Abstract:
A vehicle including a chassis and an operator platform for use by an operator. The operator platform is fixed to said chassis, and vertically movable relative to said chassis for lifting the operator. A covering is fixed to the operator platform, such as to a horizontal surface of the platform, where the operator stands. The covering has a driving zone where the operator stands while driving the vehicle and a picking zone where the operator steps when the operator picks an item from a location adjacent the operator platform.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not Applicable  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
         [0002]    Not Applicable  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention relates to order picker trucks having operator platforms, and more particularly to order picker trucks having coverings on the operator platform which have more than one zone for supporting an operator.  
           [0004]    Order picker trucks are used to pick products from shelves in order to fill a customer order. The products are typically stored in a rack system in which a plurality of unit loads of many products are stored. Each unit load, generally, contains a single type of product, and a customer typically requires one or more boxes of product picked from many different unit loads. This requires an operator to travel up and down one or more aisles of the rack system to pick products from many different locations in the rack system to fill the customer&#39;s order.  
           [0005]    An order picker truck is typically driven down an aisle by the operator standing on a vehicle operator platform which forms part of the vehicle. The operator drives the vehicle with the left foot on a brake pedal, the left hand on a vehicle steering wheel, and the right hand on a multi-functional control handle. When the operator reaches a desired location in the aisle, the vehicle is stopped, the operator steps toward an edge of the operator platform to pick a box from a rack location and places the box on a pallet adjacent the operator platform.  
           [0006]    When the operator drives the vehicle, vibrations transmitted through the vehicle to the operator platform cause discomfort to the operator. In order to reduce these vibrations a cushioning mat can be placed on the vehicle operator platform which isolates the operator from the vibrations. Unfortunately, the softness of the cushioning mat can provide an unstable footing for the operator when the operator reaches into the racks or places a picked box on the pallet. Accordingly, a need exists for an order picker truck including an operator platform having a covering which both reduces vibrations transmitted to the operator while the vehicle is moving and provides stable footing for the operator when the operator is picking a item from the rack or placing the item on a pallet adjacent the operator platform.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention provides a vehicle including a chassis and an operator platform for use by an operator. The operator platform is fixed to said chassis, and vertically movable relative to said chassis for lifting the operator. A covering is fixed to the operator platform, such as to a horizontal surface of the platform, where the operator stands. The covering has a driving zone where the operator stands while driving the vehicle and a picking zone where the operator steps when the operator picks an item from a location adjacent the operator platform.  
           [0008]    A general objective of the present invention is to minimize vibrations transmitted to the operator when the operator is operating the vehicle, and to provide stable footing for the operating when the operator is picking an item from a location adjacent the operator platform or placing an item on the load platform. This objective is accomplished by providing a vehicle having an operator platform with a covering fixed to the operator platform which includes a driving zone for standing on by the operator when the operator is driving the vehicle and a picking zone for stepping on when the operator is picking an item from a location adjacent the operator platform.  
           [0009]    These and still other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description which follows. In the detailed description below, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments do not represent the full scope of the invention. Rather the invention may be employed in other embodiments. Reference should therefore be made to the claims herein for interpreting the breadth of the invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an orderpicker incorporating the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is top view of the operator platform covering of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a side view of the operator platform of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 3; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an alternative driving zone structure. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    As shown in FIG. 1, a lift truck  10  includes a motorized chassis  12  and an extendible mast assembly  14  mounted thereon. The mast assembly  14  lifts an operator platform  16  and a load platform  18  comprising a pair forks  20  which extend from underneath the operator platform  16 . The forks  18  vertically support a pallet (not shown). The lift truck  10  can be any commercially available lift truck having an operator platform  16 , such as available from The Raymond Corporation, Greene, N.Y. and BT-Prime Mover, Inc., Muscatine, Iowa.  
         [0017]    The operator platform  16  includes a covered horizontal surface  22  on which an operator stands to operate the vehicle  10  and pick and place items for a customer order. The horizontal surface  22  has a forward edge  24  and rearward edge  26  joined by side edges  28  When driving the vehicle  10 , the operator stands adjacent the forward edge  24  approximately midway between the side edges  28 . When picking an item from a storage location, the operator is supported by the operator platform  16  adjacent one of the horizontal surface side edges  28 . When the operator places the picked item onto the load platform  16 , the operator is supported by the operator platform  16  adjacent the rearward edge  26  of the horizontal surface  22 .  
         [0018]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a floor mat  30  covers the horizontal surface  22 , and includes a driving zone  32  and picking zone  34 . The mat  30  is, preferably, molded from polyurethane having a Shore A durometer hardness of approximately  35 , and has a forward edge  36  and rearward edge  38  joined by side edges  40  which coincide with the horizontal surface edges  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Although a single piece mat  30  molded from polyurethane is preferred, the floor mat  30  can be formed from other resilient materials, such as silicone, rubber and the like, without departing from the scope of the invention. Preferably, the mat  30  is adhesively fixed to the operator platform horizontal surface  22 . However, the floor mat  30  can be fixed to the horizontal surface  22  by frictional engagement, fasteners, and the like, without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0019]    As shown in FIGS.  2 - 5 , the zones  32 ,  34  are formed by modifying the size and shape of bumps  42 ,  44  molded into the mat  30  to provide a different cushioning characteristic in each zone  32 ,  34 , as described below. Although forming the zones  32 ,  34  by modifying bumps  42 ,  44  is preferred, the zones  32 ,  34  can be formed from different materials having different hardnesses without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the mat  30  can be formed from a material, such as soft plastic which is overmolded onto a base formed from a harder material, or comolded with the picking zone, to form the driving zone.  
         [0020]    The driving zone  32  isolates the operator from at least some vibrations created by movement of the vehicle  10 . Preferably, the driving zone  32  is formed in a central portion of the mat  30 , and extends toward the mat forward edge  36 . The driving zone  32  disclosed herein includes the closely spaced driving zone bumps  42  having a spherical diameter of approximately 25 mm and a height of approximately 4 mm with a spacing of 22 mm centers.  
         [0021]    The driving zone bumps  42  are deformable under the weight of the operator, and act like a spring to isolate the operator from vibrations caused by the moving vehicle  10 . Although driving zone bumps  42  having a specific size, shape, and spacing are disclosed, any resilient structure having a spring constant which provides cushioning to the operator can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0022]    The picking zone  34  extends from the driving zone  32  toward the mat edges  36 ,  38 ,  40 , and provides a stable surface to support the operator when the operator picks-or places an item. The picking zone  34  includes the closely spaced picking zone bumps  44  which has less cushioning than the driving zone bumps  42  to provide a more stable surface than the driving zone  32  for the operator.  
         [0023]    The picking zone bumps  44  disclosed herein are closely spaced on 22 mm centers, and have a diameter of about 15 mm and height of about 2.5 mm. Advantageously, due to the resiliency of the polyurethane, forming driving zone bumps  42  having a height which is greater than the picking zone bumps  44 , the driving zone bumps  42  have a spring constant which is less than the spring constant of the picking zone bumps  44  to provide more cushioning for the operator in the driving zone compared to the picking zone. Although picking zone bumps  44  having a specific size, shape, and spacing is disclosed, any resilient structure having a spring constant which is stiffer than the structure in the driving zone  32  can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the preferred embodiment the spacing of the bumps  42 ,  44  is constant and the height of the bumps  42 ,  44  are different to differentiate the zones  32 ,  34 , the spacing of the bumps  42 ,  44  can also be different without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIG. 2, the floor mat  30  includes cutouts  46 ,  48 ,  50  which are specific to the vehicle operator platform  16 . In the floor mat  30  shown in FIG. 2, corner cutouts  46  are provided to fit around vehicle structure. A circular cutout  48  is provided for a brake pedal  52  which extends therethrough for engagement by the operator. A rectangular cutout  50  is also provided in the forward edge  36  of the floor mat  30  for a pallet grip pedal  54 . Of course the floor mat  30  can be provided with more or less cutouts without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0025]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in use, the operator drives the lift truck  10  disclosed herein by standing on the floor mat  30  facing away from the load platform  16 . The operator&#39;s left foot depresses the brake pedal  52  to disengage the brake, and is partially supported by the floor mat driving zone  32 . The operator&#39;s right foot is firmly supported by the floor mat driving zone  32 . As the lift truck  10  travels, the driving zone  32  isolates the operator from vibrations.  
         [0026]    When the operator reaches a desired location, the operator engages the brake by releasing the brake pedal  52 . The operator picks an item from an adjacent storage location by stepping onto the floor mat picking zone  34  proximal the side edge  40  of the floor mat  30 , and reaching past the side edge  28  of the operator platform horizontal surface  22  into the storage location to grasp the desired item. The operator places the picked item onto a pallet supported by the load platform  16  by stepping onto the floor mat picking zone  34  proximal the rearward edge  38  of the floor mat  30 , and reaching past the rearward edge  26  of the operator platform horizontal surface  22  toward the pallet.  
         [0027]    In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the spring constant of the driving zone bumps  42  can also be modified, such that it is less than the spring constant of the picking zone bumps  44  by forming a cavity  56  in the driving zone bumps  42 . The cavity  56  decreases the spring constant of the driving zone bump to cushion the vehicle operator operating the lift truck  10 .  
         [0028]    While there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.