Arrangement for improving the operational performance of cement mixing truck

• US 20070247964A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Frashure, Timothy, Tober, Michael, Amato, William, Ross, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,740,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/61
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/4206 Control apparatus; Drive systems, e.g. coupled to the vehicle drive-system
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/422 Controlling or measuring devices B28C5/4227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/4224 Roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/045 Levelling or stabilising systems for tippers suspensions with levelling or stabilising means for vehicles in general B60G17/00, B60G21/00, using ground-engaging vehicle fittings B60S9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/16 for carrying mixed concrete, e.g. having rotatable drums concrete-mixing apparatus specially adapted for being mounted on vehicles with provision for mixing during transport B28C5/42

Abstract

A system and method are provided for improving the operational performance of a moving cement mixer vehicle with a rotatable mixing drum by automatically stopping the rotation of the mixing drum at select moments. The system may include a sensor adapted to deliver a signal indicative of an operational parameter, such as steering angle of the vehicle, and a processing unit adapted to receive the signal from the sensor and deliver a control signal based on the signal for stopping rotation of the mixing drum.

Claims

1. A method for improving the operational performance of a moving cement mixer vehicle having a rotating mixing drum, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input data indicative of a steering angle;

comparing the input data to a threshold value for the steering angle;

determining if one or more trigger events are occurring, wherein at least one of the one or more trigger events corresponds to the input data indicative of a steering angle of the vehicle exceeding the threshold value for the steering angle; and

supplying a control signal for automatically stopping rotation of the mixing drum when the one or more trigger events are occurring.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of supplying a control signal for automatically stopping rotation of the mixing drum further comprises:

delivering the control signal to a mixing drum controller; and

communicating with a hydraulic system.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

diverting hydraulic fluid away from a mixing drum hydraulic motor in response to the control signal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining if the one or more trigger events are not occurring; and

supplying a control signal for automatically starting rotation of the mixing drum when the one or more trigger events have not occurred for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the predetermined amount of time is in the range of about 4 seconds to about 10 seconds.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving input data indicative of an operational parameter of the vehicle other than the steering angle of the vehicle; and

comparing the input data indicative of the operational parameter to a threshold value for the operational parameter;

wherein one of the one or more trigger events corresponds to the input data exceeding the threshold value for the operational parameter.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the operational parameter is vehicle lateral acceleration.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the operational parameter is vehicle speed.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the threshold value for the operational parameter is automatically adjusted based on the steering angle of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a turning direction of the vehicle; and

comparing the turning direction of the vehicle to a predetermined turning direction in which stopping the rotation of the mixing drum benefits rollover stability of the vehicle,

wherein the step of supplying a control signal for automatically stopping rotation of the mixing drum is dependent on the determined turning direction of the vehicle matching the predetermined turning direction.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold value for the steering angle is in the range of about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

predicting a future value for an operational parameter based on the steering angle of the vehicle; and

comparing the predicted future value for the operational parameter to a threshold value, wherein one of the one or more trigger events corresponds to the predicted future value exceeding the threshold value.

13. A method for improving the operational performance of a moving cement mixer vehicle having a rotating mixing drum, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that at least one trigger event is occurring on the vehicle, wherein the at least one trigger event includes at least one of;

an anti-lock braking event, an intervention by an automatic traction control system, and intervention by an electronic stability control system; and

supplying a control signal for automatically stopping rotation of the mixing drum if the at least one trigger event is occurring.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of supplying a control signal for automatically stopping rotation of the mixing drum further comprises the steps of:

sending the control signal to a mixing drum controller; and

diverting hydraulic fluid away from a mixing drum hydraulic motor.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

determining if the one or more trigger events are not occurring; and

supplying a control signal for automatically starting rotation of the mixing drum when the one or more trigger events are not occurring for a predetermined amount of time.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined amount of time is in the range of about 4 seconds to about 10 seconds.

17. A controller for improving the operational performance of a cement mixer vehicle having a rotatable mixing drum, the controller comprising:

an input for receiving data indicative of a steering angle of the vehicle;

a processing unit for analyzing the data received, the processing unit adapted to generate a control signal for controlling the rotation of the mixing drum based on the data received; and

an output for sending the control signal to a mixing drum controller.

18. The controller of claim 17 wherein the control signal is for stopping rotation of the mixing drum.

19. The controller of claim 17 wherein the control signal is for starting rotation of the mixing drum.

20. The controller of claim 17 wherein the mixing drum controller communicates with a hydraulic system for stopping rotation of the mixing drum in response to the control signal.

21. The controller of claim 17 further comprising an input for receiving a signal indicative of an operational parameter of the vehicle other than the steering angle of the vehicle, wherein the processing unit is further adapted to deliver the control signal to the mixing drum controller based on the signal.

22. The controller of claim 18 wherein the operational parameter is lateral acceleration.

23. The controller of claim 18 wherein the operational parameter is vehicle speed.

24. The controller of claim 17 wherein the processing unit is adapted to predict a future value of the operational parameter, wherein the processing unit is further adapted to generate the control signal based on the predicted value of the operational parameter exceeding the threshold value.

25. A controller for reducing the rollover risk of a moving cement mixer vehicle having a rotatable mixing drum, the arrangement comprising:

a means for receiving a signal indicative of a steering angle of the vehicle;

a processing means capable of determining if one or more trigger events are occurring, wherein at least one of the one or more trigger events corresponds to the steering angle of the vehicle exceeding a threshold value for steering angle;

a means for delivering a control signal to control the rotation of the mixing drum based on the one or more trigger events occurring.

26. The controller of claim 25 further comprising a means for generating a signal indicative of an operational parameter of the vehicle other than the steering angle of the vehicle.

27. The controller of claim 26 wherein the operational parameter of the vehicle is lateral acceleration.

28. A controller for improving the operational performance of a moving cement mixer vehicle having a rotatable mixing drum, the controller comprising:

an input for receiving a signal indicative of a first operational parameter of the vehicle;

a processor for predicting a future value for a second operational parameter that is a function of the first operational parameter, the processor adapted to compare the predicted future value of the second operational parameter to a threshold value; and

an output for delivering a signal to stop the rotation of the mixing drum if the predicted future value for the second operational parameter exceeds the stored threshold value.

29. The controller of claim 28 wherein the second operational parameter is lateral acceleration.

30. The controller of claim 28 wherein the first operational parameter is steering angle.