Industrial Truck Mast Guide Profiles and Flexible Lifting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing industrial truck designs for transporting air freight shipment pallets or containers are expensive to manufacture due to their complex structure and require multiple hydraulic cylinders for lifting and guiding the loading platform.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates two guide profiles per mast with a C-shaped inner cross-section, allowing the loading platform to be guided and lifted using a flexible pulling device with pulleys and V-belts, reducing the need for hydraulic cylinders and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If four masts with hydraulic cylinders are used for lifting and guiding the loading platform, then the lifting and guiding function is achieved, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the lifting and guiding functions into a single mast structure. The mast integrates both hydraulic lifting cylinders and guide profiles, eliminating the need for separate guiding mechanisms. This merging reduces the number of components from four complete mast assemblies to two, directly lowering manufacturing costs and device complexity while maintaining the required lifting and guiding functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mast is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously performs lifting (via hydraulic cylinders), guiding (via guide profiles with C-shaped cross-sections), and force absorption (via the structural design of the guide profiles). This universal design eliminates the need for separate specialized components for each function, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing requirements.
2Strength
If extra profiles are added to each mast to absorb transverse forces, then the force absorption capability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The force-absorbing guide profiles are merged with the structural framework of the mast itself. The C-shaped cross-section of the guide profiles is integrated into the mast's overall structure, allowing the mast to absorb transverse forces during loading and unloading operations without requiring separate reinforcing elements. This integration maintains force absorption capability while reducing the number of separate components and associated manufacturing costs.
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 design reduces manufacturing complexity and costs by directly absorbing transverse forces into the masts, allowing for efficient lifting, lowering, and guiding of the loading platform with fewer components, while maintaining precise control and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one guide element is configured to at least one of slide and roll on the first side surface of the respective guide profile
Implementation Method 2
The at least one guide element is configured to at least one of slide and roll on the first side surface of the respective guide profile
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial truck includes a loading platform onto which and from which a load is pushable in a direction, and masts which are arranged opposed to each other. The masts lift, lower, and guide the loading platform, which is arranged between the masts, in a lifting and lowering direction. Each of the masts has guide profiles, each of which has an inner cross-section with a side surface which extends in the lifting and lowering direction and which is perpendicular to the direction. The loading platform has at least one guide element for each of the guide profiles. The at least one guide element slides and/or rolls on the side surface of the respective guide profile.