Patent Application
20230116078
The present disclosure relates to a grading machine, such as a motor grader, and method for grading a surface. In particular, the grading machine including a control system for achieving a target grading device movement using either a first control pattern or a second control pattern.
Grading machines such as motor graders, typically operate movement commands of a ground-engaging element with individual input commands from the operator for actuators to move grading devices. However, this form of control heavily relies on an operator's experience and mastery of maneuvering movement of the ground-engaging device with precision. Because of the linkage kinematics on a motor grader, therein lies an opportunity to ease operation of the grading machine when desiring precise movement of a target grading device without a heavy reliance on operator input.
The present application discloses an apparatus and method for grading a ground surface.
In a first embodiment, the grading machine comprises a machine body, a drawbar frame, a circle member coupled to the drawbar frame, a pitch frame, movable grading device coupled to the pitch frame, a drive arrangement, a right lift linkage arrangement, a left lift linkage arrangement, a circle member side shift linkage arrangement, a grading device side shift actuator, a pitch actuator, a user interface and a control system. In one embodiment, the movable grading device includes a top portion, a lower portion, a left reference point in a left portion and a right reference point in a right portion. The drive arrangement is coupled to the drawbar frame and the circle member for rotation thereof about a circle axis. The right lift linkage arrangement is coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting the right portion of the drawbar frame with a right lift actuator. The left lift linkage arrangement is coupled to the drawbar frame for lifting the left portion of the drawbar frame with a left lift actuator. The circle member side shift linkage arrangement is coupled to the drawbar frame for side shifting the drawbar frame with a circle member side shift actuator. The pitch actuator is coupled to the top portion of the movable grading device. The control system is configured to receive an input command from the user input interface for a target grading device movement and extend or retract one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, a grading device side shift actuator and the drive arrangement in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement using a first control pattern or a second control pattern.
The first control pattern may be performed with the input command for each actuator and the second control pattern is performed with the input command for at least one actuator and a computation of automatically adjusting at least one other actuator to achieve the target grading device movement.
When the target grading device movement is a side shifting of the movable grading device, the first control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device along a cross slope connecting the left reference point and the right reference point by actuating the grading device side shift actuator. The second control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device lateral relative to the machine body while maintain the cross slope, and a height of the left reference point and the right reference point relative to the ground surface.
When the target grading device movement is a side shifting of the movable grading device, the first control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device along a lower edge of the movable grading device wherein the lower edge of the movable grading device defines a cross slope. The second control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device lateral relative to the machine body while maintaining a height of the left reference point and the right reference point relative to the ground surface.
When the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of roll, the first control pattern actuates the left lift actuator while maintaining the right lift actuator stationary. The second control pattern actuates the left lift actuator while maintaining the right reference point at a same height relative to the machine body to achieve the target grading device movement.
When the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of pitch, the first control pattern actuates the pitch actuator. The second control pattern actuates one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator, the circle member side shift actuator and the grading device side shift actuator while a lower edge of the movable grading device remains stationary relative to the machine body.
When the target grading device movement of the movable grading device is in a direction of yaw, the first control pattern actuates the drive arrangement to rotate the circle member about the circle axis. The second control pattern actuates one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator, the circle member side shift actuator and the grading device side shift actuator to rotate the movable grading device about a central axis of the movable grading device.
The first control pattern may actuate movement of the movable grading device relative to the machine body. The second control pattern actuates movement of the movable grading device relative to a direction of travel of the machine body.
When the target grading device movement is a lifting of the movable grading device. The first control pattern actuates the left lift actuator and the right lift actuator simultaneously. The second control pattern actuates one or more of the drive arrangement, the left lift actuator, the right lift actuator, the pitch actuator, the circle member side shift actuator, and the grading device side shift actuator to lift the left reference point and the right reference point.
In a second embodiment, the control system is configured to receive an input command from the user interface for a target grading device movement and extend or retract one or more of the right lift actuator, the left lift actuator, the side shift actuator, and the drive arrangement automatically in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement.
A method of controlling a movable grading device for a grading machine is disclosed, wherein the grading machine has a machine body and a drawbar frame coupled to the grading machine. In a first step, the method includes receiving an operator input command from a user input interface for movement of the movable grading device. In a next step, a current angle of the movable grading device relative to the machine body or the machine body travel path is identified. Then, a difference between the current angle and a commanded angle, the commanded angle based on the operator input command for a target grading device movement. Next, a target grading device movement by the controller is actuated wherein extending or retracting actuators coupled to the movable grading device and the machine body in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement to the commanded angle using a first control pattern or a second control pattern. The first control pattern moves the movable grading device with the input command for each actuator, and the second control pattern moves the movable grading device with the input command for at last one actuator and a computation of automatically adjusting at least one other actuator while maintaining a point on the movable grading device stationary relative to the machine body or the ground surface.
Other features and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of supporting other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As used herein, unless otherwise limited or modified, lists with elements that are separated by conjunctive terms (e.g., “and”) and that are also preceded by the phrase “one or more of” or “at least one of” indicate configurations or arrangements that potentially include individual elements of the list, or any combination thereof. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” or “one or more of A, B, and C” indicates the possibilities of only A, only B, only C, or any combination of two or more of A, B, and C (e.g., A and B; B and C; A and C; or A, B, and C).
As used herein, the term “controller” is a computing device including a processor and a memory. The “controller” may be a single device or alternatively multiple devices. The controller may further refer to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic, processing device, individually or in any combination, including without limitation: application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.
The term “processor” is described and shown as a single processor. However, two or more processors can be used according to particular needs, desires, or particular implementations of the controller and the described functionality. The processor may be a component of the controller, a portion of the object detector, or alternatively a part of another device. Generally, the processor can execute instructions and can manipulate data to perform the operations of the controller, including operations using algorithms, methods, functions, processes, flows, and procedures as described in the present disclosure.
Mounted to the front location of front frame 102 is a drawbar frame 120, having a forward end universally coupled to the front frame 102 as a ball and socket arrangement 122, and having an opposite right and left rear regions suspended from an elevated central section 124 of the front frame 102 by right and left lift link linkage arrangements (144, 146) including right and left extensible and retractable hydraulic actuators 126 and 128 (shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, the drive arrangement 206 may include a series of bearings coupled to the drawbar frame 120 and a series of gear teeth disposed to the exterior or interior of the circle member 202. The gear teeth cooperate with one or more drive gears associated with drive motors attached to the drawbar frame 120 to rotate the circle member 202 about the circle axis 204. In other conventional grading machines, a worm driven gear box can be mounted to the drawbar frame which rotates the pinion gears which mesh with the large ring gear of the circle member. Although this may be one form of a circle drawbar assembly 200, other alternative drive arrangement 206 configurations enabling the circle member 202 to rotate about a circle axis 204 are available, as known by a person of skill in the art and are not described in detail here.
Now also referring to
These actuators (126, 128, 129, 150, 206, 212) are coupled to the movable grading device 132 and controllably drive movement of the movable grading device 132 to engage material to be graded. The grading machine 100 is often operated by an operator. However, in some instances, the grading machine 100 may operate at different levels of autonomy as known in the art. The operator utilizes a user interface 135 to operate the grading machine 100. The user interface 135 may comprise physical mechanisms (e.g., levers, pedals, etc.), displays, touchscreens, software interfaces, etc. to allow the operator to control various controllable subsystems 145 (shown in
In one embodiment, the control system 405 may be configured to receive an input command from the user interface 135 for a target grading device movement 415 and cause extension or retraction of one or more of the right lift linkage actuator 126, the left lift linkage actuator 128, the circle member side shift linkage actuator 129, the drive arrangement 206 and the grading device side shift actuator 212 in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement 415 using either a first control pattern 550 or a second control pattern 650.
In one embodiment, the first control pattern 550 may be performed with an input command 138 for each actuator (126, 128, 129, 150, 206, 212) individually causing movement of the movable grading device 132 with their respective input commands 138, and the second control pattern 650 may be performed with the input command 138 for at least one actuator (126, 128, 129, 150, 206, 212) and a computation of automatically adjusting at least one other actuator (126, 128, 129, 150, 206, 212) to achieve the target grading device movement 415.
In an alternative embodiment, the control system 400 may be configured with a single control pattern to receive an input command from the user interface 135 for a target grading device movement 415 and extend or retract one or more of the right lift actuator 126, the left lift actuator 128, the circle member side shift actuator 129, the drive arrangement 206, and the grading device side shift actuator 212 automatically in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement 415. The system 400 advantageously takes an input command 138 from the operator and translates it into the precise intent of movement by compensating for discrepancies introduced from the linkage kinematics of the grading machine 100.
Two reference frameworks 500 are shown in
In a second embodiment of a reference framework, movement is performed to the blade 132 defined by a y-axis 520 along a bottom edge 530 of the blade (shown in the dotted line), a z-axis 524 perpendicular to the y-axis 520 in a top-bottom direction, and an x-axis 522 transverse to both the y-axis 520 and the x-axis 522. Roll 532 is rotation about the x-axis. Pitch 534 is rotation about the y-axis. Yaw 536 is rotation about the z-axis. A point (516, 518) can move in three directions. Shift 610 can be defined as moving the blade in a left/right direction along the y-axis. Rotating the blade can be defined as moving the blade in a clockwise/counterclockwise direction about an axis parallel to the z-axis 524. Lifting 170 the blade can be in an up down direction.
Now turning to
Next in steps 930a and 930b movement of the movable grading device is actuated. This includes extending or retracting actuators (126, 128, 129, 150, 206, 212) coupled to the movable grading device 132 and the machine body 101 in a timed relationship to achieve the target grading device movement 415 using a first control pattern 550 or a second control pattern 650. The first control pattern 550 includes moving the movable grading device with operator input command for each actuator. The second control pattern includes moving the movable grading device with the operator input command for at least one actuator and an automatic adjustment of at least one other actuator based on a computation, the computation including adjustment of at least one other actuator to maintain a point on the movable grading device stationary relative to the machine body or the ground surface once moved to a commanded angle as indicated by the target grading device movement. moves the movable grading device 415 in a manual mode. The second control pattern 650 moves the grading element 132 automatically while maintaining a point (e.g., 516 or 518) on the movable grading device 132 stationary relative to the machine body 101 or the ground surface 105.
