminating the need for separate manual operations. The locking mechanism ensures that the floor support is automatically positioned and locked before battery carrier movement begins, and automatically retracted after battery carrier retraction, reducing the number of independent operating steps while maintaining operational reliability.
3Reliability
If the linear drive device is dimensioned to be correspondingly strong to handle uneven floors or soft coverings, then the battery carrier can be moved reliably, but the device becomes more complex and requires stronger (more powerful) drive components
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented between the floor support structure and the linear drive device. The floor support, which extends to the road surface, handles the interaction with uneven or soft surfaces, distributing loads and providing mechanical advantage. The linear drive device only needs to provide sufficient force to move the battery carrier along the already-positioned floor support, rather than directly overcoming surface irregularities. This segmentation allows the drive device to be more compact and less powerful while maintaining reliable operation on various surface conditions.
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
This solution allows for reliable, convenient, and low-wear battery insertion and removal, reducing surface pressure and wear, while simplifying the process by automating the movement and locking of the battery tray and floor support, ensuring efficient battery maintenance and replacement without additional manual steps.
Implementation Method 1
a linear drive device for moving the battery carrier through the battery compartment opening between an insertion position in which it is at least almost completely accommodated in the battery compartment, and an extended position in which it is at least mostly outside the battery compartment
Implementation Method 2
locking means are provided for alternately locking the battery tray and the floor support relative to the frame, namely for locking the battery tray in its retracted position in the battery compartment and for locking the floor support in its extended position relative to the frame
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Battery-powered work vehicle, in particular industrial truck, comprising: - a frame (3; 3a) with a battery compartment (5; 5a) having a side battery compartment opening, - a battery carrier (11; 11a) for a battery block (13) received in the battery compartment (5; 5a), - a battery changing device with a linear drive device for moving the battery carrier (11; 11a) through the battery compartment opening between a retracted position in which it is at least almost completely received in the battery compartment and an extended position in which it is at least mostly outside the battery compartment (5; 5a), wherein - the battery changing device has a floor support (9; 9a) that can be extended and retracted relative to the battery compartment (5; 5a) to support the battery carrier (11; 11a) against the floor (31) when it is moved into the extended position, - the linear drive device between the battery carrier (11;11a) and the base support (9; 9a) is switched and can be activated to exert thrust and tensile forces on the battery carrier (11; 11a) and the base support (9; 9a) to move them relative to each other, and that locking means (23, 33; 23a) are provided for alternately locking the battery carrier (11; 11a) and the base support (9; 9a) relative to the frame (3; 3a), namely for locking the battery carrier (11; 11a) in its retracted position and for locking the base support (9; 9a) in its extended position, so that when the battery carrier (11; 11a) is locked, the base support (9; 9a) can be extended and retracted by means of the linear drive device, and when the base support (9; 9a) is locked, the battery carrier (11; 11a) can be extended and retracted by means of the The linear drive device is movable between the retracted position and the extended position under support on the floor support (9; 9a).