U.S. patent application number 13/919074 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-31 for road finisher with automatic engine controller.
The applicant listed for this patent is Joseph Vogele AG. Invention is credited to Martin Buschmann, Achim Eul, Tobias Noll, Ralf Weiser.
Application Number | 20130287495 13/919074 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41426223 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130287495 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Weiser; Ralf ; et
al. |
October 31, 2013 |
ROAD FINISHER WITH AUTOMATIC ENGINE CONTROLLER
Abstract
The invention relates to a self-propelling machine for
processing bituminous or concrete pavement material, in particular
a road finisher or a feeder. The machine comprises an internal
combustion engine as a primary drive source, a controller for the
engine, said controller receiving control signals, at least one
additional drive unit for functional and operational components of
the machine as well as at least one hydraulic circuit comprising a
hydraulic medium reservoir. The invention is characterized in that
the controller is configured for automatically causing starting
and/or stopping of the engine in response to receipt of at least
one specific control signal.
Inventors: |
Weiser; Ralf; (Ladenburg,
DE) ; Noll; Tobias; (Roschbach, DE) ;
Buschmann; Martin; (Neustadt, DE) ; Eul; Achim;
(Mannheim, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Joseph Vogele AG |
Ludwigshafen/Rhein |
|
DE |
|
|
Family ID: |
41426223 |
Appl. No.: |
13/919074 |
Filed: |
June 17, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12821970 |
Jun 23, 2010 |
8517628 |
|
|
13919074 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
404/84.05 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01C 19/48 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
404/84.05 |
International
Class: |
E01C 19/48 20060101
E01C019/48 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 26, 2009 |
EP |
09008415.3 |
Claims
1. A self-propelling machine for processing bituminous or concrete
pavement material, comprising an internal combustion engine as a
primary drive source for propelling the machine, a controller for
the engine, said controller receiving control signals, at least one
pump drive unit, hydraulic-motor drive unit or hydrostatic drive
unit for functional and operational components of the machine, and
at least one hydraulic circuit comprising a hydraulic medium
reservoir, wherein the self-propelling machine comprises a
localization and/or navigation system, which localization and/or
navigation system is configured for generating a control signal for
the controller, wherein the controller is configured for
automatically causing starting and/or stopping of the engine in
response to receipt of at least one specific control signal.
2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is
provided for generating a control signal.
3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is a
temperature sensor.
4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor
is configured for measuring the temperature of a screed of the road
finisher.
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the localization and/or
navigation system is infrared-transmitter, radio or
satellite-based.
8. (canceled)
9. A machine according to claim 1, including in combination with
the localization and/or navigation system, means are provided for
ascertaining the current distance to and/or an expected time of
arrival of some other road works vehicle.
10. A machine according to claim 9, wherein said means are
configured for generating a control signal for the controller.
11. A machine according to claim 1, including a starting device for
starting the engine in response to receipt of a respective control
signal.
12. A machine according to claim 11, including an energy store is
provided for supplying the starting device with energy also in the
deactivated condition of the engine.
13. A machine according to claim 12, wherein the energy store
comprises a battery.
14. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the self-propelling
machine is a road finisher or a feeder for a road finisher.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a self-propelling machine
for processing bituminous or concrete pavement material. The
self-propelling machine may be a road finisher.
[0002] Road finishers are known e.g. from the following
publications: DE 20 2007 003 326 U1, DE 20 2004 016 489 U1, DE 10
2004 002 658 A1, DE 299 23 118 U1, DE 299 20 556 U1, DE 299 15 875
U1, DE 296 12 035 U1, DE 296 12 034 U1 or DE 196 34 503 B4. Such
road finishers can be driven by a wheel-type running gear, as
described in DE 299 20 556 U1, or by a tracked running gear, as
described in DE 299 23 118 U1. They are normally provided with a
material bunker for accommodating the pavement mix which will form
the road surface. With the aid of conveying means, e.g. scraper
belts, the pavement mix is conveyed from the material bunker to the
area of the road finisher located at the rear when seen in the
direction of travel. In this rear area, the pavement mix supplied
is distributed across the whole laying width, normally by means of
a lateral distributor, e.g. an auger. Finally, the road finisher
also carries a so-called screed, which is arranged behind the
lateral distributor when seen in the direction of travel. It is
used for smoothing and compacting the paving material applied, and,
to this end, it may be provided with tampers, vibrating screed
plates and/or pressure bars, by way of example.
[0003] Road finishers are driven by means of an engine, which is
normally an internal combustion engine. In most cases, diesel
engines are used. In addition to the driving power, the engine also
provides power for operating a generator by means of which current
is generated for operating a large number of components of the
finisher. The current can, for example, be used for operating the
lighting, the control, pumps for hydraulic components and, in
particular, electric heating units. Such heating units are normally
provided at all the components which come into contact with the
pavement mix so as to prevent the latter from cooling down and
solidifying on the components of the road finisher. Electric
heating elements are especially provided on the screed, since this
is the location of the road finisher where the strongest decrease
in the temperature of the pavement mix has already occurred.
[0004] Due to its weight and the large number of driven components,
and also due to the necessity of operating the heating elements,
the amount of fuel consumed by a road finisher is comparatively
large. In view of the rising energy prices, there is a significant
rise in the contribution of the energy costs to the total
operational costs of a road finisher. A 10 to 20% reduction of the
amount of fuel consumed would already save, per year, several
thousand liters of the fuel required for operating a road finisher.
This would not only be beneficial to the environment but it would
also reduce the operational costs of a road finisher to a
significant extent.
[0005] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
reduce the amount of fuel consumed by a road finisher with the aid
of means having the simplest possible structural design.
[0006] According to the present invention, this object is achieved
by a self-propelling machine, e.g. a road finisher for processing
bituminous or concrete pavement material including an internal
combustion engine as a primary drive source, a controller for the
engine, the controller receiving control signals, at least one pump
drive unit, hydraulic-motor drive unit or hydrostatic drive unit
for functional and operational components of the machine, and at
least one hydraulic circuit comprising a hydraulic medium
reservoir. Advantageous further developments of the invention are
also disclosed below.
[0007] According to the present invention, the controller of the
road finisher is configured for automatically causing starting
and/or stopping of the engine in response to receipt of at least
one specific control signal. According to the present invention,
the controller of the road finisher is thus provided with an
automatic start device, an automatic stop device or even an
automatic start/stop device. This allows the engine to be stopped
when specific operating conditions of the road finisher occur
and/or it allows the engine to be restarted when other specific
operating conditions occur. The fact that the engine is stopped
during specific operating phases leads to a substantial reduction
in the overall amount of fuel consumed. The automatic starting
and/or stopping of the engine offers two additional advantages in
comparison with manual starting or stopping: on the one hand, the
operating phases allowing a deactivation of the engine are utilized
in the best possible manner for accomplishing also a maximum
reduction in the amount of fuel consumed. On the other hand, it is
not necessary that the operator of the road finisher constantly
checks the operating conditions allowing a deactivation of the
engine. It follows that the handling of the road finisher will not
be impaired in comparison with conventional road finishers.
[0008] According to a preferred embodiment, the road finisher is
provided with a pushbutton for generating a start-control signal
and a stop-control signal, so as to allow the road finisher to be
operated in a conventional way. In addition, it is provided with at
least one sensor for generating a control signal. This allows an
automatic recognition of specific operating conditions of the road
finisher, and the subsequent automatic starting and/or stopping of
the engine. It is not necessary that the sensor itself is directly
configured for generating a control signal, but it may also be
configured such that it only transmits a measured variable to an
evaluation circuit or an evaluation logic unit, which, in turn,
generates the control signal for the engine controller.
[0009] It will be expedient when the sensor is a temperature
sensor. This means that, depending on the temperature of specific
components of the road finisher, the engine can be started and/or
stopped. This is of interest especially for operating conditions in
which the engine power is used exclusively or almost exclusively
for the purpose of heating specific components of the road
finisher. When it is recognized in such an operating condition that
further heating is not necessary, the engine can be stopped
according to the present invention. It is thus possible to save a
substantial amount of fuel in comparison with the conventional
deactivation of only the heating elements and the continued
operation of the engine at the idling speed.
[0010] Such a temperature sensor may in particular be configured
for measuring the temperature of a screed of the road finisher, or
of a part of said screed (e.g. a basic screed, an extendible
screed, etc.). Most of the heating power of the road finisher is
normally required for the screed. It is, however, not necessary to
heat the screed continuously, but heating is only required if the
screed temperature dropped below a predetermined threshold. In
conventional road finishers only the heating elements were
deactivated, whereas the diesel engine continued to operate, as
soon as a higher temperature threshold was exceeded. Making use of
the present invention, it is now possible that the temperature
sensor of the screed transmits a control signal (where appropriate,
via a suitable evaluation circuit), in response to receipt of which
the controller will cause a deactivation of the engine. Only when
the temperature of the screed drops below a predetermined
threshold, the engine will automatically be restarted so as to
drive the generator and provide thus the electric power for
operating the electric heating elements.
[0011] According to one variant of the present invention, a timer
is provided for generating a control signal for the engine
controller. Making use of this timer, it is possible to
automatically start and/or stop the road finisher when
predetermined time intervals have expired after specific
events.
[0012] According to an extremely advantageous variant of the
present invention, the road finisher comprises a localization
and/or navigation system. This localization and/or navigation
system can improve the operation of the road finisher in many ways.
When the localization measurement is carried out with adequate
precision, said localization and/or navigation system may perhaps
allow a fully automatic operation of the road finisher.
[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the localization and/or
navigation system is so conceived that it is infrared-transmitter-,
radio- or satellite-based. All these variants allow a precise,
wireless localization and navigation of the road finisher.
[0014] It will be particularly advantageous when the localization
and/or navigation system is configured for generating a control
signal for the controller. In this way, the localization and/or
navigation system of the road finisher according to the present
invention will not only be able to allow localization and
orientation of the road finisher, but it will also be able to
cause, through the controller, starting and/or stopping of the
engine, when specific operating conditions and ambient conditions
exist.
[0015] The localization and/or navigation system may, for example,
communicate with means for ascertaining the current distance to
and/or an expected time of arrival of some other road works
vehicle. This other road works vehicle may e.g. be a truck
delivering pavement mix which is to be fed to the road finisher.
When the road finisher and the other road works vehicle are each
provided with a suitable, compatible localization and/or navigation
system, the controller of the road finisher will be able to query
the current position of the other road works vehicle and calculate
from the current distance the expected time of arrival of the
approaching road works vehicle. When the engine controller is
additionally provided with a clock or a timer, the engine of the
road finisher can be started at a suitable moment, so that the
screed and the other heated components of the road finisher will
have reached the necessary operating temperature precisely when the
other road works vehicle arrives. Prior to the heating phase, which
is rendered as short as possible in this way, the engine of the
road finisher according to the present invention can remain
deactivated and substantial amounts of fuel can be saved in this
way. Against this background, it will be expedient when the means
for ascertaining the current distance to and/or an expected time of
arrival of some other road works vehicle is configured for
generating a control signal for the engine controller.
[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the road finisher
according to the present invention comprises a starting device for
starting the engine in response to receipt of a respective control
signal, said starting device being e.g. a starter motor, an
engine-generator unit (whereby it will no longer be necessary to
use a starter motor and a dynamo), a hydraulic starter making use
of an accumulator or the like. In this way, the engine controller
can start the engine automatically by transmitting the control
signal to the starting device.
[0017] In this respect, it will be advantageous when a battery is
additionally provided so as to be able to supply the starting
device with energy also in the deactivated condition of the
engine.
[0018] In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the present
invention will be described in more detail making reference to a
drawing.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a road finisher 1 according to
the present invention as an example of a self-propelling machine
according to the invention.
[0020] The road finisher 1 is provided with a chassis 2 having
arranged thereon the control station 3 of the road finisher 1. The
road finisher 1 is movable by means of a running gear 4, which is
in the present case a wheel-type running gear 4 with wheels 5. The
running gear 4 is driven by means of a diesel engine 6 mounted on
the chassis 2 and connected to a generator (not shown) so as to
produce electric voltage.
[0021] The road finisher 1 additionally comprises a material bunker
7 for accommodating pavement mix, a conveying device (not shown)
for conveying the pavement mix from the material bunker 7,
underneath the control station 3, to the rear area of the road
finisher, and a lateral distributor 8, e.g. an auger, for
distributing the pavement mix across the whole laying width in a
direction at right angles to the direction of travel of the road
finisher 1. The screed 10 is supported on the road finisher 1 on a
beam 9 which is adapted to be hydraulically pivoted up and down. It
is used for compacting and smoothing the pavement mix
discharged.
[0022] The road finisher 1 is additionally provided with at least
one pump, hydraulic-motor or hydrostatic drive unit (not shown) for
functional and operational components of the machine, and with at
least one hydraulic circuit comprising a hydraulic medium
reservoir.
[0023] The road finisher 1 additionally comprises a controller 11
which is configured for automatically causing starting and/or
stopping of the engine 6 in response to receipt of at least one
control signal. For starting the engine 6, a starting device 12,
e.g. a starter motor, is provided, which is supplied with electric
power via a an energy store, e.g. a battery 13, independently of
the operating condition of the diesel engine 6 and of the generator
(not shown). The energy store, e.g. the battery 13, can be charged
when the generator is in operation.
[0024] Alternatively, the starting device 12 could be a
motor-generator unit or a hydraulic starter comprising an
accumulator as an energy store.
[0025] The controller 11 communicates with a temperature sensor 14
on the screed 10 in a wireless or wire-bound fashion. The
temperature sensor 14 measures the temperature of the screed 10. It
can transmit a control signal to the controller 11, if the
temperature of the screed should exceed or fall below predetermined
temperature thresholds.
[0026] The engine controller 11 is additionally provided with a
localization and navigation system 15. This localization and
navigation system 15 is satellite-based (e.g. via GPS) and serves
to identify the current position of the road finisher 1. In the
present case, it is also configured for communication with a
compatible localization and navigation system of some other road
works vehicle, e.g. a truck for delivering the pavement mix. The
localization and navigation system 15 of the road finisher 1 is
able to ascertain the current position of and the distance to the
other road works vehicle and, by means of suitable processes, it is
able to calculate the expected time of arrival of the other road
works vehicle at the road finisher 1. This calculation of the
expected time of arrival can be executed in the controller 11.
[0027] Operation of the road finisher 1 according to the present
invention can take place as described in the following.
[0028] In a stand-by mode, the road finisher 1 is stationary at
some site and waits for the pavement mix and/or for a signal that
the laying operation should begin. In order to be able to start the
laying operation as soon as possible, all the heated parts, in
particular the screed 10, are maintained at the temperature
required for pavement laying by operating the heating elements
provided for this purpose. As soon as the temperature sensor 14
provided on the screed 10 (or a further temperature sensor provided
on other heated components of the road finisher 1) recognizes that
a predetermined temperature threshold, which makes further heating
superfluous, has been exceeded, the sensor 14 will report this
through a respective control signal to the engine controller 11.
The engine controller 11 will then take care that the diesel engine
6 is stopped, since the power of the latter is neither required as
a driving power for propelling the road finisher nor is it required
for operating the heating elements.
[0029] The temperature of the screed 10 will then decrease slowly.
When the temperature sensor 14 recognizes that the temperature has
fallen below a predetermined threshold, it will report this to the
engine controller 11 through another control signal. The engine
controller 11 will then cause automatic starting of the engine 6 by
means of the starting device 12, e.g. the starter motor, so that
the engine 6 can operate the generator and provide thus the
electric power for the heating elements. The automatic starting and
stopping of the engine 6 during the cooling phases of the screed 10
will save a substantial amount of fuel.
[0030] In another situation, the road finisher 1 waits for the
arrival of a truck carrying the pavement mix. In this condition,
the diesel engine 6 remains deactivated so that no fuel will be
consumed. The laying operation should, however, begin as
immediately as possible after delivery of the pavement mix.
[0031] By means of the localization and navigation system 15, the
road finisher 1 is able to identify the current position of the
approaching truck so as to determine therefrom the expected time of
arrival of the pavement mix. The controller 11 has stored therein
information indicating how much time will be necessary for heating
the screed 10 to its operating temperature. This enables the
controller 11 to start the diesel engine 6 at a suitable moment so
that the necessary operating temperature will precisely be reached
when the truck arrives. Unnecessarily long heating phases are
avoided in this way, and it is also possible to start the laying
operation immediately after receipt of the pavement mix.
[0032] Taking as a basis the embodiment shown, the road finisher 1
according to the present invention can be modified in many ways.
For example, additional sensors may be provided for monitoring
specific operating conditions of various components of the road
finisher 1, which make it appear advisable to start and/or stop the
engine 6.
* * * * *