IP Library Granted Patent US 12,240,551
Granted Patent B2
US 12,240,551 · App. 17/603,585 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Steering method and steering system for an industrial truck

Inventor: Juergen Keller (Grossenlueder, DE)
Assignee: HUBTEX MASCHINENBAU GMBH & CO. KG
B62D7/1509B62D5/04B62D6/00B62D5/0442B66F9/07568
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,240,551
App. No.
17/603,585
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A steering method of an industrial truck. The industrial truck comprises a drive, at least three steerable wheels, at least one steering setpoint value transmitter which steers at least one of the at least three steerable wheels, a steering computer which provides angle setpoint values, and an electrical power electronics unit which supplies electrical energy to a steering motor associated with the at least one steered wheel. The method comprises steering, via the at least one steering setpoint value transmitter, the at least one steered wheel, detecting angular positions of the at least one steered wheel, providing the angle setpoint values via the steering computer, comparing the angular positions of the at least one steered wheel with the angle setpoint values provided via the steering computer so as to determine a setpoint/actual value difference, and controlling the electrical power electronics unit based on the setpoint/actual value difference.

Claims (53)

1. A steering method of an industrial truck, wherein the industrial truck comprises:

a drive;

at least three steerable wheels;

at least one steering setpoint value transmitter which is configured to steer at least one of the at least three steerable wheels;

a steering computer which is configured to provide angle setpoint values; and

an electrical power electronics unit which is configured to supply an electrical energy to a steering motor which is associated with the at least one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels,

the method comprising:

steering, via the at least one steering setpoint value transmitter, at least one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels;

detecting angular positions of the at least one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels;

providing the angle setpoint values via the steering computer;

comparing the angular positions of the at least one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels with the angle setpoint values provided via the steering computer so as to determine a setpoint/actual value difference;

controlling the electrical power electronics unit based on the setpoint/actual value difference;

steering the angular positions of the at least one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels based on preselectable steering programs; and

deactivating the at least one steering setpoint value transmitter while selecting one of the preselectable steering programs.

2. The steering method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

deactivating the drive while selecting one of the preselectable steering programs.

3. The steering method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the preselectable steering programs comprise a longitudinal travel program and a transverse travel program.

4. The steering method as recited in claim 3 , wherein,

each of the longitudinal travel program and the transverse travel program comprise sub-programs which include a front-axle steering sub-program, a rear-axle steering sub-program, and an all-wheel steering sub-program, and

the method further comprises:

choosing between the front-axle steering sub-program, the rear-axle steering sub-program, and the all-wheel steering sub-program in at least one of the longitudinal travel program and the transverse travel program.

5. The steering method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the preselectable steering programs further comprise at least one of a carousel travel program, a diagonal travel program, and a parking program.

6. The steering method as recited in claim 5 , wherein,

when the longitudinal travel program is selected, a steering angle of all steered wheels of the at least three steerable wheels are set to an angular position of 0°,

when the transverse travel program is selected, the steering angle of all steered wheels of the at least three steerable wheels are set to an angular position of 90°, and

when the carousel travel program or the parking program are selected, the respective angular positions required by the steered wheels of the at least three steerable wheels are controllable without the steering setpoint value transmitter having to be actuated.

7. The steering method as recited in claim 1 , wherein, if a malfunction with respect to the one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels of an axle is detected, the method further comprises:

shifting via the steering computer the at least steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels of the axle which is affected and, if applicable, every other steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels which belong to the axle which is affected, into an angular position which corresponds to a neutral position for the respectively selected preselected steering program, and then

only steering those of the at least three steerable wheels that do not belong to the axle which is affected in the sense of a setpoint/actual value compensation of the angular positions of those of the at least three steerable wheels that do not belong to the axle which is affected with the corresponding angle setpoint values.

8. The steering method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:

switching off the drive of the industrial truck when an unexpected difference between the angular position and the angle setpoint value is determined on one steered wheel of the at least three steerable wheels which can result in a critical driving state of the industrial truck.

9. The steering method as recited in claim 1 , wherein,

the industrial truck further comprises a control element in addition to the at least one steering setpoint value transmitter, and

the method further comprises:

steering all of the at least three steerable wheels and, when the industrial truck deviates from a straight line, continuously displacing, via the control element, a steering pole in which an axes of rotation of the at least three steerable wheels intersect.

10. A steering system for an industrial truck, the steering system comprising:

a steering transmitter;

a steering setpoint value transmitter which is connected to the steering transmitter; and

at least three steering motors, each of which are configured to steer one steerable wheel and to perform the steering method as recited in claim 1 ,

wherein,

the at least three steering motors are designed as electric motors.

11. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the at least three steering motors are further designed as AC motors.

12. The steering system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the at least three steering motors are further designed as synchronous motors.

13. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the steering computer comprises a device for storing a plurality of steering programs.

14. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:

a steering angle sensor which is designed as an electrical steering angle sensor or as an electronic steering angle sensor, the steering angle sensor being assigned to each steerable wheel.

15. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the steering setpoint value transmitter comprises a pulse output at which electrical pulses are generated, a number of the electrical pulses depending on an actuation of the steering transmitter.

16. The steering system as recited in claim 15 , wherein,

the steering transmitter is a steering wheel, and

the number of the electrical pulses depending on the actuation of the steering transmitter is based on an angle of rotation of the steering wheel.

17. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the steering system is designed to have angular positions of the steered wheels of at least 0°≤angular position≤360°.

18. The steering system as recited in claim 10 , wherein each of the at least three steering motors are designed as rotation motors which comprise a drive shaft which is operatively connected to a steering shaft via a flexible traction device or a gear transmission.

19. An industrial truck comprising the steering system as recited in claim 10 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: KELLER, JUERGEN, MR.
To: HUBTEX MASCHINENBAU GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 060406/0126 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 109 995.1 · Apr 16, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220194465A1 · Jun 23, 2022
References Cited (14)
US 11097773B2 · Kim · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20030105563A1 · Oshima et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20150353130A1 · Keller · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20190168806A1 · Liu · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20220126914A1 · Park · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230227102A1 · Kim · 2023 [cited by examiner]
DE 4303342A1 · 1994 [cited by applicant]
DE 10144372A1 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
DE 102004055282A1 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
DE 102012112743A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
EP 2253528A2 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2018028495A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020212028A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
Machine Translation of DE4303342A1 (Year: 1994). [cited by examiner]