Truck-mounted forklift wheel arm lateral alignment guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Truck-mounted forklifts experience reduced robustness and stability due to clearance in extendable wheel arms, leading to undesirable wear and potential cargo instability during loading and unloading.

Innovation Solution

A truck-mounted forklift with a frame, steerable wheels, and a shaped guide for controlled extension and retraction of wheel arms, which aligns them laterally to prevent clearance and enhance stability, combined with a tilting and unfolding mechanism for load carriers to maintain compact overhang length.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If wheel arms are extended to enable loading and unloading operations, then the forklift can reach cargo in the truck cargo space, but clearance occurs between extendable parts causing reduced robustness and increased wear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewheel arm extension lengthVSAvoidrobustness of forklift
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A shaped guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the extendable wheel arm parts. This guide aligns the wheel arms laterally during extension and retraction, preventing clearance and unwanted movement between the mating parts. The shaped guide acts as a mediator that ensures precise alignment while allowing the necessary extension movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Length of moving object

If wheel arms are extended to increase working reach, then cargo can be loaded and unloaded from truck positions, but lateral clearance between parts causes cargo instability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewheel arm extension lengthVSAvoidcargo stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The shaped guide serves as a lateral alignment mechanism that prevents clearance between extendable wheel arm parts. By constraining the relative movement of these parts, the guide ensures stable support for the cargo during loading and unloading operations, eliminating the instability caused by lateral clearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Length of stationary object

If extendable wheel arms are used to reduce minimum overhang length, then compact transport form is achieved, but clearance and wear increase during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveminimum overhang lengthVSAvoidwear and clearance
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shaped guide is positioned to align the wheel arms laterally during both extension and retraction. This intermediary component prevents clearance between the mating surfaces of the extendable parts, thereby reducing wear while maintaining the compact overhang length necessary for transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful effect of clearance is extracted and concentrated to the shaped guide itself. The guide absorbs the wear through its design, protecting the critical wheel arm components from excessive wear while maintaining the beneficial compact structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If wheel arms are extended for loading operations, then cargo accessibility is improved, but unwanted lateral movement and clearance occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecargo loading accessibilityVSAvoidwheel arm stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The shaped guide provides lateral alignment during the extension and retraction of wheel arms, preventing unwanted lateral movement. This intermediary component ensures that the wheel arms remain stable and properly aligned throughout the loading operation, improving both accessibility and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3626675B1Lifting truck provided with extended wheel arms, and method for loading and / or unloading a cargo space
Publication Date: 2022.01.19 TERBERG KINGELEVATORER
  • EP3626675B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3626675B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3626675B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a truck-mounted forklift truck for loading and/or unloading a cargo space of a truck, a truck provided therewith and method therefor. The truck-mounted forklift truck comprises: - a frame provided with mounting elements configured to mount the truck-mounted forklift truck on a truck provided with the cargo space, a set of forks, a number of wheels and a drive; - a set of forks for picking up and/or setting down a cargo during the loading and/or unloading; - one or more wheel arms arranged on the frame and provided with a wheel, wherein the wheel arms are extendable, wherein the wheel arm is provided with a shaped guide configured to align the wheel arm in lateral direction for aligned extending and retracting of the wheel arm.