Forklift Side Shift Feedback Control for Gap-Free Pallet Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing forklift truck side shift devices risk damaging adjacent pallets or shifting cargo due to excessive side shift, causing gaps or excessive pushing during pallet placement.
Innovation Solution
A side shift control device with a detecting unit to monitor pallet movement, a determining unit to assess contact with an object, and a control unit to adjust fork movement, ensuring precise alignment without gaps or excessive pushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the forks are automatically side shifted with an excessive amount of side shift travel, then the pallet can be placed beside the object, but the object may be pushed excessively causing damage to pallets or shifting of cargoes
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a detecting unit to monitor pallet movement during side shift operation. When the pallet comes into contact with the object (another pallet or side wall), the detecting unit detects this contact state and feeds back to the control unit, which then stops the side shift motion. This feedback mechanism prevents excessive pushing force while maintaining automatic operation capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the side shift travel is reduced to prevent excessive pushing, then damage to pallets is prevented, but gaps may occur between adjacent pallets
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting unit continuously monitors the relative position and movement of the pallet during side shift. When contact with the object is detected, the system confirms proper placement without gap. This feedback ensures precise placement by stopping exactly at the contact point, eliminating both gaps and excessive pushing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a preliminary detection phase before final placement. The detecting unit identifies the contact point in advance, allowing the control unit to adjust the side shift travel distance accordingly. This preliminary action ensures the forks stop at the precise position where the pallet contacts the object without pushing it excessively.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If automatic side shift control is implemented to prevent damage, then harmful factors are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting unit is integrated into the existing side shift mechanism, allowing the system to self-detect contact conditions without requiring external complex sensing systems. The control unit uses this self-provided feedback to automatically adjust side shift travel, preventing damage while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A side shift control device for a forklift truck, which is configured to cause a side shift unit to move a pair of forks holding a pallet in a right-left direction so that the pallet comes in contact with an object when the pallet is placed beside the object, includes: a side shift control unit configured to control the side shift unit so that the pair of forks begin to move toward the object after the pair of forks are inserted into a pair of fork holes formed in the pallet; a detecting unit configured to detect a movement of the pallet with the forks inserted in the fork holes; and a determining unit configured to determine, based on the movement of the pallet detected by the detecting unit, whether the pallet is in contact with the object.