Industrial truck comprising means for suppressing and reducing vibrations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10308489-B2
Application number	US-201715631096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments include an industrial truck comprising a chassis, which is supported by at least two front wheels and by at least one rear wheel, a mast for a load-carrying apparatus, wherein the front wheels are rotatably arranged on wheel arms that protrude forwards from the mast support region of the chassis, and configured for suppressing and reducing vibrations, wherein at least one of the wheel arms, is split into at least two wheel arm portions, which are mounted by a bearing arrangement so as to be able to perform movements relative to one another, wherein relative movements of the wheel arm portions are influenced, in order to suppress or reduce vibrations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An industrial truck comprising:
a chassis, which is supported by at least two front wheels and by at least one rear wheel on the ground;
a mast for a load-carrying apparatus, which is arranged in an upright position thereon in a mast support region of the chassis, the front wheels being rotatably arranged on wheel arms which protrude forwards from the mast support region of the chassis; and
a means for suppressing and reducing vibrations,
wherein:
at least one of the wheel arms is split into at least two wheel arm portions, which are mounted by means of a bearing arrangement such that the at least two wheel arm portions are capable of performing movements relative to one another, and
the means for suppressing and reducing vibrations being designed or operable to influence relative movements of the at least two wheel arm portions, such that impacts owing to unevenness of the ground during travel are passed on to the chassis and the mast by means of the wheel arms in a reduced, absorbed, or damped manner, and such that any mast vibrations are damped,
wherein each of the wheel arms is split such that a first wheel arm portion forms a front wheel arm portion comprising the front wheels and being further away from the mast support region, and a second wheel arm portion forms a rear wheel arm portion comprising the mast support region or being closer to the mast support region, wherein the front wheels are further away from the mast support region than any part of the second wheel arm portion.

2. The industrial truck according to claim 1 , wherein the means for reducing vibrations comprises a damping system capable of influencing movements of the two wheel arm portions relative to one another, wherein the damping system has an articulated connection to the front wheel arm portion and to the rear wheel arm portion, wherein the damping system is a passive damping system or an active damping system.

3. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the damping system comprises a friction-damping arrangement.

4. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the damping system comprises at least one of either a hydraulic friction-damping cylinder or a pneumatic friction-damping cylinder.

5. The industrial truck according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one hydraulic friction-damping cylinder or pneumatic friction-damping cylinder interconnects the at least two wheel arm portions that are movable relative to one another.

6. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the damping system comprises at least one spring arrangement.

7. The industrial truck according to claim 6 , wherein the spring arrangement comprises at least one of either a mechanical spring arrangement or a hydropneumatic spring arrangement.

8. The industrial truck according to claim 6 , wherein the spring arrangement interconnects the at least two wheel arm portions that are movable relative to one another.

9. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the damping system comprises at least one of an active component, a controllable electric motor, or an electromagnetic arrangement.

10. The industrial truck according to claim 9 , wherein the damping system comprises at least one active component, and the at least one active component is either a controllable hydraulic cylinder or a controllable pneumatic cylinder.

11. The industrial truck according to claim 9 , wherein the damping system comprises at least one controllable electric motor, and the at least one controllable electric motor is a servomotor.

12. The industrial truck according to claim 9 , wherein the active component of the damping system interconnects the at least two wheel arm portions that are movable relative to one another.

13. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a pivot bearing, which allows for a pivot movement of the at least two wheel arm portions relative to one another about a normally horizontal pivot axis extending transversely to a main direction of travel of the industrial truck, wherein the two wheel arm portions are connected to each other only via the pivot bearing and the damping system.

14. The industrial truck according to claim 2 , wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a linear bearing, which allows for a linear movement of the at least two wheel arm portions relative to one another, the linear movement having a vertical movement component, wherein the two wheel arm portions are connected to each other only via the linear bearing and the damping system.

15. The industrial truck according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a pivot bearing, which allows for a pivot movement of the at least two wheel arm portions relative to one another about a normally horizontal pivot axis extending transversely to a main direction of travel of the industrial truck.

16. The industrial truck according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing arrangement comprises a linear bearing, which allows for a linear movement of the at least two wheel arm portions relative to one another, the linear movement having a vertical movement component.

17. The industrial truck according to claim 1 , wherein the means for reducing vibrations is operable to be activated or deactivated.

18. The industrial truck according to claim 17 , wherein the means for reducing vibrations is operable to be automatically activated or deactivated depending on an operating state of the industrial truck.

19. The industrial truck according to claim 17 , wherein the means for reducing vibrations is operable to be automatically activated or deactivated depending on surroundings of the industrial truck.

20. The industrial truck according to claim 17 , wherein the means for reducing vibrations is operable to be automatically activated when a lifting height of the load-carrying apparatus is greater than a predetermined height or deactivated when the lifting height of the load-carrying apparatus is smaller than the predetermined height depending on an operating state of the industrial truck.

21. The industrial truck according to claim 1 , wherein at least some part of the first wheel arm portion is further away from the mast support region than any part of the second wheel arm portion and a second part of the first wheel arm portion is accommodated in a front cut-out of the second wheel arm portion.

Assignees

• Jungheinrich Ag

Inventors

• Magens Ernst-Peter
• Schmalzl Jürgen
• Bibernell Hubert
• Schöttke Carsten

Classifications

• B66F9/07586 Primary

  Suspension or mounting of wheels on chassis · CPC title

• B60G2300/022

  Fork lift trucks, Clark · CPC title