Operation information display for industrial vehicle

• US 20060238325A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Forklift Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kishimoto, Takayuki, Takamura, Toru, Wagatsuma, Makoto, Inoue, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,482,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles

Abstract

A steering angle of steered wheels and a vehicle speed of a fork-lift truck are respectively detected by sensors (4, 5). A CPU (1) compares the vehicle speed with a predetermined speed (S2), and causes a meter (6) to display the steering angle when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined speed (S4, S14), and causes the meter (6) to display the vehicle speed when the vehicle speed not lower than the predetermined speed (S3, S13). As a result, the space for the display device can be reduced without affecting the operation efficiency of the fork-lift truck.

Claims

1. A vehicle information display device for use with an industrial vehicle having a steered wheel, comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor which detects a vehicle speed;

a steering angle sensor which detects a steering angle of the steered wheel;

a meter which can selectively display the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steered wheel; and

a programmable controller programmed to;

switch a display on the meter between the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steered wheel in accordance with the vehicle speed.

2. The vehicle information display device as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the meter to display the steering angle of the steered wheel when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined reference vehicle speed, and cause the meter to display the vehicle speed when the vehicle speed is not lower than the predetermined reference vehicle speed.

3. The vehicle information display device as defined in claim 1, wherein the industrial vehicle is a fork-lift truck.

4. The vehicle information display device as defined in claim 3, wherein the fork-lift truck is of a rear-wheel-steering type.

5. A vehicle information display device for use with an industrial vehicle having a steered wheel, comprising:

means for detecting a vehicle speed;

means for detecting a steering angle of the steered wheel;

meter means for selectively displaying the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steered wheel; and

means for switching a display on the meter means between the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steered wheel in accordance with the vehicle speed.

6. A vehicle information display method for an industrial vehicle having a steered wheel and a meter which can selectively display a vehicle speed and a steering angle of the steered wheel, the method comprising:

detecting the vehicle speed;

detecting the steering angle of the steered wheel; and

switching a display on the meter between the vehicle speed and the steering angle of the steered wheel in accordance with the vehicle speed.