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(11) | EP 0 218 030 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Reach type fork lift |
| (57) Herein disclosed is a reach type fork lift which comprises: a body (1); a driver's
place (6) arranged on one side of said body (1); and a plurality of pillars (12,13)
erected upright on said body (1) and supporting a head guard (11) over said driver's
place - (6). That one of said pillars (13), which is located on said body (1) at the
side opposite to said driver's place (6) and which has a considerable breadth, has
its breadth (13a) oriented generally along the directions of lines of view (111) which
are taken by a driver when he is in said driver's place (6) to look at said pillar
(13). |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a reach type fork lift capable of carrying its fork upward and downward, and forward and backward and, more particularly, to a head guard pillar structure for the reach type fork lift.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] In the related art, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the reach type fork lift has its body 21 made into an H-shaped structure, in which a transversely extending main frame 23 is erected upright from a lower frame 22 and in which a pair of side frames 24 and 25 are fixed on both the sides of the main frame 23. Moreover, a right pillar 26 is fixed upright on the front inner side of the right side frame 24 whereas a left pillar 27 is fixed upright on the left side frame 25 so that these two pillars 26 and 27 support a head guard 28. Still moreover, the two pillars 26 and 27 are formed to have elongated rectangular sections and arranged such that their breadth sides 26a and 27a are oriented in the longitudinal direction of the body 21.
[0003] On the other hand, the reach type fork lift is equipped, as shown, with a driver's place 29 which is located at the rear right side of the body 21. In case the driver at his place 29 takes a rightwardly oblique forward glance, the thickness side 26b of the right pillar 26 comes into the driver's view because the breadth side 26a of the right pillar 26 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the body 21. Since that thickness side 26b is thin, however, the range of the dead angle is so narrow that the driver does not feel inconvenient.
[0004] In case the driver at his place 29 takes a leftwardly oblique forward glance, on the contrary, the thickness side 27b of the left pillar 27 comes into the driver's view because the breadth side 27a of the left pillar 27 is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the body 21. As a result, the range of the dead angle a is enlarged to cause obstruction to the clear view of the driver so that he inconveniently has to work while changing his point of view 101. This changing point of view will obstruct the smooth work.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a reach type fork lift which can ensure its leftward front field of view through its left pillar.
[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a reach type fork lift which can enhance the regidity of its head guard.
[0007] In order to achieve the above-specified objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a reach type fork lift comprising: a body; a driver's place arranged on one side of said body; and a plurality of pillars erected upright on said body and supporting a head guard over said driver's place wherein the improvement resides in that that one of said pillars, which is located on said body at the side opposite to said driver's place and which has a considerable breadth, has its breadth oriented generally along the directions of lines of view which are taken by a driver when he is in said driver's place to look at said pillar.
[0008] The other objects of the present invention will become apparent if the embodiments thereof to be described hereinafter are practised, as will be defined by the appended claims. Moreover, a number of advantages left untouched herein will be thought to those skilled in the art if the present invention is put into practice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009]
Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a reach type fork lift according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a partially sectional top plan view showing the same;
Fig. 3 is a partially sectional top plan view showing another embodiment;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged section showing a portion of a left pillar according to still another embodiment;
Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the reach type fork lift of the related art; and
Fig. 6 is a partially sectional top plan view showing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] One embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
[0011] To the front lower portion of the body 1 of a fork lift, there is fixed a reach leg 2 which is directed forward and from which is so erected an outer mast 3 that it can move back and forth. On this outer mast 3, moreover, there is carried a fork 4 which can be elevated and lowered through an inner mast and a lift bracket, although these are not shown. On the front upper face of the body 1, on the other hand, there is mounted an operation board which is equipped with loading levers L such as a lift lever, a reach lever or a tilt lever. The aforementioned fork 4 can be brought into its loading position by operating those loading levers L. To the upper face of the rear left side of the body 1, on the other hand, there is tumably attached a steering 5 for controlling the running direction of the body 1. This steering 5 is operated by a worker or driver who rides on a driver's place 6 disposed at the rear right side of the body 1.
[0012] This body 1 is formed into an H-shaped structure, in which a transversely extending main frame 8 is erected upright from a lower frame 7 and in which a pair of side frames 9 and 10 are fixed on both the right and left sides of the main frame 8. From the front inner side of the right frame 9, there is erected a right pillar 12 which supports the right side portion of a head guard 11 so as to cause no obstruction to the operations of the loading levers L. Moreover, the right pillar 12 is formed to have an elongated rectangular section and arranged such that its breadth side 12a extends in the longitudinal direction of the body 1.
[0013] From the left rear face of the main frame 8, there is erected a left pillar 13 which supports the left side of the head guard 11 at its upper portion. Moreover, that left pillar 13 is formed to have an elongated rectangular section and arranged such that its breadth side 13a extends in the transverse direction of the body 1. In other words, the breadth side 13a of the left pillar 13 is oriented along the lines of view 111 extending from the point of view 101 of the driver at his place 6.
[0014] Incidentally, in the present invention, the breadth side 13a always has a larger breadth 102 than the thickness 103 of the thickness side 13b. Moreover, the left pillar 13 is positioned at the side opposite to the driver's place 6.
[0015] Now, the operations of the head guard pillar structure thus constructed will be described in the following.
[0016] The left pillar 13 of the head guard 11 thus constructed has its two breadth sides 13a oriented in the direction of the lines of views 111 from the point of view 101 of the driver at his place 6. As a result, the thickness side 13b of the left pillar 13 comes into the field of view of the driver. Since this thickness side 13b is thinner than the breadth sides 13a, however, the range of the dead angle a is made so narrower than that of the case of the related art as to widen the field of view to the leftward front.
[0017] In the pillar arrangement of the related art, on the other hand, the right pillar and the left pillar have their breadth sides arranged in parallel with each other. This arrangement weakens the rigidity of the head guard against the transverse force of the body. In the present embodiment, on the contrary, the two breadth sides are arranged not in parallel but at a right angle with each other so that the overall rigidity can be enhanced.
[0018] Turning to Fig. 3, another embodiment of the present invention will be described in the following.
[0019] This embodiment is different in the construction from the foregoing embodiment in that the left pillar 13 is inclined longitudinally with respect to the breadthwise direction of the body 1, more specifically, in that the left pillar 13 is so supported by the main frame 8 through an auxiliary plate 14 having a wedge-shaped section that its left side may be oriented to the leftward front.
[0020] As a result, according to this embodiment, the two breadth sides 13a are more effectively oriented along the lines of view 111 of the driver so that the dead angle a can be made smaller than that of the foregoing embodiment.
[0021] Incidentally, the present invention should not be limited to the foregoing two embodiments but can be modified in the following manners:
(1) The two pillars 12 and 13 are made of pipe materials; and
(2) The left pillar 13 is formed, as shown in Fig. 4, to have a trapezoidal section, i.e., a sectional shape in which one 13a of its breadth sides is inclined longitudinally with respect to the breadthwise direction of the body 1.
[0022] As has been described hereinbefore, according to the present invention, the field of view to the leftward front can be retained. As a result, in case the work is done while a glance is being taken to the leftward front, it is unnecessary to change the point of view, as is different from the related art, so that the working efficiency can be improved. Moreover, the construction of the present invention may be made without any difference in the parts from the related art by merely simple change in their arrangement. Since, moreover, the pillar arrangement of the related art is made such that the right and left pillars have their breadth sides arranged in parallel with each other, the rigidity of the head guard is weak against the external force in the transverse direction of the body. On the contrary, however, the present invention can enjoy an effect that the overall rigidity can be enhanced because the breadth sides of the two pillars are arranged not in parallel but in the different directions.
1. A reach type fork lift comprising: a body (1); a driver's place (6) arranged on
one side of said body (1); and a plurality of pillars (12 and 13) erected upright
on said body (1) and supporting a head guard (11) over said driver's place (6), wherein
the improvement resides in that that one - (13) of said pillars (12 and 13), which
is located on said body (1) at the side opposite to said driver's place (6) and which
has a considerable breadth - (102), has its breadth oriented generally along the directions
of lines of view (111) which are taken by a driver when he is in said driver's place
(6) to look at said pillar (13).
2. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 1, wherein said driver's place (6) is
arranged on the righthand rear portion of said body (1 and wherein said one pillar
(13) is located at the lefthand side.
3. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 1, wherein said one pillar (13) has a
vertically extending rectangular shape which has its breadthwise direction aligned
with that of said body (1).
4. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 3, wherein said body (1) has a main frame
(8) extending breadthwise thereof, and wherein said one pillar (13) is fixed on said
main frame (8).
5. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 1, wherein said one pillar (13) has a
vertically extending rectangular shape which has its breadthwise direction aligned
with the directions of said lines of view (111) of the driver.
6. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 5, wherein said one pillar (13) has a
elongated rectangular section and is inclined longitudinally with respect to the breadthwise
direction of said body (1).
7. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 6, wherein said body (1) has a main frame
(8) extending breadthwise thereof, and wherein said one pillar (13) is fixed to said
main frame (8) through an auxiliary plate (14).
8. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 5, wherein said one pillar (13) has a
trapezoidal section having a pair of breadthwise extending sides, one (13a) of which
is inclined longitudinally with respect to the breadthwise direction of said body
- (1).
9. A reach type fork lift according to Claim 1, wherein both or all of said plural
pillars (12 and 13) take a pipe shape.