# US 12,214,680 B2 · Method for arranging inductive chargers in a warehouse, system having an arrangement of inductive chargers, and an industrial truck for a warehouse > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,680 B2 - Document ID: US12214680B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/168,724 - Filed: 2021-02-05 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-06 - Assignees: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Marinus Petersen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214680B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/12: Inductive energy transfer - B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC] - H02J 7/02: for charging batteries from AC mains by converters - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/40: using two or more transmitting or receiving devices (H02J50/50 takes precedence) - B60L 2200/36: Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks - B60L 2200/44: Industrial trucks or floor conveyors - B60L 2260/58: Departure time prediction - Y02P 90/60: Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method for inductively charging one or more inductively chargeable industrial trucks used in a warehouse, wherein a target value is determined for an average charging time of each of the industrial trucks used in the warehouse and distributing a plurality of inductive charger in the warehouse such that at least one of the industrial trucks can be inductively charged in accordance with at least with the target value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of arranging inductive chargers in a warehouse for charging a plurality of industrial trucks used in the warehouse, comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of inductive chargers; receiving operating information pertaining to at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks; determining an average charging time of at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks using the operating information, wherein the average charging time indicates a period of time for which the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks used in the warehouse can be charged on average during ordinary use; receiving a target value for an average charging time of at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks; determining an average power consumption for the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks used in the warehouse; determining a charging quota for the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks in the warehouse using the target value for the average charging time and a given charging capacity of the plurality of inductive chargers; automatically outputting a spatial distribution of the plurality of inductive chargers in the warehouse based on the charging quota such that the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks can be charged at least to the target value for the average charging time during the ordinary use in the warehouse; and fixing the plurality of inductive chargers around the warehouse according to the output distribution of inductive chargers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: positioning the plurality of inductive chargers in the warehouse such that the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks can be inductively charged while being operated in the warehouse. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of the plurality of inductive chargers in the warehouse in accordance with a capacity to receive a power charge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining a target charge value includes the step of: determining a number of stationary chargers in the warehouse and modifying the target charge value based on energy supplied by the stationary chargers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of: determining an output power charge associated with the stationary chargers such that the number of inductive chargers for delivering a power charge can be reduced while, concurrently, allowing for the target value to be achieved. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the number of stationary chargers according to one of the following criteria: considering an occupancy rate for the stationary chargers; considering a total number of industrial trucks employed in the warehouse; and considering the target value for the average charging power of the inductive chargers during operation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of further dividing the warehouse into a plurality of functional regions of the warehouse based upon whether the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks is predominantly stationary or moving; and which regions are classified as being one of a loading, transfer and connection region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: monitoring whether the target value of the power charge has been reached for at least one inductively chargeable industrial truck during use in the warehouse. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A system for inductively charging an industrial truck, comprising a plurality of inductive chargers arranged in designated regions of a warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of inductive chargers are configured to deliver a power charge equal to a target value indicative of an average charging time associated with an inductively chargeable industrial truck. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a first floor region in a warehouse through which the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks traverses, the first floor region having imbedded therein plurality of inductive chargers, and a second floor region in the warehouse which is void of inductive chargers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first floor region comprises first subregions which include imbedded inductive chargers and second subregions which are void of inductive chargers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein, the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks comprises: an inductively chargeable energy store configured to be recharged by an inductive charger installed in a region of a warehouse; and wherein a capacity of the inductively chargeable energy store enables the chargeable energy store to be inductively charged during use in the warehouse to a level equal to at least a predetermined target value within an average charging time of the industrial truck over a duration of a driving shift in the warehouse. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The industrial truck of claim 12, wherein the inductively chargeable energy store can be inductively charged while the industrial truck is in use by an operator in the warehouse. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a density of inductive chargers in a region of the warehouse is based on an average stay of the at least one of the plurality of industrial trucks in the region during the ordinary use.