Forklift Load Height Averaging Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial trucks with automatic leveling systems for load handling devices are inefficient with load carriers having side walls, such as roll containers or lattice boxes, and fail to adjust height correctly when multiple carriers are stacked, leading to suboptimal ergonomic loading and unloading heights.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system measures distances from above the detection area to the tops of all uppermost layers of the load, calculating an average height to maintain the load at a predetermined ergonomic level, allowing continuous adjustment of the lifting device to ensure optimal unloading or loading heights.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor device with horizontal detection area is used to detect load height, then the system works well with flat pallets, but it cannot reliably detect loads with side walls such as roll containers or lattice boxes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the detection approach by positioning the sensor vertically above the load rather than horizontally alongside it. This allows the sensor to look downward and detect the top surface of loads regardless of whether they are on flat pallets or in containers with side walls, thereby resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and adaptability to different load carrier types
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from horizontal detection to vertical detection by positioning the sensor above the load in the vertical dimension. This dimensional change enables the sensor to detect load height by measuring the distance to the top surface from above, making the system compatible with both flat pallets and containers with side walls
2Ease of operation
If automatic leveling systems adjust height based on detected load position, then loading and unloading ergonomics improve, but additional time is required for the leveling operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where the sensor continuously detects the load position and the control device automatically adjusts the load carrier height to maintain an ergonomic working level. This closed-loop feedback enables automatic adaptation to different load heights without manual intervention, improving ergonomics while minimizing time loss through automated real-time adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the load carrier to self-adjust its height automatically based on sensor feedback, eliminating the need for manual height adjustment by operators. The control device autonomously manages the leveling process, allowing the system to serve itself and reducing both operational time and human intervention requirements
3Ease of operation
If only the top layer of goods is detected for height adjustment, then the leveling system is simple to operate, but not all goods layers reach optimal ergonomic height when loads are stacked at different heights
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by detecting and adjusting the height for each individual layer or region of the load separately. The sensor scans across the detection area to identify multiple load regions with different heights, and the control device adjusts the load carrier position to optimize ergonomics for each local area, ensuring that goods at different heights all reach optimal working levels
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 enables efficient and ergonomic loading and unloading of goods by maintaining the average load height at an optimal level, improving operational efficiency and user comfort, even with varied load heights and multiple carriers.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor device with an essentially horizontal detection area, in particular a laser beam sensor, detects the loading status
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a forklift truck (1) with a load handling device (2) that can be raised and lowered by a lifting device, in particular a load fork, and with a control device (6) for controlling the lifting device, wherein the control device (6) is operatively connected to at least one sensor (4) for detecting at least one uppermost layer of a load (5) in at least one detection area (9).It is proposed that the sensor (4) is configured to measure distances from a measuring position (8) provided above the detection area (9) to points on the top surfaces of all uppermost layers of the load (5) in the detection area (9), and that the control device (6) is configured to assign height coordinates to the individual points based on the measured distances and to calculate an average height level (10) of the load (5) and to control the lifting device in such a way that the average height level (10) of the load (5) is continuously maintained at a predetermined leveling height (11).