Sensor configuration for a materials handling vehicle

• US 9,522,817 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
• Inventors: Castaneda, Anthony T., Dues, Jeffry D., Green, Matthew M., Manci, Lewis H., Schloemer, James F., Schumacher, Mark E., Siefring, Vernon W., Wellman, Timothy A., Wershing, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fei, Jordan S
• Application Number:
  US13/785,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/001 the torque NOT being among the input parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/075 Constructional features or details
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07509 Braking
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07568 Steering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07581 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices

Abstract

A materials handling vehicle includes a power unit, a load handling assembly, at least one first obstacle detector, and at least one second obstacle detector. The at least one first obstacle detector is mounted at a first location on the power unit to detect an object located along a path of travel of the power unit beyond a non-detect zone of the at least one first obstacle detector. The at least one second obstacle detector is mounted at a second location on the power unit, spaced from the first location in a first direction, and is capable of detecting an object in the non-detect zone of the at least one first obstacle detector.

Claims

1. A materials handling vehicle in combination with a supplemental remote control system comprising:

the materials handling vehicle comprising;

a power unit;

a load handling assembly;

at least one first obstacle detector mounted at a first location on said power unit to detect an object located along a path of travel of said power unit beyond a non-detect zone of said at least one first obstacle detector;

at least one second obstacle detector mounted at a second location on said power unit, spaced from said first location in a first direction, and capable of detecting an object in said non-detect zone of said at least one first obstacle detector;

a controller that is responsive to travel requests and determines whether to implement each travel request based on the evaluation of at least one vehicle condition; and

a presence sensor that detects the presence of an operator in the operator'"'"'s station of the materials handling vehicle, wherein said at least one vehicle condition evaluated by said controller comprises a status of said presence sensor and said controller is configured to decide to not implement said travel request if said status from said presence sensor is indicative of the presence of an operator on the materials handling vehicle; and

the supplemental remote control system comprising;

a wearable, wireless remote control device that is donned by an operator interacting with the materials handling vehicle, said wearable wireless remote control device comprising a wireless transmitter and a travel control communicably coupled to said wireless transmitter, wherein actuation of said travel control causes said wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit said travel request to the materials handling vehicle requesting the materials handling vehicle to advance in a first direction.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said at least one first obstacle detector is located at a front portion of said power unit.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said at least one second obstacle detector is spaced away from said at least one first obstacle detector in a direction towards said load handling assembly.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said at least one first obstacle detector comprises a sweeping laser sensor.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said sweeping laser sensor is capable of detecting an object in any of first, second, and third zones, the first and third zones comprising steer bumper zones used for implementing steer correction maneuvers and the second zone comprising a stop zone used for stopping the vehicle.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein said at least one second obstacle detector comprises first and second point laser sensors spaced from one another in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to said first direction.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said first direction is a vertical direction and said second direction is a horizontal direction.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said first direction is a horizontal direction.

9. A materials handling vehicle in combination with a supplemental remote control system comprising:

the materials handling vehicle comprising;

a power unit;

a load handling assembly;

at least one first obstacle detector mounted at a first location on said power unit to detect an object located in a scan zone along a path of travel of said power unit beyond a non-detect zone of said at least one first obstacle detector, said non-detect zone being located between said scan zone of said first obstacle detector and the vehicle;

at least one second obstacle detector mounted at a second location on said power unit spaced from said first obstacle detector in a first direction and capable of detecting an object in said non-detect zone;

a controller that is responsive to travel requests and determines whether to implement each travel request based on the evaluation of at least one vehicle condition; and

a presence sensor that detects the presence of an operator in the operator'"'"'s station of the materials handling vehicle, wherein said at least one vehicle condition evaluated by said controller comprises a status of said presence sensor and said controller is configured to decide to not implement said travel request if said status from said presence sensor is indicative of the presence of an operator on the materials handling vehicle; and

the supplemental remote control system comprising;

a wearable, wireless remote control device that is donned by an operator interacting with the materials handling vehicle, said wearable wireless remote control device comprising a wireless transmitter and a travel control communicably coupled to said wireless transmitter, wherein actuation of said travel control causes said wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit said travel request to the materials handling vehicle requesting the materials handling vehicle to advance in a first direction.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein said at least one first obstacle detector is located at a front portion of said power unit.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said at least one second obstacle detector is spaced away from said at least one first obstacle detector in a direction towards said load handling assembly.

12. The combination of claim 9, wherein said at least one first obstacle detector comprises a sweeping laser sensor capable of detecting an object in any of first, second, and third zones, the first and third zones comprising steer bumper zones used for implementing steer correction maneuvers and the second zone comprising a stop zone used for stopping the vehicle.

13. The combination of claim 9, wherein said at least one second obstacle detector comprises first and second point laser sensors spaced from said sweeping laser sensor in a vertical direction and spaced from one another in a horizontal direction.

14. The combination of claim 9, wherein said non-detect zone is located just in front of the vehicle and underneath said scan zone of said at least one first obstacle detector.

15. The combination of claim 9, wherein said first direction is a horizontal direction.

16. A materials handling vehicle in combination with a supplemental remote control system comprising:

the materials handling vehicle comprising;

a power unit;

a load handling assembly;

at least one first obstacle detector comprising a sweeping laser sensor mounted at a first location on said power unit to detect an object located in a scan zone along a path of travel of said power unit beyond a non-detect zone of said at least one first obstacle detector;

at least one second obstacle detector mounted on said power unit below said at least one first obstacle detector and capable of detecting an object in said non-detect zone underneath said scan zone of said at least one first obstacle detector;

a controller that is responsive to travel requests and determines whether to implement each travel request based on the evaluation of at least one vehicle condition; and

a presence sensor that detects the presence of an operator in the operator'"'"'s station of the materials handling vehicle, wherein said at least one vehicle condition evaluated by said controller comprises a status of said presence sensor and said controller is configured to decide to not implement said travel request if said status from said presence sensor is indicative of the presence of an operator on the materials handling vehicle; and

the supplemental remote control system comprising;

a wearable, wireless remote control device that is donned by an operator interacting with the materials handling vehicle, said wearable wireless remote control device comprising a wireless transmitter and a travel control communicably coupled to said wireless transmitter, wherein actuation of said travel control causes said wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit said travel request to the materials handling vehicle requesting the materials handling vehicle to advance in a first direction.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein said sweeping laser sensor is capable of detecting an object in any of first, second, and third zones, the first and third zones comprising steer bumper zones used for implementing steer correction maneuvers and the second zone comprising a stop zone used for stopping the vehicle.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein said at least one second obstacle detector comprises first and second point laser sensors spaced from one another in a horizontal direction.

19. The combination of claim 16, wherein said non-detect zone is located just in front of the vehicle and underneath said scan zone of said sweeping laser sensor.

20. The combination of claim 16, wherein said scan zone of said sweeping laser sensor is oriented at an angle from said first location toward a floor surface.