Patent Application
20130249271
The present disclosure relates to a control module, and more particularly to a control module for a milling rotor of a machine.
Control modules are provided in machines to control certain mechanisms associated with the machine. Most mechanisms present in new age machines require an intermittent check for conformity with an operational logic while the machine is in operation. For example, a cold planer having a milling rotor may require an operator to physically get down from atop the machine and check for certain operational parameters with the milling rotor before proceeding with further work. This supervision of operational parameters by the operator is very tedious and lowers the productivity of the machine. Further, if an operational parameter is not met, the machine needs to be stalled immediately to avoid any consequential damage to its components. Hence, control modules are required to intermittently control and disengage certain critical components of the machine when an operational logic is not met so that damages do not occur. Furthermore, control modules are required to maximize productivity of the machine by performing functions that were instead performed manually by the operator.
U.S. Published application Ser. No. 11/802,277 relates to an automotive construction machine for working on ground surfaces. The automotive construction machine includes a machine frame, an engine for driving traveling devices and working devices. The automotive construction machine further includes a milling drum for milling the ground surfaces, which can be raised, driven by, and can be uncoupled from a drum drive. The milling drum can be moved to a raised position when not in milling mode. When raised, the milling drum rotates and remains coupled with the drive engine. A monitoring device monitors the distance between the milling drum and the ground surface and uncouples the raised milling drum from the drive engine when the distance falls below a pre-determined distance.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a machine comprising a power source, a milling rotor, a pair of side plates, a moldboard, a detector, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a control module. The milling rotor is operatively connected to the power source. The milling rotor includes a pair of end faces and a longitudinal axis. The pair of side plates is disposed at each of the end faces of the milling rotor. The moldboard is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the milling rotor. The detector is configured to detect a direction of motion of the machine and generate a first signal. The first sensor is configured to determine a relative height of the pair of side plates with respect to the milling rotor and generate a second signal. The second sensor is configured to determine a relative height of the moldboard with respect to the milling rotor and generate a third signal. The control module includes a processor and a controller. The processor is configured to receive the first signal, the second signal and the third signal. The processor processes the first, second and third signals to generate a control signal. The controller is configured to receive the control signal from the processor and selectively disengage the milling rotor based on the control signal.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a control module for the milling rotor of the machine. The control module includes a processor and a controller. The processor is configured to receive and process the first, second and third signal and generate a control signal. The controller is configured to receive the control signal from the processor and selectively disengage the milling rotor of the machine based on the control signal.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of controlling the milling rotor of the machine. The method detects the direction of motion of the machine by a detector. The method generates the first signal by the detector based on the direction of motion of the machine. The method detects the relative height of the moldboard with respect to the milling rotor by the first sensor. The method generates the second signal by the first sensor based on the relative height of the moldboard with respect to the milling rotor. The method detects the relative height of the pair of side plates with respect to the milling rotor by the second sensor. The method generates the third signal by the second sensor based on the relative height of the pair of side plates with respect to the milling rotor. The method processes the first signal, the second signal and the third signal by a processor. The method generates a control signal by the processor. The method controls the milling rotor based on the control signal by a controller.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure relates to a control module for a milling rotor of a machine.
The machine 100 further includes the milling rotor 102 operatively connected to the power source 106. During operation, the power source 106 drives the milling rotor 102 to mill soil or asphalt off the ground 104. The milling rotor 102 includes a pair of end faces 110, 112 positioned about a longitudinal axis X-X′. The machine 100 further includes a pair of side plates 114, 116 to substantially cover the end faces 110, 112 of the milling rotor 102. As shown in
The machine 100 further includes a detector 120, a first sensor 122, and a second sensor 124. The detector 120 is configured to detect the direction of motion of the machine 100 and generate a first signal 51. In an embodiment, the detector 120 may be connected to the traveling system 108 of the machine 100. The detector 120 detects the direction of motion of the machine 100 by detecting a direction of rotation of the traveling system 108.
In another embodiment, the detector 120 may be connected to an operator joystick of the machine 100.
Further, the first sensor 122 is configured to determine a relative height H1 of the pair of side plates 114, 116 with respect to the milling rotor 102 and generate a second signal S2. In an embodiment, the first sensor 122 may be connected to a pair of primary hydraulic cylinders 126 hydraulically connecting each of the side plates 114, 116 to a frame 128 of the machine 100. In this embodiment, the first sensor 122 may detect a hydraulic expansion or retraction of the primary hydraulic cylinders 126 and hence determine the relative height H1 of the pair of side plates 114, 116 with respect to the milling rotor 102.
Similarly, the second sensor 124 is configured to determine a relative height H2 of the moldboard 118 with respect to the milling rotor 102 and generate a third signal S3. In an embodiment, the second sensor 124 may be connected to a pair of secondary hydraulic cylinders 130 hydraulically connecting the moldboard 118 to the frame 128 of the machine 100. In this embodiment, the second sensor 124 may detect a hydraulic expansion or refraction of the secondary hydraulic cylinders 130 and hence determine the relative height H2 of the moldboard 118 with respect to the milling rotor 102.
In another embodiment, the first sensor 122 and the second sensor 124 may be connected to the pair of side plates 114, 116 and the moldboard 118 respectively.
In the preceding embodiments, the detector 120 is connected to the traveling system 108, the first sensor 122 is connected to the pair of primary hydraulic cylinders 126, and the second sensor 124 is connected to the pair of secondary hydraulic cylinders 130. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the connections of the detector 120, the first sensor 122, and the second sensor 124 to the traveling system 108 or the operator joystick, the pair of primary hydraulic cylinders 126 or the pair of side plates 114, 116, and the pair of secondary hydraulic cylinders 130 or the moldboard 118 is only exemplary in nature and that these connections may be accomplished with any other structures and by any known methods in the art.
Further, the machine 100 includes a control module 132.
Further, the processor 134 and the controller 136 may include one or more control modules, for example ECMs, ECUs, and the like. The one or more control modules may include processing units, memory, sensor interfaces, and/or control signal interfaces for receiving and transmitting signals. The processor 134 may represent one or more logic and/or processing components used by the control module 132 to perform certain communications, control, and/or diagnostic functions. For example, the processing components may be adapted to execute routing information among devices within and/or external to the control module 132.
As shown in
The control module 132 is used for controlling the milling rotor 102 or the propel system 103 of the machine 100. As disclosed in the preceding embodiments, the control module 132 includes the processor 134 and the controller 136. The processor 134 is configured to receive and process the first signal S1, the second signal S2, and the third signal S3 and generate the control signal C. The controller 136 is configured to receive the control signal C from the processor 134 and selectively disengage the milling rotor 102 or the propel system 103 based on the control signal C. The control module 132 disclosed herein allows independent control of the milling rotor 102 and the propel system 103 of the machine 100. The control module 132 follows operation logic of the control signal C that is based on an independent criterion of the first signal S1, the second signal S2, or the third signal S3. In an embodiment, when the first signal S1 indicates a reverse direction of motion of the machine 100 and the second signal S2 indicates a relative height H1 difference exceeding 2 inches, the processor 134 processes the first and second signals S1, S2 and prompts the controller 136 with the control signal C to disengage the milling rotor 102 from the power source 106. In another embodiment, when the first signal S1 indicates a reverse direction of motion of the machine 100 and the third signal S3 indicates a relative height H2 difference exceeding 2 inches, the processor 134 processes the first and third signals S1, S3 and prompts the controller 136 with the control signal C to disengage the milling rotor 102 from the power source 106.
In another embodiment, the first preset threshold limit may be preset into the processor 134, for a relative height H1 between the pair of side plates 114, 116 and the milling rotor 102, at 0 inches. Moreover, the second preset threshold limit may be also preset into the processor 134, for a relative height H2 between the moldboard 118 and the milling rotor 102, at 0 inches. This implies that the milling rotor 102 may be disengaged from the power source 106 when either of the moldboard 118 or the pair of said plates 114, 116 is in line with the milling rotor 102. It should be noted that the processor 134 and the controller 136 of the control module 132 operate as per the operation logic preset into the processor 134. Any value may be preset into the processor 134 towards each of the first and second threshold limits based on which the processor 134 generates the control signal C.
In an embodiment, the control signal C triggers the controller 136 to disengage the milling rotor 102 from the power source 106 when the first signal S1 is indicative of a reverse direction of motion R (as shown in
In another embodiment, the control signal C triggers the controller 136 to disengage the milling rotor 102 from the power source 106 when the first signal S1 is indicative of a reverse direction of motion of the machine 100 and the third signal S3 is indicative of a relative height H2 greater than the second preset threshold limit.
In an embodiment, the control signal C triggers the controller 136 to disengage the propel system 103 from the power source 106 when the first signal S1 is indicative of a reverse direction of motion R of the machine 100 and the second signal S2 is indicative of a relative height H1 greater than the first preset threshold limit.
In another embodiment, the control signal C triggers the controller 136 to disengage the propel system 103 from the power source 106 when the first signal S1 is indicative of a reverse direction of motion R of the machine 100 and the third signal S3 is indicative of a relative height H2 greater than the second preset threshold limit.
In an aspect of the present disclosure, the control module 132 maximizes machine productivity and protects the milling rotor 102 against any undesirable damage. During operation of the machine 100, the control module 132 may dynamically receive the first, second and third signals S1, S2 and S3 at predefined time intervals and automatically disengage the milling rotor 102 or the propel system 103.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
