CN-121989814-A - High-level sensor assembly movably secured to an industrial materials handling vehicle

Abstract

An industrial materials handling vehicle includes a vehicle body supported by a steering wheel and wheel assembly, a bumper coupled to the vehicle body, and a sensor-receiving bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body and/or the bumper, the vehicle body and the bumper collectively defining a steering wheel access opening. The sensor-receiving bumper mount includes a bumper mount housing having complementary steering wheel access openings, a sensor assembly mount removably mounted to a body panel of the body and/or the bumper mount housing, and a sensor assembly removably mounted to the sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly and sensor assembly mount are positioned above the steering wheel access opening and the complementary opening relative to a horizontal operating plane defined by the vehicle to provide unobstructed access to the steering wheel assembly through the steering wheel access opening and the complementary steering wheel access opening when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the vehicle body panel and/or the bumper mount housing.

Inventors

• Chad M. Lefeld
• Adam Homan
• PATRICK WENNING

Assignees

• 科朗设备公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251105

Priority Date

20241107

Claims (20)

1. 1. An industrial materials handling vehicle comprising a vehicle body supported by a steering wheel assembly and a plurality of wheel assemblies, a bumper coupled to the vehicle body, and a sensor-receiving bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body, the bumper, or both, wherein the vehicle body and the bumper cooperate to define a steering wheel access opening, and wherein the sensor-receiving bumper mount further comprises: A bumper mount housing coupled to a body panel of the body, the bumper mount housing including a complementary steering wheel access opening; A sensor assembly mount removably mounted to a body panel of the body, the bumper mount housing, or both; A sensor assembly movably mounted to the sensor assembly mount, wherein when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to a body panel of the body, the bumper mount housing, or both, the sensor assembly and sensor assembly mount are positioned above the steering wheel access opening and complementary steering wheel access opening relative to a horizontal operating plane defined by the materials handling vehicle to provide unobstructed access to the steering wheel assembly through the steering wheel access opening and complementary steering wheel access opening.
2. 2. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly mount comprises: An angular frame; A sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the angle bracket, and Sensor assembly mounting hardware that detachably secures the sensor assembly to the angle bracket.
3. 3. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein the angle bracket is configured to enable the sensor assembly mount to swing horizontally outward about an attachment point.
4. 4. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein the angle bracket is configured to enable the sensor assembly mount to swing vertically outward about an attachment point.
5. 5. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein: The angle bracket further comprises at least one movement channel; the angle bracket is secured to the sensor assembly mount on a first side; The angle bracket is selectively coupled to the bumper mount housing in the at least one motion channel on a second side via at least one attachment screw located in the at least one motion channel, and Loosening the at least one attachment screw enables the angle bracket to move according to the dimension of the at least one movement channel.
6. 6. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein the materials handling vehicle further comprises a sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing.
7. 7. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein the materials handling vehicle further comprises: at least one removable sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing, and A sensor window aligned with the sensing portion of the sensor assembly and defined by the at least one removable sensor assembly cover.
8. 8. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 7 wherein the sensor assembly comprises a LiDAR sensor.
9. 9. The materials handling vehicle as set out in claim 8, wherein said sensor window defines a field of view greater than or equal to 170 degrees and less than or equal to 210 degrees in a horizontal plane with said vehicle supported by said wheel assembly on a horizontal operating surface.
10. 10. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 1 wherein the bumper mount housing comprises a deflector cap that slopes downward toward a horizontal operating plane of the vehicle.
11. 11. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein the bumper mount housing includes a sidewall extending outwardly from the body in an angled manner to define an outwardly converging housing volume.
12. 12. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 wherein the bumper mount housing is mounted to the vehicle body and the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the bumper mount housing.
13. 13. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 12 wherein the angle bracket of the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the bumper mount housing.
14. 14. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2, wherein: The sensor assembly mount includes a mounting hardware channel that aligns with a complementary mounting hardware channel in the bumper mount housing, and The sensor assembly mount includes mounting hardware that extends through a mounting hardware channel of the sensor assembly mount and extends through or engages a complementary mounting hardware channel of the bumper mount housing to detachably secure the sensor assembly mount to the bumper mount housing.
15. 15. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 wherein the sensor assembly mount comprises one or more damping mechanisms positioned between the sensor and the sensor assembly mount.
16. 16. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 15 wherein a plurality of damping mechanisms are positioned between the sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount, wherein the plurality of damping mechanisms contact an upper surface of the sensor assembly and contact a lower surface of the sensor assembly mount.
17. 17. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 15, wherein the one or more damping mechanisms comprise one or more of a coil spring, a leaf spring, a spacer, and a plunger.
18. 18. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly mount further comprises one or more adjustment features to selectively position the sensor assembly relative to the sensor assembly mount.
19. 19. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 18, wherein each adjustment feature independently controls rotation of the sensor assembly about a primary axis, the primary axis including a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis.
20. 20. The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 19, wherein each adjustment feature comprises one or more adjustable screws or tabs on the sensor assembly mount to rotate the sensor assembly about one or more primary axes.

Description

High-level sensor assembly movably secured to an industrial materials handling vehicle Background The present disclosure relates to industrial materials handling vehicles, and more particularly, to materials handling vehicles incorporating a movably secured sensor assembly. Disclosure of Invention According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an industrial materials handling vehicle is provided. The materials handling vehicle may include a vehicle body supported by a steering wheel assembly and a plurality of wheel assemblies, a bumper coupled to the vehicle body, and a sensor-receiving bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body, the bumper, or both. The body and the bumper may cooperate to define a steerable wheel access opening. The sensor-receiving bumper mount may include a bumper mount housing that may include a complementary steering wheel access opening, and a sensor assembly mount that is removably mounted to the bumper, the bumper mount housing, or both. The sensor-receiving bumper mount may further include a sensor assembly mounted to the sensor assembly mount, wherein the sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount at least partially block the steering wheel access opening and the complementary steering wheel access opening when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the bumper, the bumper mount housing, or both, and at least partial access to the steering wheel assembly is provided through the steering wheel access opening and the complementary steering wheel access opening when the sensor assembly mount is not mounted. When the sensor assembly mount is removed, the steering wheel access opening and the complementary steering wheel access opening may define an unobstructed path to a majority of the tread of the steering wheel assembly. The sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount may form an integrated sensor assembly unit that may be removed from the materials handling vehicle altogether by removing the sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly mount may include a sensor assembly mounting base, a sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base, and sensor assembly mounting hardware to removably secure the sensor assembly to the sensor assembly mounting plate. The sensor assembly mount may further include an auxiliary buffer plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base. The secondary buffer plate may extend outwardly from the sensor assembly mounting plate in a correspondingly sloped manner to follow the contour of the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further include a sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further include a removable sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing, and the sensor assembly mount includes an auxiliary buffer plate. The sensor assembly cover and the secondary buffer plate may cooperate to define a sensor window aligned with the sensing portion of the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly may include a LiDAR sensor. In the case where the vehicle is supported by the wheel assembly on a horizontal operating surface, the sensor window may define a field of view greater than or equal to 170 degrees and less than or equal to 210 degrees in the horizontal plane. The bumper mount housing may include a deflector cap that is inclined downwardly as the vehicle is supported by the wheel assembly on a horizontal operating surface. The bumper mount housing can also include a side wall extending outwardly from the body in an angled manner to define an outwardly converging housing volume. The sensor assembly mount includes an auxiliary buffer plate extending outwardly relative to the vehicle body in alignment with the bumper mount housing side wall. The bumper mount housing may be mounted to the vehicle body and the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the bumper mount housing. The sensor assembly mounting plate of the sensor assembly mount may be mounted to the bumper mount housing. The sensor assembly mount may include mounting hardware channels that align with complementary mounting hardware channels in the bumper mount housing. The sensor assembly mount may also include mounting hardware that extends through a mounting hardware channel of the sensor assembly mount and extends through or engages a complementary mounting hardware channel of the bumper mount housing to detachably secure the sensor assembly mount to the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further include a removable sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing and a sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly mount may include a sensor assembly mounting base, a sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base, sensor assembly mounting hardware detachably securing the sensor assembly to the sensor assembly mounting plate, and an auxiliary buffer plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base. The sensor assembly cove