Fork-Mounted Distance Sensing for Pallet Pose Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial trucks face challenges in safely and accurately determining the pose of a pallet relative to their fork arms, leading to potential operational safety issues such as unfavorable load distribution and tipping stability, especially when handling pallets with autonomous or automated systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and industrial truck equipped with distance measuring means on the fork arms and fork gap, allowing for continuous or intermittent measurement of distance values during insertion, calculating degrees of offset and tilt, and adjusting steering and lifting based on these measurements to ensure central and straight alignment of the pallet on the fork arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If distance measuring means are installed on fork arms to determine pallet pose, then operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distance measuring means serves multiple functions: it determines both the lateral offset and the longitudinal position of the pallet during insertion. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sensing systems, thereby improving operational safety while limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and mechanical positioning methods with optical distance measuring means. This substitution enables automated, precise determination of pallet pose, significantly improving operational safety while the complexity increase is offset by the elimination of manual operations.
2Measurement precision
If multiple distance measurement values are taken during insertion, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple distance measurement values are taken during the insertion process itself, utilizing the time when the fork arms are already moving towards the pallet. This preliminary action ensures that precise measurements are obtained without requiring additional time after insertion is complete, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The distance measurements are taken continuously during the insertion process, transforming what would otherwise be idle time into productive measurement time. This continuous action ensures precise determination of pallet pose while maintaining efficient operation, thus improving measurement precision without significant time penalty.
3Manufacturing precision
If degree of offset and tilt are calculated from distance measurement values, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device calculates the degree of offset and tilt from the distance measurement values and uses this information to provide feedback for adjusting the pallet position. This feedback mechanism enables precise position determination while the calculation process is integrated into the existing control system, thereby improving manufacturing precision with minimal increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary that processes the raw distance measurement values and transforms them into meaningful parameters (degree of offset and tilt). This intermediary function enables accurate position determination while keeping the complexity distributed across separate functional modules, making the system manageable and maintainable.
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
Enhances operational safety by ensuring accurate and safe lifting and transport of pallets, reducing the risk of tipping and improving the reproducibility of pallet handling with autonomous or automated industrial trucks.
Implementation Method 1
a first distance measuring means, which is preferably directed towards a fork gap, is arranged in the region of a tip of the first fork arm
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the pose of a pallet relative to an industrial truck that has a pair of fork arms with a first and a second fork arm and a first distance measuring means that is arranged in the region of a fork tip on the first fork arm and preferably directed towards a fork gap, wherein the pallet has an outer block, outer web, center block or web,characterized by the steps of:inserting the industrial truck into the pallet so that the first and second fork arms enter into the pallet,determining multiple first distance measurement values with the first distance measuring means to the outer block, outer web, center block or web of the pallet during insertion,calculating a degree of offset from at least one first distance measurement value and/or a degree of tilt from the difference between at least two first distance measurement values.