The present disclosure includes a console for controlling a construction vehicle, such as a motor grader.
Skilled motor grader operators have learned to operate the motor grader based on a learned “feel” of the machine, and can accurately control numerous controls simultaneously to provide accurate grades at high productivity. Highly skilled grader operators have a preferred control pattern for motor graders such that nearly all graders have similar lever arrangements, including lever and knob size, lever efforts and lever travel. These traditional motor grader controls are a series of individual levers arranged on either side of the steering wheel. Each lever individually controls a single function on the motor grader through a mechanical linkage system connected to a hydraulic valve.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a construction vehicle is provided that includes: a chassis; a plurality of traction devices positioned to support the chassis on the ground; a steering wheel supported by the chassis and configured to control the direction of travel of the construction vehicle across the ground; a ground engaging blade moveably coupled to the chassis; a control system including a plurality of joysticks, each of the plurality of joysticks being configured to control at least one function of the construction vehicle; and an operator seat assembly supported by the chassis, the operator seat assembly including a frame, a seat, and a back support; and a console supported by the operator seat assembly and supporting the plurality of joysticks of the control system, the console being spaced apart from the steering wheel by a distance of 3 inches or less.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a construction vehicle is provided that includes: a chassis; a plurality of traction devices positioned to support the chassis on the ground; a steering wheel supported by the chassis and configured to control the direction of travel of the construction vehicle across the ground, the steering wheel having a diameter; a ground engaging blade moveably coupled to the chassis; a control system including a plurality of joysticks, each of the plurality of joysticks being configured to control at least one function of the construction vehicle; an operator seat assembly supported by the chassis, the operator seat assembly including a frame, a seat, a pair of armrests laterally spaced apart by an armrest gap, and a back support, a ratio of the armrest gap to the steering wheel diameter being greater than 1.5; and a console supported by the operator seat assembly and supporting the plurality of joysticks of the control system.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a construction vehicle is provided that includes: a chassis; a plurality of traction devices positioned to support the chassis on the ground; a steering wheel supported by the chassis and configured to control the direction of travel of the construction vehicle across the ground; a ground engaging blade moveably coupled to the chassis; a control system including a plurality of joysticks, each of the plurality of joysticks being configured to control at least one function of the construction vehicle; an operator seat assembly supported by the chassis, the operator seat assembly including a frame, a seat, a pair of armrests laterally spaced apart by an armrest gap, and a back support; and a console supported by the operator seat assembly and supporting the plurality of joysticks of the control system, the console and the steering wheel being spaced apart by a console-steering wheel gap, a ratio of the armrest gap to the console-steering wheel gap being greater than 5.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, a construction vehicle is provided that includes: a chassis; a plurality of traction devices positioned to support the chassis on the ground; a steering wheel supported by the chassis and configured to control the direction of travel of the construction vehicle across the ground; a ground engaging blade moveably coupled to the chassis; an operator seat assembly supported by the chassis, the operator seat assembly including a frame, a seat, a pair of armrests laterally spaced apart by an armrest gap, and a back support; a control system including a first plurality of joysticks and a second plurality of joysticks, each of the first and second plurality of joysticks being configured to control at least one function of the construction vehicle; a first console supported by the operator seat assembly and supporting the first plurality of joysticks of the control system; and a second console supported by the operator seat assembly and supporting the second plurality of joysticks of the control system, the first and second consoles being laterally spaced apart by a console gap, a ratio of the armrest gap to the console gap being greater than 1.25.
The above-mentioned and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention.
The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings.
Motor grader 10 is shown in
Although a motor grader is described in detail, the features described herein may be provided on other vehicles such as bull dozers, front loaders, and other construction vehicles having various ground engaging tools and traction devices, such as wheels and tracks. Grader blade 18 is described as a ground engaging blade, but is not limited to engagement with soil, dirt, gravel, etc. It and other ground engaging blades, such as snow plows 11 (shown in phantom in
Operator cab 13 includes pair of lateral side walls 15, front wall 17, roof 21, and rear wall 23 and a floor 22 defining an interior region of operator cab 13. Side walls 15 and front wall 17 include windows 25.
Referring to
Operator seat assembly 30 is configured to rotate relative to chassis 12 to permit operator 55 (
Steering console assembly 27 is positioned forward of seat assembly 30 and includes steering column or pedestal 29 and steering wheel 31 rotatably coupled to steering column 29 to control steering of motor grader 10. Steering column 29 is coupled to floor 22 of cab 13. Steering wheel 31 has a preferred diameter 63 of 10 inches (25.4 cm). Steering wheel 31 and consoles 40 cooperate to define a console-steering wheel gap 71 of about 1.6 inches (4.0 cm).
Shift console assembly 33 is positioned to the right of seat assembly 30 and includes a pedestal 35 coupled to floor 22 of cab 13 and a shift lever 37 operatively connected to pedestal 35. Pedestal 35 is spaced apart from right control console 40 by about 1.6 inches (4.0 cm). Shift lever or shifter 37 controls transmission 7.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, control system 58 is electronic and interacts with the electrohydraulic systems (electrohydraulic valves, hydraulic cylinders, etc.) of motor grader 10. Thus, motor grader 10 is controlled by an electro-hydraulic (EH) system. Wires (not shown) extend from inputs 60 of control system 58 through cab 13 to the electrohydraulic valves (not shown) located outside of cab 13. Because only wires, rather than hydraulic lines, exit cab 13, cab 13 is sealed better and quieter than if hydraulic lines extended into cab 13. Although motor grader 10 uses an EH, other systems, such as all hydraulic systems may be provided for motor grader 10.
To improve the view of an operator and reduce operator fatigue, inputs 60 of control system 58 are placed nearer to the operator. According to the exemplary embodiment, inputs 60 are placed on control consoles 40 in front of armrest 38. By placing inputs 60 on nearer the operator, viewing through front wall 17 of cab 13 is not obstructed by mechanical levers and linkages extending through the floor of cab adjacent to front wall 17. For example, as shown in
As shown in
In one illustrative embodiment, control consoles 40 are at least partially located below armrests 38 as shown in
As mentioned above, to improve the line of sight of the operator, inputs 60 are placed nearer the operator. To facilitate this placement, at least a portion of control console 40 is located directly above seat 34 to place several of inputs also directly above seat 34 nearer the operator. For example, console inboard side 48 of console 40 is positioned directly above a forward, outboard portion 49 of seat 34 as shown in
As also illustrated in
As shown in
Left control console 40 supports a plurality of joysticks 60. As shown in
Right control console 40 also supports a plurality of joysticks 60. Front joystick 88 that controls the articulation of motor grader 10 by moving it forward and backward and controls raising and lower of ripper 20 by moving left and right. Left, rear joystick 90 controls the side shift of the grader circle by moving it forward and backward. Center, rear joystick 92 controls the lean of front wheels 14 of motor grader 10 by moving it forward and backward. Rear, right joystick 94 controls the height of the right end of blade 18 by moving it forward and backward.
Joysticks 60 are positioned close enough to facilitate an operator's hand 59 and allow operator 55 to reach each joystick with limited or not arm movement. In the preferred embodiment, lateral spacing 91 between joysticks 60 in a row is about 2.6 inches (6.5 cm). Thus, the total spread between the tops of joysticks 60 in a row is about 5.2 inches (13.0 cm). The longitudinal spacing 93 between forward and rear joysticks is about 2.7 inches (6.8 cm). The lateral spacing 95 between forward and rear joysticks is about 1.3 inches (3.25 cm). The lateral spacing 97 between inboard joysticks 60 on each control console 40 is about 16.6 inches (4.21 cm).
As shown in
Center, rear joystick 84 includes a pair of button assemblies 65 facing inward that acts as an IGC to provide increment/decrement. When one of button assemblies 65 is pressed, the slope of blade 18 increases by a predetermined increment, such as 0.1 degrees. When the other button assembly 65 is pressed, the slope of blade 18 decreases by the predetermined increment. Front joystick 80 may also include button assemblies 65 facing forward.
On right console 40, front joystick 88 includes button assembly 65 facing forward that returns the articulation of motor grader 10 to straight. Center, rear joystick 92 includes button assemblies 65 facing inward that provide the IGC increment/decrement function described above. Thus, according to one configuration of the control functions, button assemblies of center, rear joystick 84 of left console 40 and center, rear joystick 92 of right console 40 control the same functions. According another configuration of the control functions, these button assemblies control different functions. For example, according to one configuration, blade 18 is provided with a curb sensor that detects the height of blade 18 relative to a curb. When this feature is activated, button assemblies 65 on center, rear joystick 84 of left console 40 can control the increment/decrement of the blade height and button assemblies 65 of center, rear joystick 92 of right console 40 can control the slope of blade 18.
Rear, right joystick 94 includes button assembly 65 facing inward that acts as a right hand IGC switch. When IGC switch 65 on right, rear joystick 94 is pressed, this joystick 60 becomes a master blade lift lever so that if right, rear joystick 94 is actuated to raise a right end of blade 18, the left end of blade 18 also raises to maintain the slope of blade 18.
As shown in
Float switches 100 control the float function of the ground engaging devices supported by motor grader 10. The float function allows blade 18 and the other ground engage blades (such as snow plows 11, snow wings 9, etc.) to float or ride over the hard surfaces (such as pavement) rather than be rigid relative to the hard surface. For example, when the float function is activated, the hydraulic cylinders controlling snow plow 11 would not be in a rigid fixed position, but would allow snow plow 11 to float over the pavement so that any rollers supporting the snow plow 11 could roll over the pavement and avoid snow plow 11 gouging the payment. As shown in
Several auxiliary functions are controlled by mini auxiliary joysticks 96 by moving them forward and backward and right and left. Additional auxiliary functions are provided by front joystick stick 80 on left console 40 by using the unused axes of movement of primary joysticks 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94 and/or primary joysticks 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 91, 94 without button assemblies 65. The auxiliary functions control the operation of accessories attached to motor grader 10, not including blade 18. Such attachments may include rippers 20, 20′, snow plow 11, and snow wing 9 that are attached to the front, end, or sides of motor grader 10. These functions may include the position (height or lateral position) and orientation (pitch, rotation, etc.)
When left armrest 38 and left console 40 are raised in direction 45, a sensor (not shown) detects this movement and disables the controls, such as joysticks 60 and the other controls. If an operation of motor grader 10 is active when left armrest 38 and left console 40 are raised, the operation is terminated.
Blade viewing recess 50 is configured to allow operator 55, shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment as shown in
An alternative embodiment console 140 is shown in
Joysticks 160 are shown including joystick shafts 161 and joystick knobs 162 which are similar to joystick shafts 61 and joystick knobs 62 shown in
As shown in
Joysticks 60, 160 are modular. If a joystick 60, 160 needs replaced or repaired, individual joysticks 60, 160 may be removed and replaced without having to remove the remaining joysticks 60, 160. If a joystick 60, 160 fails in the field, the function of the failed joystick 60, 160 can be switched to another joystick 60, 160. If necessary, the functionality of the other joystick can be disabled when replaced. The functionality can be switched to another joystick through the motor grader touch screen monitor 101 (shown in
The functionality of joysticks 60, 160 can also be reconfigured to satisfy the preferences of the operator. For example, the left blade lift function provided by left, rear joystick 82 of left console 40 may be shifted to center, rear joystick 92 of right console, which is adjacent to right, rear joystick 94 that provides the right blade lift function. In this configuration, both the left end and right end blade lift functions are on adjacent joysticks 60.
In another embodiment, seat assembly 230 is shown in
In another embodiment, consoles 340 are shown in
In another embodiment, consoles 440 are shown in
As shown in
Each joystick knob 62 may also include one or more joystick push button assemblies 65. Joystick knobs 62 may rotate relative to joystick shafts 61 to permit an operator to adjust the relative position of push button assembly 65 to a desired location. As shown in
Knobs 62 with push button assemblies 65 are hollow to receive push button assemblies 65 and wires 76 coupled to push button assemblies 65. Similarly, shafts 61 are hollow to receive wires 76 that extend from push button assemblies 65 through shaft 61 to console 40 as shown in
Knobs 62 is molded over push button assemblies 65 to be one piece and avoid seams or split lines that may irritate an operator's hand. During the over molding process, mold insert 108 is placed in push button assembly 65 as shown in
Additional details of button assembly 65 are shown in
As shown in
Knobs 62 is also molded over joysticks 60 with dual push button assembly 165 to avoid seams or split lines that may irritate an operator's hand. During the over molding process, mold insert 108 is placed in dual push button assembly 165 as shown in
Additional details of dual button assembly 165 are shown in
Knob 62 without button assembly 65 is shown in
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/347,182 to Ruhter et al., titled “INPUT CONTROL PATTERN,” filed Jan. 10, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/257,787 to Rowan et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,678, also titled “INPUT CONTROL PATTERN,” filed Oct. 24, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/068,569 to Ruhter et al., titled “ARMREST MOUNTED GRADER CONTROL,” filed Mar. 7, 2008, the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
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20120152574 A1 | Jun 2012 | US |
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Parent | 13247182 | Jan 2012 | US |
Child | 13408381 | US | |
Parent | 12257787 | Oct 2008 | US |
Child | 13247182 | US |