Hyster - Yale Group, Inc.

Hyster-yale Materials Handling, Inc.

Nicholas M Draayer

Ryan McDermott

Edmund Jerome Stilwell

Mark A Cheyne

Dan Miller

John Santiago

Edmund Stilwell

John Timczyk

Daniel Miller

Mark Cheyne

Edmund Waters

Ryan P Mcdermott

Joseph Brotherton

Matthew Karr

Erik Israelsson

Robert New

Keith Dawson

Eugene Wong

Real-time location systems and beacons are used to facilitate operating a materials-handling vehicle in compliance with rules of the road. Materials-handling vehicles may include a processor operably coupled to at least one vehicle system and a receiver communicatively coupled with the processor and configured to receive signals from a real-time location system and from one or more beacons that are located at known positions in an environment in which the vehicle operates. The vehicle is programmed to receive a signal from the real-time location system in response to entering a zone in the environment, communicate with a beacon associated with the zone, determine a position of the vehicle in the zone, and to perform at least one of modifying an operating characteristic of the vehicle system and operating the vehicle system based on the determined position of the vehicle and a rule of the road.

Systems and methods for facilitating materials-handling vehicle operational compliance

Lift trucks are designed with a common chassis and can accommodate different form factors and different energy sources. According to one example, a chassis for a configurable sit-down counterbalanced forklift truck comprises a front side, a rear side, a left side, and a right side. A chassis compartment is situated between the front side and the rear side and between the left side and right side of the chassis. The chassis compartment is configured to fit within the chassis compartment one of a plurality of different types of power plants for the forklift truck and one of a plurality of different types of power sources. The chassis compartment is configured to hold one of a plurality of different designs of counterweights on or in a rear portion of the chassis compartment. The chassis is configured to support one of a plurality of different operator compartment modules attached atop the chassis.

Lift truck having advantageous design elements

Systems and methods can prevent or reduce jerk during operation of a materials-handling vehicle that is unloaded or carrying a load. The vehicle comprises one or more user input devices configured to receive from an operator a request to perform an action and a processor. The processor is configured to determine, before performing the action requested by the operator, a force acting on the load carried by the materials-handling vehicle as a result of the action requested by the operator. The processor determines whether the force would result in a jerk if the action is performed as requested. If it is determined that the force would result in a jerk, the action is modified so as to reduce the force. If it is determined that the force would not result in a jerk, the materials-handling vehicle performs the action as requested by the operator without modification to reduce the force.

Jerk reduction for lift trucks

Materials-handling vehicles, such as counterbalanced lift trucks, can incorporate a counterweight that includes a frame, a cavity, and a sensor-mounting recess. The counterweight may be configured to provide an unobstructed horizontal line of sight of at least 180 degrees for a sensor, such as an object-detection sensor, that is mounted within the sensor-mounting recess. A lift truck can include a lift assembly comprising a mast and a pair of forks, an operator compartment comprising truck steering and speed controls, a plurality of wheels, an energy source, a counterweight comprising a frame and a sensor-mounting recess, and a sensor.

Structural integrated sensor

Systems and methods associate operators with machinery, such as materials-handling vehicles. Embodiments of the disclosed system comprise a first communication module configured to determine a distance between a frame of reference associated with a vehicle and respective portable devices and first logic configured to designate a first portable device as an operator device based, at least in part, on a first distance determined by the communication module. The first logic may be further configured to exclude the first portable device from a pedestrian detection function in response to classifying the first portable device as an operator device.

Systems and methods for associating an operator with a vehicle

Lift trucks designed with a common chassis can include an ergonomically improved operator compartment, wheels, lift assembly, power plant, energy source, steering, seat, and counterweight components. Modular chassis designs can accommodate different form factors and different energy sources to accommodate different end uses of the lift truck, including lift trucks having a low floor, seatside steering, and/or a combination of operator-inaccessible compartments for high-reliability components and operator-accessible components for components that may require more frequent or convenient access. In one embodiment, the energy source is a lithium-ion battery bank in an operator-inaccessible compartment under a low, broad floor that facilitates easy entry into and exit from the operator compartment as well as ergonomic operation by the operator.

Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with powered vehicles are disclosed herein. In examples, a system for controlling a vehicle may include sensors and a processor coupled to the sensors. The processor may identify one or more values received from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more values are associated with one or more conditions of the vehicle and/or the vehicle's environment, and determine, based on the one or more values, a net resultant force vector of one or more forces acting on a center of mass of the vehicle. The processor may further determine a relationship between the net resultant force vector and a stability polygon that is superimposed at a base of the vehicle, and determine whether to limit one or more of a speed, rate of change, and/or travel amount for one or more of the operational systems controlled by the processor based on the relationship between the net resultant force vector and the stability polygon. Other examples may be described and/or claimed.

Dynamic stability determination system for lift trucks

A proximity-detection and speed-control system for a materials-handling vehicle, such as a lift truck, is provided with a recommended direction of travel for the vehicle. A proximity sensor is provided to determine the vehicle's proximity to a restricted member, such as another vehicle, a high-value object, a dangerous location, or a pedestrian. If the vehicle is traveling in the recommended direction of travel, the speed control function is disabled. If, however, the vehicle is not travelling in the recommended direction and the proximity sensor indicates the vehicle is within a restricted distance of the restricted member, the speed control function is triggered to restrict the maximum speed of travel of the vehicle and to slow the vehicle if needed.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Nicholas M Draayer