US-20260125255-A1 - HIGH MOUNT SENSOR ASSEMBLY MOVABLY AFFIXED TO AN INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS HANDLING VEHICLE

US20260125255A1US 20260125255 A1US20260125255 A1US 20260125255A1US-20260125255-A1

Abstract

An industrial materials handling vehicle including a vehicle body supported by steer wheel and wheel assemblies, a bumper coupled to the body, and a sensor accommodating bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body and/or bumper, the body and the bumper cooperatively defining a steer wheel access opening. The sensor accommodating bumper mount comprises a bumper mount housing with complementary steer wheel access opening, a sensor assembly mount removably mounted to a body panel of the vehicle body and/or bumper mount housing, and a sensor assembly movably mounted to the sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount are positioned above the steer wheel access opening and the complementary opening relative to a horizontal operating plane defined by the vehicle when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the body panel and/or the bumper mount housing to provide unobstructed access to the steer wheel assembly through the steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening.

Inventors

Chad M. Lefeld
Adam Homan
Patrick Wenning

Assignees

CROWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241107

Claims (20)

1 . An industrial materials handling vehicle comprising a vehicle body supported by a steer wheel assembly and a plurality of wheel assemblies, a bumper coupled to the vehicle body, and a sensor accommodating bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body, the bumper, or both, wherein the vehicle body and the bumper cooperate to define a steer wheel access opening, and wherein the sensor accommodating bumper mount further comprises: a bumper mount housing coupled to a body panel of the vehicle body, the bumper mount housing comprising a complementary steer wheel access opening; a sensor assembly mount removably mounted to the body panel of the vehicle body, the bumper mount housing, or both; a sensor assembly movably mounted to the sensor assembly mount, wherein the sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount is positioned above the steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening relative to a horizontal operating plane defined by the materials handling vehicle when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the body panel of the vehicle body, the bumper mount housing, or both, to provide unobstructed access to the steer wheel assembly through the steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening.
2 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly mount comprises: an angle bracket; a sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the angle bracket; and sensor assembly mounting hardware removably securing the sensor assembly to the angle bracket.
3 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the angle bracket is configured to enable the sensor assembly mount to swing out horizontally about an attachment point.
4 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the angle bracket is configured to enable the sensor assembly mount to swing out vertically about an attachment point.
5 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 , wherein: the angle bracket further comprises at least one movement channel; the angle bracket is fixed to the sensor assembly mount at a first side; the angle bracket is selectively coupled to the bumper mount housing within the at least one movement channel at a second side via at least one attachment screw positioned within the at least one movement channel; and loosening the at least one attachment screw enables the angle bracket to move according to dimensions of the at least one movement channel.
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 . 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 a sensing portion of the sensor assembly defined by the at least one removable sensor assembly cover.
8 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the sensor assembly comprises a LiDAR sensor.
9 . The material handling vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the sensor window defines a field of view that is greater than or equal to 170 degrees and less than or equal to 210 degrees in a horizontal plane, with the vehicle support by the wheel assemblies on a horizontal operating surface.
10 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the bumper mount housing comprises a deflection cap that is sloped downwardly towards the horizontal operating plane of the vehicle.
11 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the bumper mount housing comprises side walls that extend outwardly from the vehicle body in a sloped manner to define an outwardly contracting housing volume.
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 . 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 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 2 , wherein: the sensor assembly mount comprises mounting hardware passages that are aligned with complementary mounting hardware passages in the bumper mount housing; and the sensor assembly mount comprises mounting hardware that extends through mounting hardware passages of the sensor assembly mount and extends through or engages the complementary mounting hardware passages of the bumper mount housing to removably secure the sensor assembly mount to the bumper mount housing.
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 . 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 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the one or more damping mechanisms comprises one or more of helical springs, leaf springs, isolation pads, and plungers.
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 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 18 , wherein each adjustment feature independently controls the rotation of the sensor assembly about a principal axis comprising a pitch axis, a roll axis, and a yaw axis.
20 . The industrial materials handling vehicle of claim 19 , wherein each adjustment feature comprises one or more adjustable screws or tabs positioned on the sensor assembly mount to rotate the sensor assembly about one or more principal axes.

Description

BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to industrial materials handling vehicles and, more particularly, to materials handling vehicles that incorporate movably affixed sensor assemblies. BRIEF SUMMARY In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an industrial materials handling vehicle is provided. The materials handling vehicle may comprise a vehicle body supported by a steer wheel assembly and a plurality of wheel assemblies, a bumper coupled to the vehicle body, and a sensor accommodating bumper mount mounted to the vehicle body, the bumper, or both. The vehicle body and the bumper may cooperate to define a steer wheel access opening. The sensor accommodating bumper mount may comprise a bumper mount housing that may comprise a complementary steer wheel access opening, and a sensor assembly mount removably mounted to the bumper, the bumper mount housing, or both. The sensor accommodating bumper mount may further comprise a sensor assembly mounted to the sensor assembly mount, wherein the sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount at least partially obstruct the steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening when the sensor assembly mount is mounted to the bumper, the bumper mount housing, or both, and provide at least partial access to the steer wheel assembly through the steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening when the sensor assembly mount is unmounted. The steer wheel access opening and the complementary steer wheel access opening may define an unobstructed path to a majority of a wheel face of the steer wheel assembly upon removal of the sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly and the sensor assembly mount may form an integrated sensor assembly unit that are removable together from the materials handling vehicle by removing the sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly mount may comprise a sensor assembly mounting base, a sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base, and sensor assembly mounting hardware removably securing the sensor assembly to the sensor assembly mounting plate. The sensor assembly mount may further comprise a supplemental bumper plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base. The supplemental bumper plate may extend outwardly from the sensor assembly mounting plate in a corresponding sloped manner to follow the contour of the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further comprise a sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further comprise a removable sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing, and the sensor assembly mount comprises a supplemental bumper plate. The sensor assembly cover and the supplemental bumper plate may cooperate to define a sensor window aligned with a sensing portion of the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly may comprise a LiDAR sensor. The sensor window may define a field of view that is greater than or equal to 170 degrees and less than or equal to 210 degrees in a horizontal plane, with the vehicle supported by the wheel assemblies on a horizontal operating surface. The bumper mount housing may comprise a deflection cap that is sloped downwardly with the vehicle supported by the wheel assemblies on a horizontal operating surface. The bumper mount housing may further comprise side walls that extend outwardly from the vehicle body in a sloped manner to define an outwardly contracting housing volume. The sensor assembly mount comprises a supplemental bumper plate that extends outwardly relative to the vehicle body in alignment with the bumper mount housing side walls. 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 comprise mounting hardware passages that are aligned with complementary mounting hardware passages in the bumper mount housing. The sensor assembly mount may further comprise mounting hardware that extends through mounting hardware passages of the sensor assembly mount and extends through or engages the complementary mounting hardware passages of the bumper mount housing to removably secure the sensor assembly mount to the bumper mount housing. The materials handling vehicle may further comprise a removable sensor assembly cover mounted to the bumper mount housing, and a sensor assembly mount. The sensor assembly mount may comprise a sensor assembly mounting base, a sensor assembly mounting plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base, sensor assembly mounting hardware removably securing the sensor assembly to the sensor assembly mounting plate, and a supplemental bumper plate mounted to the sensor assembly mounting base. The sensor assembly cover and the supplemental bumper plate may cooperate to define a sensor w