Fork lift truck frame structure

Abstract: Fork lift truck frame structure is improved in dash board side end portion to enhance easiness for operator to get in and out. Side end portion of dash board (2) is cut off to form cut-off portion (4) and side plate (3) bent along the cut-off portion (4) is fitted to the cut-off portion (4).

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fork lift truck frame structure having a dash board and a side plate fitted thereto. 2. Description of the Prior Art A fork lift truck, which works for goods handling of carrying, lifting and the like at various work sites for machining, assembling, storing, etc., is usually needed to move and operate in a narrow place where various manufacturing facilities exist or semi-finish products or finish products are placed, hence it is desired that a fork lift truck body is made as compact as possible. On the other hand, if an example of a battery type fork lift truck having a battery as a power source is taken, in order to elongate a battery charging interval to improve a rate of operation, the battery to be mounted is needed to be of a larger capacity and it is desired to make a space for the power source as broad as possible. Thus, in the fork lift truck, there are many cases where a space for an operator must be made narrow to the limit. In the fork lift truck, there is a dash board in front of an operator's seat so that a space between the seat and the dash board is the space given to the operator and the operator gets in and out of this space from a side of the fork lift truck, see for example document US-A-3219219. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dash board portion in a fork lift truck frame structure having a dash board and a side plate fitted thereto in the prior art. In Fig. 2, numeral 1 designates a front portion of a frame of a fork lift truck, in which a dash board 2 is provided along the height direction. On each side end portion of the dash board 2, a side plate 3 is arranged such that a side edge of the dash board 2 and an upper end edge of the side plate 3 are joined together by welding. An operator's seat (not shown) is provided in the back of the dash board 2 (on the oblique right hand lower side of Fig. 2) so that a space between the operator's seat and the dash board 2 becomes the space for the operator. As mentioned above, however, it is the present situation that the space for the operator must be designed narrow to the limit. Especially, in the space between the dash board and the operator's seat, there is protruding a corner of portion A of Fig. 2 and there is a problem that this corner becomes an obstacle when the operator gets in and out. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fork lift truck frame structure having a dash board and a side plate fitted thereto in which a structure of a side end portion of the dash board is improved so as to enhance an easiness for an operator to get in and out. In order to attain the mentioned object, the present invention employs a fork lift truck frame structure in which a side end portion of a dash board is cut off to form a cut-off portion and a side plate, which is bent along the cut-off portion, is fitted to the cut-off portion. In the fork lift truck frame structure according to the present invention, as mentioned above, the side end portion of the dash board is cut off and the side plate is bent along the cut-off portion, hence there is eliminated the corner at the side end portion of the dash board on the side of the operator's seat so that there is no protruding portion in a space for an operator to get in and out. Thus, when the operator gets in and out of the space between the dash board and the operator's seat, there occurs no inconvenience that the operator is caught on the corner which protrudes at the side end portion of the dash board. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dash board portion in a fork lift truck frame structure of an embodiment according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dash board portion in a fork lift truck frame structure in the prior art. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Herebelow, a fork lift truck frame structure having a dash board and a side plate fitted thereto according to the present invention will be described concretely based on an embodiment shown in Fig. 1. It is to be noted that the same parts or components of the embodiment as those of the conventional device shown in Fig. 2 will be given the same reference numerals and repeated descriptions thereon are omitted for simplicity of explanation. In the frame structure shown in Fig. 2, each side end portion of the dash board 2 is cut off obliquely to form a cut-off portion 4 and a side plate 3, which is to be fitted to the side end portion of the dash board 2, is bent along the cut-off portion 4 to form a bent portion 5. ' Hence, there is eliminated such a protruding corner as shown in portion A of Fig. 2 at the side end portion of the dash board on the side of a space for an operator to get in and out and there arises no obstacle due to such protruding corner at the side end portion of the dash board when the operator gets in and out of the space between the dash board and an operator's seat in the back thereof. According to the frame structure of the present embodiment, the operator may get in and out easily of a narrow operator's space of a fork lift truck. It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement herein illustrated and described but embraces such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims. As mentioned above, the present invention provides a fork lift truck frame structure in which a side end portion of a dash board in a frame of a fork lift truck is cut off to form a cut-off portion and a side plate, bent along the cut-off portion, is fitted to the cut-off portion. In the fork lift truck frame structure according to the present invention, as mentioned above, the side end portion of the dash board is cut off and the side plate is bent along the cut-off portion, hence there is eliminated a corner at the side end portion of the dash board on the side of an operator's seat so that there is no protruding portion in a space for an operator to get in and out and there occurs no inconvenience that the operator is caught on the corner which protrudes at the side end portion of the dash board, when the operator gets in and out of the space between the dash board and the operator's seat.

Claims: A fork lift truck frame structure having a dash board and a side plate fitted thereto, characterized in that a side end portion of said dash board (2) is cut off to form a cut-off portion (4) and said side plate (3) is bent along said cut-off portion (4) and is fitted to said cut-off portion (4). A fork lift truck frame structure as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said cut-off portion (4) is provided at both side end portions of said dash board (2). A fork lift truck frame structure as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cut-off portion (4) is formed such that a side end of said dash board (2) is cut off obliquely toward an inner side of said dash board (2).

Inventors: AKAHANE FUMIHIRO, IIYAMA HIROYUKI, AKAHANE, FUMIHIRO, IIYAMA, HIROYUKI, Akahane, Fumihiro, c/o Sagamihara Machinery Works, Iiyama, Hiroyuki, c/o Sagamihara Machinery Works
Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD, MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B62D25
IPC codes: B62D33, B66F9, B62D25