Forklift Intermediate Piece Sensor for Force Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing industrial trucks with tiltable fork carriages face challenges in accurately determining the center of gravity of loads due to limitations in measuring forces through hydraulic pressure, which affects stability calculations and safety systems.

Innovation Solution

An intermediate piece with integrated sensors is placed between the tilting cylinder device and the fork carrier, allowing for precise force measurement, reducing the influence of friction and viscosity, and enabling accurate determination of the load center of gravity by using strain gauges or other measurement principles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If hydraulic pressure is used to determine forces in the tilting cylinder device, then the measurement system is simple, but the measurement precision is limited due to friction and viscosity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforce determination accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A force sensor is introduced as an intermediary element between the tilting cylinder device and the fork carriage. This sensor directly measures the forces acting on the fork carriage, eliminating the need to calculate forces from hydraulic pressure. The intermediary sensor provides accurate force data without being affected by friction and viscosity in the hydraulic system, thus resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If hydraulic pressure measurement is used, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of center of gravity determination is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecenter of gravity determination reliabilityVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the indirect hydraulic pressure measurement system with a direct mechanical force sensor. The force sensor provides reliable and accurate force measurements that are not influenced by hydraulic friction or viscosity. This substitution improves the reliability of center of gravity determination while accepting increased device complexity, as the sensor directly measures the physical quantity of interest without intermediate conversion steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If an intermediate piece with sensors is added, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforce measurement accuracyVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The force sensor is integrated into the intermediate piece that connects the tilting cylinder device to the fork carriage. By merging the sensor with the structural intermediate piece, the patent achieves accurate force measurements without adding separate, complex measurement systems. The intermediate piece serves both structural and measurement functions, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 enhances the accuracy of force determination on the tiltable fork carrier, leading to improved calculation of the load center of gravity's position and horizontal distance, thereby enhancing safety and operational reliability for the industrial truck.

Implementation Method 1

an intermediate piece is arranged between the tilting cylinder device and the fork carrier, which transmits the forces of the tilting cylinder device to the tiltable fork carrier, the intermediate piece being provided with a sensor for force measurement of the forces acting on the tiltable fork carrier

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectStrain measurement: Deformation

Data Source

PatentEP3760574B1Industrial truck
Publication Date: 2022.05.11 LINDE MATERIAL HANDLING GMBH
  • EP3760574B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3760574B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3760574B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a forklift truck (1) with a load carriage (3) arranged on a lifting frame (2) so as to be raised and lowered, on which a fork carriage (4) is arranged that can be tilted about a horizontal pivot axis (S), on which a load-handling device (5) for receiving a load (G) is arranged, wherein a tilting cylinder device (6) is provided with which the fork carriage (4) can be tilted about the horizontal pivot axis (S). An intermediate piece (10) is arranged between the tilting cylinder device (6) and the fork carriage (4), which transmits the forces of the tilting cylinder device (6) to the tiltable fork carriage (4), wherein the intermediate piece (10) is provided with a sensor (11) for measuring the forces (F) acting on the tiltable fork carriage (4) in the area of ​​the tilting cylinder device (6).