Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-02-20
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S146150, C296S096210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an industrial truck having a driver's cab and a windshield fastened to the driver's cab.
2. Description of the Currently Available Technology
Industrial trucks, such as fork lift trucks, for example, can be equipped with windshields if the conditions in the environment where the industrial trucks are used make such equipment necessary. When industrial trucks are used outdoors, in refrigerated warehouses or in dusty environments, for example, a closed driver's cab having a windshield is typically part of the conventional equipment of the industrial truck.
In certain applications, such as in foundry operations for example, the windshield is exposed to extreme wear. However, known devices to protect the windshield from heat, splashing metal, metal vapor and dust frequently obstruct the driver's view through the windshield or do not work satisfactorily, as a result of which the windshield typically must be replaced frequently.
When the windshield is fastened to the driver's cab by means of threaded fasteners or weatherstripping, the replacement of the windshield is both expensive and time-consuming. On windshields that are held in place by means of threaded fasteners, the new windshield must be provided with the corresponding screw holes, while the fastening of the windshield by means of weatherstripping (i.e. specially shaped rubber profiles) is a very time-consuming operation.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an industrial truck on which the windshield can be replaced more rapidly and economically than is currently possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention teaches that the driver's cab, e.g. of an industrial truck, has two guides, with two edges, e.g., opposite edges, of the windshield guided in or slidably engagable with the guides. The guides can be realized in the form of guide rails, for example. The windshield can be pushed or slid along in the guides and thus relative to the driver's cab. The windshield can be removed by pushing or pulling the windshield in a first direction all the way out of the guide rails. In an analogous manner, a new windshield can be inserted in the guides by pushing the new windshield in the guide rails in the opposite direction, i.e., in a direction opposite to the first direction.
It is particularly advantageous if the windshield is made out of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate has been found to be particularly useful, for example, in the use of such trucks in foundry operations. Compared to glass panels, polycarbonate panels have been found to be extremely heat-resistant and fracture-proof. The elasticity of polycarbonate allows windshields made of this material to bend. Consequently, the windshield can be inserted in the guides from the frontal direction of the industrial truck, if the windshield is bent appropriately. Then the windshield is released and springs back into its original shape, and is thereby held firmly in the guides.
A simple replacement of the windshield is made possible if the guides are oriented substantially horizontally with respect to the industrial truck, in which case a top edge and a bottom edge of the windshield are guided in the guides. The weight of the windshield is thus supported by the lower guide, while the upper guide secures the windshield against falling out.
It is appropriate if, located on the driver's cab, there is at least one fastening means or device that is engagable with at least one windshield edge that is not guided in a guide. The fastening means prevent an unintentional displacement as well as a shaking or rocking of the windshield in the guides during normal use. The fastening means can be realized, for example, in the form of a hold-down plate that is located along an edge of the windshield not engaged in one of the guides.
The fastening means are detachably connected with the driver's cab, preferably by means of threaded fasteners.
The windshield can be manufactured particularly easily and economically if it is made flat, i.e., planar. For example, it is possible that the user of an industrial truck can cut the windshields out of polycarbonate sheets.
The cutting of the windshields is particularly simple if the windshield has a substantially rectangular shape.
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patent: 3770312 (1973-11-01), Shadburn
patent: 3967859 (1976-07-01), Whisler
patent: 3998489 (1976-12-01), Blakeslee
patent: 4116483 (1978-09-01), Kramer et al.
patent: 4679847 (1987-07-01), Dirck
patent: 4758039 (1988-07-01), Ohhazama et al.
patent: 5413397 (1995-05-01), Gold
patent: 5450917 (1995-09-01), Goddard
patent: 5655341 (1997-08-01), Jaffiol et al.
patent: 5664519 (1997-09-01), Erskine
patent: 5857730 (1999-01-01), Korpi et al.
patent: 5975615 (1999-11-01), Showalter
Fuchs Ivo
Schultz Matthias
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran
Still GmbH
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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