Transfer Vehicle

Abstract

A transfer vehicle is pulled by a towing vehicle. The transfer vehicle comprises a container and an unloading conveyor. The container serves to receive bulk goods. The unloading conveyor serves to unload the bulk goods located in the container. In order to allow a simple technical construction and a variable drive of the unloading conveyor, an electrical drive is coupled to the unloading conveyor and serves exclusively for driving the unloading conveyor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The sole figure of the drawing is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a transfer vehicle according to the invention which is pulled by a towing vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the only figure, a transfer vehicle 10 is shown which comprises a container 12 for receiving bulk goods. Moreover, the transfer vehicle 10 comprises an unloading conveyor 14 for unloading the bulk goods (not shown) located in the container. The transfer vehicle 10 is coupled to a towing vehicle shown here as a tractor 16 and may be pulled thereby.

The transfer vehicle 10 comprises a container 12 of substantially prismatic configuration. The container 12 and the unloading conveyor 14 are constructed on a single-axle chassis 18. The chassis 18 comprises a frame 20 on which a continuous axle 22 having opposite ends respectively provided with a right and a left running wheel of which only the left wheel 24 is shown. The frame 20 comprises a towbar 26, only indicated schematically, which is designed for being attached to the tractor 16. It is only indicated schematically that the bottom wall 28 of the container 12 therefore extends over the entire length of the receiving container 12 in a funnel-shaped manner towards the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The unloading conveyor 14 is configured in one piece and comprises a conveyor worm 32 rotatably arranged in a conveying pipe 30 disposed about the longitudinal axis of the worm. The conveying pipe 30 comprises an open end 34 from which the harvested crops in the container 12 conveyed upwards by the conveyor worm 32 may be discharged. The length and the angle of inclination of the conveying pipe 30 is accordingly designed for transferring to a large-volume transport vehicle. The angle of inclination of the conveying pipe 30 relative to the vertical and/or horizontal may be variably adjusted. By a rotary movement at constant or variable speed of the conveyor worm 32, grain and/or biomass located in the receiving container 12 is delivered to the open end 34 by the rotating conveyor worm 32.

In a manner according to the invention, an electrical drive 36 is coupled for driving the conveyor worm 32. The unloading conveyor 14 and accordingly the conveyor worm 32 are exclusively driven by the electrical drive 36.

The electrical drive 36 comprises an asynchronous motor and is configured to be able to be operated steplessly. The electrical drive 36 may be driven in two opposing rotational directions depending on the control thereof. One of the rotational directions allows the emptying of the container 12. The opposing rotational direction may be used for cleaning purposes. Between the electrical drive 36 and the conveyor worm 32 a step down gear system 38 is provided, by which the relatively high speed of the electrical drive 36 may be reduced to a lower speed of the conveyor worm 32. The electrical drive 36, the step-down gear system 38 as well as the conveying pipe 30, together with the conveyor worm 32 may be mounted as a preassembled unit and/or assembly on the transfer vehicle 10. In the embodiment according to the only figure, the electrical drive 36 is arranged on the open end 34 of the conveying pipe 30. The electrical drive 36 together with the step-down gear system 38 could, however, also be arranged in a lower region of the transfer vehicle 10. The tractor 16 comprises an internal combustion engine 40, by which the wheels 42 of the tractor may be driven. A generator 44, also driven by the internal combustion engine 40, is provided which generates electrical current, in practice three-phase current. The three-phase current generated by the generator 44 is supplied to a rectifier unit 46 which converts the three-phase current into direct current and supplies a direct current link 48.

A converter 50 and/or an inverter unit is connected to the direct current link 48, by which the direct current of the direct current link 48 may be converted into three-phase current of a predetermined frequency. By means of the converter 50, the level of the current output at the electrical drive 36 and/or the rotational direction of the electrical drive 36 may also be set. To this end, a control device 52 is provided by means of which the converter 50 may be controlled. The converter 50 comprises a measuring device, not shown, by means of which the level of the electrical current output at the electrical drive 36 may be measured. The resulting measurement is supplied to the control device 52. As a result of the measured amperage, the torque may be detected at which the unloading conveyor 14 is currently driven. Thus the control unit 52 may operate the converter 50 and thus the electrical drive 36 such that, on the one hand, the unloading conveyor 14 may achieve a maximized unloading rate. On the other hand, the electrical drive 36 as well as the components of the unloading conveyor 14 may be protected from overload, if torque peaks or blockages occur during the unloading process of the transfer vehicle 10, by for example less current or no current being made available, for example, to the electrical drive 36 or by the conveyor worm 32 being reversed in order to eliminate the blockage.

A schematically indicated plug connection 54 may reversibly connect the leads 56 between the plug 58 of the transfer vehicle 10 and the electrical drive 36 and the socket 60 of the tractor 16. Between the tractor 16 and the transfer vehicle 10 no mechanical torque transmission is therefore required between a power take-off shaft of the tractor 16 and the unloading conveyor 14. Although, in this embodiment, the converter 50 is arranged on the tractor 16, it might also be conceivable to arrange the converter 50 on the transfer vehicle 10.

It is particularly preferred that the electrical drive 36 is controlled and/or regulated such that with the generation of the electrical energy and when operating the electrical drive 36 a maximized efficiency of the pairing made up of the transfer vehicle 10 and tractor 16 may be achieved.

Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A transfer vehicle pulled by a towing vehicle and including a container and an unloading conveyor, with the container serving to receive bulk goods and the unloading conveyor being coupled to an interior of said container and serving to unload the bulk goods located in the container and a conveyor drive being coupled for driving said conveyor: the improvement comprising: said conveyor drive being an electrical drive by means of which the unloading conveyor is exclusively driven.

2. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said unloading conveyor comprises a conveying pipe containing a conveyor worm to which said electrical drive is coupled.

3. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive comprises one of an asynchronous motor or a synchronous motor.

4. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 3, wherein said motor is a stepless motor.

5. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive is reversible.

6. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes a measuring device for measuring the electrical current consumed by the electrical drive and for using the measured electrical current for deriving the torque at which the unloading conveyor is currently being driven.

7. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes a control device operable for maximizing an unloading rate of said conveyor.

8. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes a control device operable for maximizing the efficiency of the generation of electrical energy during the operation of said electrical drive.

9. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes an electric motor coupled to a downstream gear system defining one of a planetary gear system or a step-down gear system.

10. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes at least one frequency converter.

11. The transfer vehicle, as defined in claim 1, wherein said electrical drive includes at least one rectifier unit or one inverter unit.