Industrial truck with an electric travel drive

• US 8,639,421 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Original Assignee: Jungheinrich AG
• Inventors: Harnisch, Carsten, Plachta, Dominik, Geilsdorf, Hendrik
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/227,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 701/70, 701/22, 188/158, 188/164, 180/65.21, 310/77
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0084 the motor axle being vertical
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/28 Eddy-current braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/15 Fork lift trucks, Industrial trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07572 Propulsion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/24 Electrical devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 15/00 Arrangements for controlling dynamo-electric brakes or clutches controlling speed of dynamo-electric motors by means of a separate brake H02P29/04, vector control H02P21/00 see provisionally also H02K49/00 and H02P29/0022
• 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

Abstract

Industrial truck with an electric travel drive and controls that can switch the electric travel drive to regenerative operation to brake the industrial truck, wherein an eddy current brake is provided that can be controlled or regulated by the controls during regenerative operation to brake the industrial truck, wherein the controls control or regulate the eddy current brake depending on the rpm of the electric travel drive, and wherein the controls control or regulate the eddy current brake in a manner such that the braking torque of the travel drive is supplemented at high rpms by the braking torque generated by the eddy current brake.

Claims

1. An industrial truck with an electric travel drive (14) and controls (20) that can switch the electric travel drive (14) to regenerative operation to brake the industrial truck,

characterized in that an eddy current brake (16) is provided that is controlled or regulated by the controls (20) during regenerative operation (14) to brake the industrial truck,

wherein the controls (20) control or regulate the eddy current brake (16) depending on the rpm of the electric travel drive, and wherein the controls (20) control or regulate the eddy current brake (16) in a manner such that the braking torque of the travel drive is supplemented at high rpms, 1500 rpm or higher, by the braking torque generated by the eddy current brake,

further characterized in that the controls (20) specify a setpoint for the braking torque to be generated by the eddy current brake, and control or regulate the eddy current brake corresponding to the setpoint, and

further wherein the controls determine a setpoint for the eddy current brake in a manner such that the braking torque resulting from the regenerative operation of the travel drive and the eddy current brake is constant.

2. The industrial truck according to claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) determine the setpoint for the braking torque of the eddy current brake depending on the rpms of the electric travel drive.

3. The industrial truck according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) dynamically specify the setpoint for the eddy current brake to prevent the drive wheel or wheels from locking (10) while braking.

4. The industrial truck according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) detect the battery voltage arising in regenerative operation of the travel drive and compare it with a predetermined maximum value in order to reduce the braking torque of the travel drive and increase the braking torque of the current brake in case the maximum value of the braking torque is exceeded.

5. The industrial truck according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) detect the regenerative current generated in regenerative operation of the travel drive and compare it with a predetermined maximum value in order to reduce the braking torque of the travel drive (14) and increase the braking torque of the eddy current brake in case the maximum value is exceeded.

6. The industrial truck according to claim 5, characterized in that the maximum value for the regenerative current is selected depending on the charge of a vehicle battery.

7. The industrial truck according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) detect a load taken on by the industrial truck and select the setpoint for the braking current of the eddy current brake corresponding to the load.

8. The industrial truck according to one of claim 1, characterized in that the controls (20) specify a setpoint for the braking torque of the eddy current brake depending on the time.

9. The industrial truck according to claim 8, characterized in that the controls (20) specify, in a time-dependent manner, a setpoint while braking for the rpm or speed at which the eddy current brake is regulated by the braking torque, and the time-dependent setpoint assumes the value zero in a ramp-like fashion.

10. An industrial truck with an electric travel drive (14) and controls (20) that can switch the electric travel drive (14) to regenerative operation to brake the industrial truck, comprising:

an eddy current brake (16) is provided that is controlled or regulated by the controls (20) during regenerative operation (14) to brake the industrial truck, wherein the controls (20) control or regulate the eddy current brake (16) depending on the rpm of the electric travel drive, and

wherein the controls (20) control or regulate the eddy current brake (16) in a manner such that the braking torque of the travel drive is supplemented at high rpms, 1500 rpm or higher, by the braking torque generated by the eddy current brake,

further characterized in that the controls (20) specify a setpoint for the braking torque to be generated by the eddy current brake, and control or regulate the eddy current brake corresponding to the setpoint, and

further wherein the controls determine a setpoint for the eddy current brake in a manner such that the braking torque resulting from the regenerative operation of the travel drive and the eddy current brake is constant.