Method Of Operating A Fork-Lift Truck, Computer Program Product, And A Fork-Lift Truck

• US 20150225218A1
• Filed: 02/07/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BT Products AB
• Original Assignee: BT Products AB
• Inventors: Strand, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/616,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20150225218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/065 non-masted mobile jacks of the garage type mounted on wheels or rollers B66F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/075 Constructional features or details
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems

Abstract

A method of operating a fork-lift truck includes steps to determine a hydraulic pressure signal P by means of the at least one detection device, wherein the hydraulic pressure signal P corresponds to an hydraulic pressure in, at least a section, of an hydraulic system of a fork-lift truck 1, transfer the hydraulic pressure signal P to an electronic load carrier unit, determine by means of the electronic load carrier unit whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value, within a predetermined value range Pval, determine by means of the electronic load carrier unit if a load carrier of the forklift truck is, at least partially, supported by an external object no being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck, based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval. Embodiments of the invention also include a computer program product and a fork-lift truck that can perform the method.

Claims

1. A method of operating a forklift truck, said method comprising:

receiving a hydraulic pressure signal P from at least one detection device, wherein the hydraulic pressure signal P corresponds to hydraulic pressure in at least a section of hydraulic system of a fork-lift truck;

transferring said hydraulic pressure signal P to an electronic load carrier unit;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value within a predetermined value range Pval;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval; and

sending an indication to an operator that the load carrier is supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the forklift truck, if said load carrier is determined to be at least partially supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

2. The method according to claim 1, including:

determining a time condition t, if P is within said predetermined value range after determining whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value, within a predetermined value range Pval; and

proceeding to determining if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the forklift truck, based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval, if said time condition t is fulfilled.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said time condition t is a predetermined time during which P has taken a value within the predetermined value range Pval.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic load carrier unit receives the hydraulic pressure signal P continuously.

5. The method of operating a forklift truck according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending the indication that the load carrier is supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck to a control unit arranged to control the operation of the fork-lift truck and

reducing the maximal travel speed of the fork-lift truck while the load carrier is supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

6. A method of operating a forklift truck, said method comprising:

receiving a hydraulic pressure signal P from at least one detection device, wherein the hydraulic pressure signal P corresponds to an hydraulic pressure in at least a section of hydraulic system of a fork-lift truck;

transferring said hydraulic pressure signal P to an electronic load carrier unit;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value within a predetermined value range Pval;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval, and

sending an indication to a control unit controlling operation of the fork-lift truck that the load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

7. The method of operating a forklift truck according to claim 6, including

initiating by means of the control unit, a movement for removing the load carrier from the external object by lifting the load carrier.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein lifting the load carrier is performed for a predetermined time period, and thereafter ended.

9. A computer program product comprising:

computer readable code, that when executed performs the steps of

receiving a hydraulic pressure signal P from at least one detection device, wherein the hydraulic pressure signal P corresponds to a hydraulic pressure in at least a section of a hydraulic system of a fork-lift truck;

transferring said hydraulic pressure signal P to an electronic load carrier unit;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value within a predetermined value range Pval;

determining by means of the electronic load carrier unit if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval, and

sending an indication to an operator that the load carrier is supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck, if said load carrier is determined to be at least partially supported by the external object or the fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

10. A fork-lift truck comprising:

a hydraulic system;

a load carrier;

at least one hydraulic pressure detection device arranged to generate a hydraulic pressure signal P corresponding to a hydraulic pressure in at least a section of the hydraulic system;

wherein the forklift truck further includes, or is in communication with an electronic load carrier unit arranged to receive said hydraulic pressure signal P, determine whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value within a predetermined value range Pval, determine if the load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval, and send an indication to an operator that the load carrier is supported by an external object or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck, if said load carrier is determined to be at least partially supported by an external object or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

11. The fork-lift truck according to claim 10, further comprising a control unit arranged to reduce the maximal travel speed of the fork-lift truck when it is determined that P=Pval.

12. The fork-lift truck according to claim 10, wherein the fork-lift truck further comprises a communication device for communicating with the external electronic load carrier unit.

17. The fork-lift truck according to claim 10, further comprising a control unit arranged to reduce the maximal travel speed of the fork-lift truck when it is determined that P=Pval and a time condition is fulfilled.

13. A fork-lift truck comprising:

a hydraulic system;

a load carrier;

at least one hydraulic pressure detection device arranged to determine a hydraulic pressure signal P corresponding to a hydraulic pressure in at least a section of the hydraulic system;

wherein the forklift truck further comprises, or is in communication with, an electronic load carrier unit arranged to receive said hydraulic pressure signal P, determine whether the hydraulic pressure signal P adopts a value within a predetermined value range Pval, determine if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck based on the determination whether the hydraulic pressure signal is within the predetermined value range Pval; and

a control unit arranged to control the movement of the load carrier based on the determination if a load carrier of the forklift truck is at least partially supported by an external object not being part of the forklift truck or a fixed internal object of the fork-lift truck.

14. The fork-lift truck according to claim 13 wherein said control unit is a main control unit arranged to control and monitor functions of said fork-lift truck said functions of said fork-lift selected from a group of functions consisting of lifting, lowering, travel speed, safety functions, horn, weight limitations, height limitations, height pre-sets, acceleration, deceleration, power regeneration, and display functions.

15. The forklift truck according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is arranged to initiate a movement for removing the load carrier from the external object by lifting the load carrier.

16. The fork-lift truck according to claim 13, wherein said electronic load carrier unit is incorporated into the control unit of the fork-lift truck.