Integrally molded fender cover and step for industrial vehicles

Details Integrally molded fender cover and step for industrial vehicles Integrally molded fender cover and step for industrial vehicles

2000-07-26

2004-03-09

Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S851000, C280S163000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06702329

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to integrally molded fender covers and steps that are preferably used in industrial vehicles such as forklifts.
An industrial vehicle such as a forklift includes a step on which the operator steps when mounting and leaving the vehicle. The step is provided at one side of the vehicle's body frame. As shown in
FIG. 6
, a typical forklift has a step
9
located rearward relative to a fender
41
that extends above a corresponding front wheel (not shown). A fender cover
8
is mounted on the fender
41
.
The step
9
includes a floor panel
91
and a side wall
92
. The floor panel
91
has an inner edge
911
located inward from the exterior of the forklift
4
and a rear edge
912
located rearward in the forklift proceeding direction. The side wall
92
extends along the inner edge
911
and the rear edge
912
and projects upward from the floor panel
91
. For securing the step
9
to the body frame, a front portion
913
of the step
9
opposed to the rear edge
912
is fitted to a bottom
81
of the fender cover
8
secured to the fender
41
. Furthermore, a front end
922
of the side wall
92
that faces the fender cover
8
is fitted to a rear side
82
of the fender cover
8
facing rearward in the forklift proceeding direction. In this state, the step
9
is securely fixed to the fender cover
8
. A pillar cover
5
extends from top of the fender cover
8
and encompasses a pillar
43
projecting upward from the fender
41
. The pillar
43
supports a head guard (not shown) that extends above the operator seat.
Since the step
9
is separate from the fender cover
8
, a coupling portion
99
extends between the front portion
913
of the floor panel
91
and the bottom
81
of the fender cover
8
and between the front end
922
of the side wall
92
and the rear side
82
of the fender cover
8
. This coupling portion
99
enables foreign objects such as rain water or dust on the step
9
to enter a space below the step
9
. No electric devices including motors and controllers are thus allowed in the space below the step
9
. That is, this space is not efficiently used.
Furthermore, since the step
9
must be shaped to match the fender cover
8
and the fender
41
, designing of the step
9
is complicated. In addition, the step
9
must be positioned accurately with respect to the fender cover
8
when securing the step
9
to the body frame. This lowers the work efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a fender cover and a step that are formed as one body through molding for preventing foreign objects from entering a space below the step and for simplifying installation of the fender cover and step in a body frame.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a molded body used in an industrial vehicle. The molded body includes a fender cover and a step. The fender cover and the step are integrated.
The present invention also provides an industrial vehicle including a fender cover mounted on a fender of the vehicle and a step located at a side of the vehicle body to be located rearward relative to the fender cover. The step is integrated with the fender cover.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1863475 (1932-06-01), Fox
patent: 1896797 (1933-02-01), Leamy
patent: 2133982 (1938-10-01), Galwey
patent: 4266792 (1981-05-01), Sanders et al.
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patent: 5367864 (1994-11-01), Ogasawara et al.
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patent: 10-191728 (1998-07-01), None
DE-Z Plasterverarbeiter, (39) 1988, issue 6, p. 114, image 5.

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