Refuse vehicle control system and method

• US 20030130765A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
• Inventors: Pillar, Duane R., Woolman, William M., Bice, Randall L., Dantzman, Gregory P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,072,745 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0315 using multiplexing techniques multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/0256 Means for vibrating or shaking the containers for facilitating emptying
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 2003/0279 the discharging means mounted at the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/043 with additional means for keeping the receptacle substantially vertical during raising
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/045 Four-bar linkages
• CPC Class Codes: B65F 3/046 with additional means for assisting the tipping of the receptacle after or during raising
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4097 characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM G05B19/4093 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/10 Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage, e.g. segregated refuse collecting, electric or hybrid propulsion

Abstract

A refuse vehicle is disclosed comprising a refuse loader capable of moving a load of refuse along a path and into the refuse vehicle and an electronic control system capable of controlling the refuse loader. The refuse loader controlled by the electronic control system is capable of moving the load along the path and performing an operation in relation to a position along the path.

Claims

1. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader capable of moving a load of refuse along a path and into the refuse vehicle;

an electronic control system capable of controlling the refuse loader; and

wherein the refuse loader controlled by the electronic control system is capable of moving the load along the path and performing an operation in relation to a position along the path.

2. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operation includes maintaining the load in a substantially horizontal position as the load moves between two positions along the path.

3. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operation includes shaking the load at an unload position along the path.

4. The refuse vehicle of claim 3, wherein the load is shaken a preset number of times.

5. The refuse vehicle of claim 4, wherein an operator inputs the number of times to shake the load.

6. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein the operation includes slowing the movement of the refuse loader as it nears the position along the path.

7. The refuse vehicle of claim 6, wherein the position along the path corresponds to a mechanical stop.

8. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein the refuse loader controlled by the electronic control system is also capable of moving the load along the path and performing an operation in relation to a position along the path in response to a single operator input.

9. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, further comprising position sensors capable of determining the position of the refuse loader.

10. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein an operator inputs the position along the path.

11. The refuse vehicle of claim 10, wherein the position is stored in memory.

12. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a graphical interface capable of displaying the refuse loader'"'"'s position as it moves along the path.

13. The refuse vehicle of claim 12, wherein the graphical interface displays the refuse loader'"'"'s position using numerical percentages or by displaying a graphical representation of the refuse loader.

14. The refuse vehicle of claim 13, further comprising arms and forks, wherein the graphical interface displays the position of the arms or forks.

15. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, wherein the load is a refuse receptacle.

16. The refuse vehicle of claim 1, further comprising arms and forks.

17. The refuse vehicle of claim 16, further comprising position sensors capable of determining the position of the arms or the forks.

18. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader, the refuse loader being capable of moving a load along a path and into the refuse vehicle; and

an electronic control system capable of controlling movement of the refuse loader along the path;

wherein the refuse loader controlled by electronic control system is capable of;

(a) moving the load along the path and performing an operation in relation to a position along the path; and

(b) repeating step (a) using substantially the same operation and substantially the same position.

19. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader comprising

arms movably mounted to a frame and vehicle body combination;

forks movably mounted to the arms, the forks being capable of receiving a load;

wherein the refuse loader is capable of moving a load along a path and into the refuse vehicle;

an electronic control system comprising

a plurality of actuators, the plurality of actuators being capable of adjusting the position of the refuse loader;

wherein the electronic control system controls the refuse loader as the refuse loader moves the load along the path and into the refuse vehicle, the electronic control system being capable of controlling the refuse loader to perform an operation in relation to a position along the path;

20. A refuse vehicle comprising:

(A) a refuse loader comprising

(1) arms movably mounted to a frame and vehicle body combination;

(2) forks movably mounted to the arms, the forks being capable of receiving a load;

(B) a power distribution and control system, the power distribution and control system further including

(1) a power source;

(2) a power transmission link;

(3) a plurality of output devices, the plurality of output devices including a plurality of actuators capable of adjusting the position of the refuse loader;

(4) a plurality of input devices, the plurality of input devices including a plurality of position indicators capable of providing position information pertaining to the position of the arms or forks;

(5) a communication network, and

(6) a plurality of microprocessor-based interface modules, the plurality of interface modules being coupled to the power source by way of the power transmission link, the plurality of interface modules being interconnected to each other by way of the communication network, and the plurality of interface modules being coupled to the plurality of input devices and to the plurality of output devices by way of respective dedicated communications links, and the plurality of interface modules including an interface module that is coupled to at least some of the plurality of position sensors and at least some of the plurality of actuators;

wherein the plurality of interface modules, the plurality of input devices, and the plurality of output devices are distributed throughout the refuse vehicle; and

wherein each respective interface module is locally disposed with respect to the respective input and output devices to which the respective interface module is coupled so as to permit distributed data collection from the plurality of input devices and distributed power distribution to the plurality of output devices.

21. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader;

a hopper including a door; and

an electronic control system capable of controlling the refuse loader;

wherein the electronic control system is capable of preventing the refuse loader from moving a load into the hopper if the door is not in an open position.

22. The refuse vehicle of claim 21, wherein the electronic control system prevents the refuse loader from moving in the direction of the hopper if the refuse loader is beyond a position along a path, the path being the path traveled by the refuse loader during the process of moving the load into the hopper.

23. The refuse vehicle of claim 22, wherein the position is set by the manufacturer.

24. The refuse vehicle of claim 22, wherein the position is located on a portion of the path between a halfway position and an end position near the hopper.

25. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader;

a hopper;

a packer; and

an electronic control system capable of controlling the refuse loader;

wherein the electronic control system is capable of preventing the refuse loader from moving a load into the hopper if the packer is not at a home position.

26. A refuse vehicle comprising:

a refuse loader;

a refuse container capable of being raised; and

an electronic control system capable of controlling the refuse loader;

wherein the electronic control system is capable of preventing the refuse loader from moving if the refuse container is in a raised position.

27. The refuse vehicle of claim 26, wherein the electronic control system is capable of controlling the refuse container and is capable of preventing the refuse container from being raised if the refuse loader is not in a stowed position.

28. A method of operating a refuse vehicle comprising:

moving a load of refuse along a path and into the refuse vehicle, the moving step being controlled by an electronic control system, the moving step including performing an operation in relation to a position along the path.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the operation includes maintaining the load in a substantially horizontal position as the load moves between two positions along the path.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the operation includes shaking the load at an unload position along the path.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the load is shaken a preset number of times.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein an operator inputs the number of times to shake the load.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the moving step is performed in response to a single operator input.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein an operator inputs the position along the path.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the position is stored in memory.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the load is a refuse receptacle.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the refuse vehicle further comprises arms and forks.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the refuse vehicle includes position sensors capable of determining the position of the arms or the forks.

39. The method of claim 28, wherein the moving step is performed by a refuse loader.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the refuse vehicle includes position sensors capable of determining the position of the refuse loader.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the operation includes slowing the movement of the refuse loader as it nears the position along the path.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the position along the path corresponds to a mechanical stop.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the refuse vehicle includes a graphical interface capable of displaying the refuse loader'"'"'s position as it moves along the path.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the graphical interface displays the refuse loader'"'"'s position using numerical percentages or by displaying a graphical representation of the refuse loader.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the refuse loader is controlled by the electronic control system while moving a load.

46. A method of controlling a refuse vehicle having an electronic control system comprising:

moving a load of refuse along a path and into the refuse vehicle, the moving step being controlled by the electronic control system, the moving step including performing an operation in relation to a position along the path.

repeating the moving step including performing the same operation at the same position along the path.