Vertically Movable Fork Sensor for Elevated Obstacle Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety sensors in loading vehicles with lifting forks are ineffective in detecting obstacles at elevated levels, posing significant safety risks during operations involving raised objects.
Innovation Solution
A vertically movable detection sensor is integrated with the lifting forks, ensuring its detection field covers the space occupied by the forks in all positions, from lower to upper, to detect obstacles and trigger safety maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the safety sensor is positioned in a fixed position close to the ground, then the sensor can detect obstacles at lower levels, but it cannot detect obstacles at elevated levels where the fork operates
Solution Approach 1:
The safety sensor is made vertically movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its detection position. The sensor moves together with the fork along the vertical direction, enabling it to maintain effective detection coverage across the entire range of fork motion from ground level to elevated positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety sensor is integrated into the fork structure, specifically positioned on the fork body or attached to the fork support mechanism. This nesting arrangement allows the sensor to move with the fork while maintaining a compact configuration that does not interfere with the fork's loading and unloading operations.
2Device complexity
If the safety sensor is positioned intermediate the forks at a lower area, then the vehicle structure remains simple, but the sensor fails to cover the area of action of the fork when the object is raised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor positioning structure is designed to move dynamically with the fork's vertical motion. The sensor is mounted on the fork or its support mechanism, creating a coupled motion system where the sensor automatically adjusts its vertical position to match the fork's position, ensuring continuous detection coverage without requiring complex independent positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety sensor system is merged with the fork mechanism, combining the loading/unloading function with the safety detection function into a single integrated system. This integration allows the sensor to benefit from the fork's vertical motion while maintaining structural simplicity, as no separate complex positioning system is needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Operating vehicle that includes a self-propelled unit, structured to move on a movement surface along a given path advancing along a main direction; a fork, associated with an operating part of the self-propelled unit and movable vertically between a lower position and an upper position; a detection sensor, provided with a detecting field and arranged to emit a signal if an object is inside the detecting field, the detecting field facing the space occupied by the fork; a control module, connected to the self-propelled unit and to the detection sensor, which is set up to control a safety manoeuvre of the self-propelled unit in the presence of a detecting signal of the detection sensor. The detection sensor is vertically movable between a lower position and an upper position. The upper position is placed at a higher level than the lower position.