Industrial truck with a jaw coupling, a system including an industrial truck and a trailer, and a method for coupling a trailer to an industrial truck

A system comprising:

• an industrial truck having
• a jaw coupling that comprises a coupling body and a coupling pin, and
• a control unit, at least one locking sensor and a locking actuator that are coupled by communication technology to each other, and
• a trailer with a drawbar with a coupling eye;
• wherein the at least one locking sensor is configured to recognize whether the coupling eye of the drawbar of the trailer is located in or close to a locking position within the coupling body,
• wherein in the locking position, an opening in the coupling eye is flush with the coupling pin so that, to couple the trailer, the coupling pin is able to be shoved through the coupling eye,
• wherein the control unit is configured to receive and evaluate signals from the at least one locking sensor and, in an instance in which the at least one locking sensor recognizes that the coupling eye is located in or near the locking position, the control unit is configured to control the locking actuator so that it actuates the coupling pin such that the coupling pin is shoved through the coupling eye
• wherein the industrial truck further comprises a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of the coupling eye within a sensor area,
• wherein the proximity sensor is coupled by communication technology to the control unit, and
• wherein the control unit is configured to receive and evaluate signals from the proximity sensor and, in an instance in which the proximity sensor recognizes that the coupling eye is located in a sensor area, to control a traction drive of the industrial truck when the industrial truck is not coupled to the trailer such that a driving speed of the industrial truck does not exceed a limit value for a provided approach speed.

A method for coupling a trailer to an industrial truck, wherein the industrial truck is equipped with

• a jaw coupling that comprises a coupling body and a coupling pin, and
• a control unit, at least one locking sensor and a locking actuator that are coupled by communication technology to each other,
• wherein a locking sensor recognizes whether a coupling eye of a drawbar of the trailer is located in or close to a locking position within the coupling body,
• wherein in the locking position, an opening in the coupling eye is flush with the coupling pin so that, to couple the trailer, the coupling pin is able to be shoved through the coupling eye,
• wherein the control unit receives and evaluates signals from the locking sensor and, in an instance in which the locking sensor recognizes that the coupling eye is located in or near the locking position, the control unit controls the locking actuator so that it actuates the coupling pin, and the coupling pin is shoved through the coupling eye,
• wherein the industrial truck further comprises a proximity sensor that detects the presence of the coupling eye within a sensor area and is coupled by communication technology to the control unit, and
• wherein the control unit receives and evaluates signals from the proximity sensor and, in an instance in which the proximity sensor recognizes that the coupling eye is located in the sensor area, controls a traction drive of the industrial truck when the industrial truck is not coupled to the trailer such that a driving speed of the industrial truck does not exceed a limit value for a provided approach speed.