Electrical steering assist for material handling vehicles

A system for providing an electrical steering assist for material handling vehicles comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a steerable wheel coupled to said drive housing;
• a steering arm pivotally mounted to said drive housing, said steering arm operatively configured to determine a steering direction of said steerable wheel;
• a steer drive unit coupled to said steerable wheel;
• an input sensing device arranged to detect a turning force applied to said steering arm by an operator, wherein said turning force is provided to change the direction of travel of said vehicle;
• and
• a controller operatively configured to control said steer drive unit to turn said steerable wheel based upon a signal from said input sensing device, wherein said steering arm comprises a strain sensitive region and said input sensing device comprises a force sensor mounted so as to measure force within said strain sensitive region.

A system for providing an electrical steering assist for material handling vehicles comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a steerable wheel coupled to said drive housing;
• a steering arm pivotally mounted to said drive housing, said steering arm operatively configured to determine a steering direction of said steerable wheel;
• a steer drive unit coupled to said steerable wheel;
• an input sensing device arranged to detect a turning force applied to said steering arm by an operator, wherein said turning force is provided to change the direction of travel of said vehicle;
• and
• a controller operatively configured to control said steer drive unit to turn said steerable wheel based upon a signal from said input sensing device, wherein said steering arm comprises a two piece arm including an upper steering arm and a lower steering arm, wherein said input sensing device comprises:
• a first anchor secured to said upper arm;
• a second anchor secured to said lower arm;
• a member coupled between said first and second anchors;
• and
• one or more strain gauges coupled to said member.

A system for providing an electrical steering assist for material handling vehicles comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a steerable wheel coupled to said drive housing;
• a steering arm pivotally mounted to said drive housing, said steering arm operatively configure to determine a steering direction of said steerable wheel;
• a steer drive unit coupled to said steerable wheel;
• an input sensing device arranged to detect a turning force applied to said steering arm by an operator, wherein said turning force is provided to change the direction of travel of said vehicle;
• and
• a controller operatively configured to control said steer drive unit to turn said steerable wheel based upon a said from said input sensing device wherein said controller further receives a secondary input, and control of said steer drive unit by said controller is based upon at least one of said input sensing device and said secondary input.

A system for providing an electrical steering assist for material handling vehicles comprising:

• a drive housing;
• a steerable wheel coupled to said drive housing;
• a steering arm pivotally mounted to said drive housing, said steering arm operatively configured to determine a steering direction of said steerable wheel;
• a steer drive unit coupled to said steerable wheel;
• an input sensing device arranged to detect a pivoting motion of a first steering member relative to a second pivoting member;
• and
• a controller operatively configured to control said steer drive unit to turn said steerable wheel based upon a signal from said input sensing device.