VEHICLE FOR CARGO HANDLING

• US 20100259359A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/033 characterised by the use of electrical cells or batteries for propulsion puposes B60K1/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06; testing of charge state G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/207 of the type electric propulsion units, e.g. electric motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2079 Control of mechanical transmission for hydrostatic transmission or hydraulic torque converter E02F9/2253
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

Limited operation of a vehicle for cargo handling, such as a forklift or a bulldozer, is allowed in the event of an emergency while theft of the vehicle is prevented even when the key is left in the vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with a storage unit for storing a password, a password input unit, a control unit for controlling selection of a normal operating mode with no restrictions on travel capability or cargo handling capability, an emergency operating mode where at least the travel capability of the vehicle is restricted, and a travel prohibited mode where neither the normal operating mode or the emergency operating mode is selected, and an emergency operating mode indicating unit. The control unit determines whether or not password entry is required when the vehicle is powered on and controls selection of the aforementioned normal operating mode when password entry is required or when a password entered and the password stored in the aforementioned memory unit match, the aforementioned emergency operating mode when emergency operation is indicated by the aforementioned emergency operating mode indicating unit, or the travel prohibited mode when neither the normal operating mode nor the emergency operating mode is selected within a predetermined specific amount of time or within a specific number of times of operation.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A cargo-handling vehicle which is operated by more than one operator and equipped with a cargo-handling device such as a forklift, the vehicle comprising:

a memory unit which stores a normal mode password being set in advance;

a password entry unit;

an emergency mode indicating unit; and

a control unit which selects an operation mode of the vehicle according to a signal from the password entry unit or the emergency mode indicating unit,

wherein the control unit comprises an operation mode selection unit which selects an operation mode of the vehicle so that;

a normal operating mode with no restrictions on travel capability of the vehicle and cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device is selected when a password that matches the normal mode password stored in the memory unit Is entered from the password entry unit according to a request issued when the vehicle is powered on;

an emergency operating mode where the traveling capability of the vehicle and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device are restricted is selected upon receiving a prescribed operation signal from the emergency mode indicating unit; and

a travel prohibited mode where at least traveling capability of the vehicle is prohibited is selected when neither the normal operating mode nor the emergency operating mode is selected within a predetermined specific amount of time or within a specific number of times of operation.

10. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the memory unit stores a second password for starting the emergency operating mode in advance, and the emergency mode indicating unit includes a password entry unit for entering the second password, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operating mode when the password entered from the password entry unit matches the second password, and

wherein the second password is a password being visibly displayed in a display or at a predetermined place on the vehicle or a common password known to the operators.

12. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the password entry unit includes a touch panel that is provided integrally with a display unit of the vehicle, and the emergency mode indicating unit includes an emergency mode indicating area provided in the touch panel, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operating mode when the emergency mode indication area of the touch panel is touched.

14. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the emergency mode indicating unit includes a switch installed in the vehicle for turning on and off the emergency operating mode, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operation mode according to a signal from the switch for indicating the emergency operating mode.

16. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a warning unit which is connected with the control unit and gives a warning when selecting the emergency operating mode that about the restrictions on the traveling capability and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device.

18. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a warning unit which is connected with the control unit and gives a warning when selecting the emergency operating mode that about the restrictions on the traveling capability and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device.

20. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a warning unit which is connected with the control unit and gives a warning when selecting the emergency operating mode that about the restrictions on the traveling capability and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device.

21. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 8,

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.

23. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 10,

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.

25. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 12,

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.

9. A cargo-handling vehicle which is operated by more than one operator and equipped with a cargo-handling device such as a forklift, the vehicle comprising:

a memory unit which stores a normal mode password being set in advance;

a password requirement switching device which switches between a password-necessary state and a password-unnecessary state;

a password entry unit;

an emergency mode indicating unit;

a control unit which selects an operation mode of the vehicle according to a state of the password requirement switching device and a signal from the password entry unit or the emergency mode indicating unit;

wherein the control unit comprises an operation mode selection unit which determines the state of the password requirement switching device when the vehicle is powered on and selects an operation mode of the vehicle in accordance with the determined state of the password requirement switching device so that;

in a case of the password-necessary state, a normal operating mode with no restrictions on travel capability and cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device is selected when a password that matches the normal mode password stored in the memory unit is entered from the password entry unit according to a request issued;

an emergency operating mode where the traveling capability of the vehicle and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device are restricted is selected upon receiving a prescribed operation signal from the emergency mode indicating unit; and

a travel prohibited mode where at least traveling capability of the vehicle is prohibited is selected when neither the normal operating mode nor the emergency operating mode is selected within a predetermined specific amount of time or within a specific number of times of operation; and

in a case of the password-unnecessary state, the normal operation mode is selected at any time.

11. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the memory unit stores a second password for starting the emergency operating mode in advance, and the emergency mode indicating unit includes a password entry unit for entering the second password, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operating mode when the password entered from the password entry unit matches the second password, and

wherein the second password is a password being visibly displayed in a display or at a predetermined place on the vehicle or a common password known to the operators.

13. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the password entry unit includes a touch panel that is provided integrally with a display unit of the vehicle, and the emergency mode indicating unit includes an emergency mode indicating area provided in the touch panel, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operating mode when the emergency mode indication area of the touch panel is touched.

15. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the emergency mode indicating unit includes a switch installed in the vehicle for turning on and off the emergency operating mode, and

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the emergency operation mode according to a signal from the switch for indicating the emergency operating mode.

17. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a warning unit which is connected with the control unit and gives a warning when selecting the emergency operating mode that about the restrictions on the traveling capability and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device.

19. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising a warning unit which is connected with the control unit and gives a warning when selecting the emergency operating mode that about the restrictions on the traveling capability and the cargo handling capability of the cargo-handling device.

22. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 9,

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.

24. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 11

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.

26. The cargo-handling vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein the operation mode selection unit selects the normal operating mode without requiring the password entry when the vehicle is powered on again within a predetermined time after stopping the normal operating mode which has started with the password entry.