Pivoting door

• US 9,346,494 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Dieringer, Mark S., Bornhorst, Douglas M., Gilliland, Kevin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIGGS, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US14/445,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20160031489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/24 Superstructure sub-units with access or drainage openings having movable or removable closures; Sealing means thereforinlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07527 Covers for, e.g. engines or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/14 Hook and eye, or equivalent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

An industrial truck includes wall structure defining a compartment and a pivoting door spanning an opening in the wall structure when in a closed position. The truck also includes pivoting structure coupling the pivoting door to the wall structure allowing the pivoting door to pivot relative to the wall structure, and a latching structure. In particular, the latching structure includes a latching bolt coupled to the wall structure; a latching arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the arm is pivotably mounted at the first end to an element of the pivoting door; and a latch torsion spring associated with the element and engaging the latching arm to bias the latching arm towards the latching bolt when the pivoting door moves in a direction from the closed position towards an open position.

Claims

1. An industrial truck comprising:

wall structure defining a compartment;

a pivoting door spanning an opening in the wall structure when in a closed position;

a pivoting structure coupling the pivoting door to the wall structure allowing the pivoting door to pivot relative to the wall structure; and

a latching structure comprising;

a latching bolt coupled to the wall structure;

a latching arm having a first end and a second end, wherein the arm is pivotably mounted at the first end to an element of the pivoting door; and

a latch torsion spring associated with the element and engaging the latching arm to bias the latching arm towards the latching bolt when the pivoting door moves in a direction from the closed position towards an open position.

2. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the latch torsion spring is biased to move the second end of the latching arm away from the pivoting door when the pivoting door moves in the direction from the closed position towards the open position.

3. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the second end of the latching arm comprises a latching hook.

4. The industrial truck of claim 3, wherein movement of the pivoting door, in the direction from the closed position towards the open position, is limited when the latching bolt is received by the latching hook.

5. The industrial truck of claim 4, wherein the latching bolt and the latching hook cooperate, when the latching bolt is received by the latching hook, to maintain the pivoting door in a position defining a fully open position.

6. The industrial truck of claim 5, wherein the latching structure further comprises a release extension coupled to the latching arm, wherein movement of the release extension towards the pivoting door, when the pivoting door is in the fully open position, results in the latching bolt being released from the latching hook.

7. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the latch torsion spring comprises:

a first end engaging the pivoting door, and

a second end engaging the latching arm.

8. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the pivoting door comprises:

a main panel;

a door bracket; and

a pin coupled to the door bracket and defining the pivoting door element.

9. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the wall structure comprises:

a first wall;

a second wall; and

a wall bracket coupled to the second wall wherein the latching bolt is attached to the wall bracket.

10. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the pivoting structure further comprises:

a door torsion spring having a first end and a second end, the first end engaging with the wall structure and the second end engaging with the pivoting door, the door torsion spring biased to oppose movement of the pivoting door transitioning from an open position to the closed position.

11. The industrial truck of claim 1, wherein the compartment contains a battery.

12. An industrial truck comprising:

a wall structure defining a compartment;

a pivoting door spanning an opening in the wall structure when in a closed position; and

a pivoting structure coupling the pivoting door to the wall structure allowing the pivoting door to pivot relative to the wall structure, wherein the pivoting structure comprises;

a first torsion spring having a first end and a second end, the first end engaging with the wall structure and the second end engaging with the pivoting door, the first torsion spring biased to oppose movement of the pivoting door transitioning from an open position to the closed position.

13. The industrial truck of claim 12, wherein the first torsion spring is biased to reinforce movement of the pivoting door transitioning from the closed position to the open position.

14. The industrial truck of claim 12, wherein:

the pivoting structure further comprises;

an upper pin and a lower pin coupled to the wall structure, wherein a respective major axis of each of the upper pin and lower pin is tilted a predetermined angle from vertical; and

the pivoting door comprises;

a main door panel;

a door bracket;

an upper tube forming part of the door bracket and fitted over the upper pin, and

a lower tube forming part of the door bracket and fitted over the lower pin.

15. The industrial truck of claim 14, wherein the first torsion spring is positioned about an outside of the lower tube.

16. The industrial truck of claim 15, wherein the pivoting door further comprises a horizontally oriented pin coupled to an upper end of the lower tube, the second end of the torsion spring engages the horizontally-oriented pin.

17. The industrial truck of claim 16, wherein the wall structure comprises:

a first wall;

a second wall; and

a wall bracket coupled to the second wall, wherein the first end of the torsion spring engages a portion of the wall bracket.

18. The industrial truck of claim 17, wherein the first torsion spring is vertically oriented around the lower tube with the first end positioned lower than the second end.

19. The industrial truck of claim 12, comprising:

a releasable locking mechanism locking the pivoting door to the wall structure when in the closed position.

20. The industrial truck of claim 12, wherein the compartment contains a battery.