Patent Application
20240409380
The present invention relates to a multifunctional lifting vehicle comprising
A vehicle of the above type is described in document IT 2021 0002 3042 A1. These vehicles may be equipped with different types of tools, such as for example forks, shovels, aerial platforms, etc. During operation, the load applied to the tool located at the end of the arm may vary widely.
In accordance with current regulations, lifting vehicles of this type are equipped with a load diagram which prescribes the maximum load that can be applied to the end of the lifting arm depending on the position of the arm. The need for a load diagram, in graphical or tabular form, is a peculiarity of lifting machines, the capacity of which may vary according to the spatial positioning of the lifting means and the load lifted, as well as its size, or other elements concerning a specific operating configuration of the vehicle itself. In this regard, in addition to the type of supports on the ground, the extension and shape of the support plant and the speed of movement, it is also necessary to consider the specific tool installed. The load diagram is determined in order to comply with the standard safety regulations relating to the stability of the machine, thus defining the working conditions that ensure the stability of the vehicle against overturning.
Various solutions are now known for displaying such diagrams, starting from the more traditional ones consisting of a simple paper support, up to more advanced digital methods that make use of screens, for example, fixed screens placed in the position occupied by the operator inside the control cab of the vehicle. According to a now consolidated technique, compliance with the load diagram is entrusted to the machine control system.
The techniques used up to now are, however, not without some drawbacks, among which the fact that the operator has to look away from the useful information when maneuvering the machine, whether he is in the cab, on the platform, or using a radio-controlled device to remotely control the vehicle.
The need is therefore felt to propose an improving solution that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome the technical problems previously described.
In particular, one object of the present invention is to create a lifting vehicle configured to propose an alternative display of the relevant load diagram.
A further object of the invention is to implement this solution with relatively simple and low-cost means, without requiring particular modifications to a lifting vehicle in standard configuration with display of the load diagram according to the methods used today.
The object of the present invention is achieved by a lifting vehicle having the characteristics forming the subject of one or more of the claims that follow, which form an integral part of the technical disclosure given here in relation to the invention.
In particular, the object of the invention is achieved by a multifunctional lifting vehicle having the characteristics indicated in the attached claim 1.
The invention is also directed to a method for displaying a load diagram as indicated in the attached claim 10.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein:
In the following description various specific details are illustrated aimed at a thorough understanding of examples of one or more embodiments. The embodiments may be implemented without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of the embodiments. The reference to “an embodiment” in the context of this description indicates that a particular configuration, structure or characteristic described in relation to the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, phrases such as “in an embodiment”, possibly present in different places of this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, particular conformations, structures or characteristics can be combined in a suitable manner in one or more embodiments and/or associated with the embodiments in a different way from that illustrated here, for example, a characteristic here exemplified in relation to a figure may be applied to one or more embodiments exemplified in a different figure.
The references illustrated here are only for convenience and do not therefore delimit the field of protection or the scope of the embodiments.
With reference to
The vehicle 1 also comprises a lifting assembly 5 having at least one operating arm articulated in the rear section of the frame 2 about a transverse axis 6. The lifting assembly 5 may advantageously comprise a single operating arm or two arms articulated together. One or more of said arms may be telescopic configured so as to vary their prominence with respect to the base frame 2.
Again with reference to
The vehicle 1 further comprises a drive system configured to operate the lifting assembly carrying the tool 8. In one or more embodiments the drive system comprises at least one lifting/lowering cylinder 9 with ends articulated to the frame 2 and to the arm about the respective axes 10, 11.
The arm is also advantageously equipped with a cylinder (not shown), which controls the telescopic extension and retraction movement of the arm 5. In one or more embodiments, the drive system may further comprise a hydraulic drive circuit including a main pump driven by a motor of the vehicle. The details relating to the hydraulic circuit are not described here, as they are widely known to the expert in the field in question.
In one or more embodiments, the control system 12 comprises a load sensor 13, which provides an indication of the intensity of the load applied to the arm. The load sensor 13 may, for example, be made in the form of a load cell applied to the lifting/lowering cylinder 9.
The control system 12 may also comprise sensors 14, 15 which detect, respectively, the inclination angle of the arm (indicated with a) and the extension length L of the telescopic portion of the arm 5 (also called extension). The control system 12 further comprises one or more sensors 16 to detect the load on the supports 3 and/or 4 of the vehicle 1 and possibly other sensors 16′ present on the vehicle 1 to detect, for example, the extension of the stabilizers and the rotation angle of an upper frame portion. The control system 12 may also comprise a recognition unit 17 configured for recognizing the type of tool 8 applied to the arm 5. The recognition unit 17 may, for example, be based on RFID technology.
According to a further characteristic illustrated in
The load diagram schematically shows an operating working area that allows the operator to safely control the vehicle. In fact, the expression working area means a safe operating space, having known the load on the tool and the type of connected tool, as well as any other parameters as indicated above. The working area may be displayed with related sub-areas, in particular:
Preferably, the load diagram displays two working areas represented according to a schematic side view and a schematic plan view.
According to an essential characteristic of the present invention, illustrated by way of example in
The smart display device 19 made in the form of smart glasses is operationally connected to the electronic control unit E of the vehicle 1.
As will be appreciated below, the device 19 allows a plurality of information to be displayed before the eyes, without the driver taking his gaze away from the space in front of the vehicle.
In one or more embodiments, the display device 19 made in the form of smart glasses comprises a frame 20 wearable by the operator, which supports at least one lens 21 for displaying the aforesaid information.
The device 19 also comprises an electronic processor (not shown) operationally in communication with the electronic unit E of the vehicle 1 to receive stability data acquired through the sensors present on board the vehicle.
In this regard, in one or more embodiments, the smart display device 19 is configured to receive from the electronic unit E of the vehicle a plurality of data relating to the stability of the vehicle, on the basis of the operating conditions of the vehicle, process said data using said processor to determine a load diagram of the vehicle, and display the load diagram in real time during use of the vehicle. Therefore, in other words, the generation of the load diagram is carried out directly by the smart display device 19 following the reception of a plurality of data from the electronic unit E of the vehicle.
In other embodiments, the smart display device 19 is configured to receive from the electronic unit E of the vehicle the already processed data configured for generating the vehicle load diagram. Therefore, in other words, the generation of the load diagram is carried out by the electronic unit E of the vehicle—as the latter is configured and programmed to generate the load diagram and possibly display it on an interface device, for example, the inside the vehicle control cab, while the smart display device 19 is programmed to acquire the result of the processing already carried out and display the relevant diagram.
In all embodiments, the vehicle 1 is therefore set up to acquire, through the sensors, data relating to the stability during the maneuvers carried out (for example, information on the type of tool mounted on the arm, the information collected by the various control sensors of the geometry of the arm and weighing of the load carried by the arm); these data will be automatically transmitted, for example via Wi-Fi, to the smart display device 19—with or without preliminary processing by the electronic unit E-, thus reproducing the main information useful to the operator in superimposition on the lens 21.
Note that the load diagram 22 illustrated in
Therefore, through the smart display device 19, the operator is constantly informed in real time on the state of longitudinal and transversal stability of the vehicle, viewing the load diagram, so as to be able to operate in complete safety up to the limit of the vehicle's capabilities, without therefore risking incurring maneuver errors caused by reading the load diagram on devices that are misaligned with respect to the operator's field of vision when the latter observes the scenario surrounding the vehicle, during the maneuvers given.
The operator will constantly have before his eyes the main information necessary to operate the machine, also leaving a screen 18—inside the cab—free for other uses such as, for example, viewing what is acquired by a camera for reversing mounted on the vehicle.
Advantageously, the present invention also lends itself to its application in the case of vehicles controlled remotely, by an operator positioned outside the vehicle's control cab, who is for example on the ground on which the vehicle moves, in a position of safety distanced from the vehicle, or on a platform connected to the end of the vehicle arm. An operator may, therefore, wear the device 19 in the form of smart glasses, and remotely control the vehicle, for example, via a remote control device or via controls positioned on the platform, continuing to check—in real time—the load diagram displayed by the device 19.
In light of the characteristics described previously,
In one or more embodiments, in association with the load diagram, the smart display device 19 is further configured and programmed to display further operating parameters, including:
Of course, without prejudice to the principle of the invention, the details of construction and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to those described and illustrated purely by way of example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, as determined by the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102023000011913 | Jun 2023 | IT | national |
