SIDE BROOM HAVING MEMORY RECALL AND METHOD FOR PERFORMING THE SAME

• US 20100011523A1
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Inventors: Salapatek, Brian Patrick, Larkowski, Stephen James
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/78
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/053 having vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 1/0845 with mechanical loosening or feeding instruments for the dirt to be sucked- up, e.g. brushes, scrapers brushing installations per se E01H1/02; other loosening devices per se E01H1/105

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to debris collection devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a debris collection vehicle utilizing a side broom having memory recall functionality.

Claims

1. A debris collection vehicle having a chassis and a cab comprising:

a broom linkage assembly connected to the chassis, the broom linkage assembly enabling a broom tilt, position, and rotation;

a broom connected to the broom linkage assembly for cleaning a cleaning surface; and

a broom controller configured to control the broom linkage, the broom controller including a memory for storing a current broom tilt, position, and rotation and recalling stored broom tilt, position, and rotation;

whereby the broom controller can store a current broom tilt, position, and rotation and later recall that broom tilt, position, and rotation to redeploy the broom to a previously stored position.

3. The debris collection vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a tilt actuator positioned on the side broom being configured to actuate the side broom between a tilted position and a non-tilted position.

4. The debris collection vehicle of claim 3, wherein the tilt actuator can actuate a side broom tilt in any orientation with respect to a stationary axis.

5. The debris collection vehicle of claim 3, wherein the side broom tilt is measured by a side broom tilt angle, the side broom tilt angle measured with respect to a set of orthonormal axis.

6. The debris collection vehicle of claim 5, wherein the side broom tilt has a full range of motion ranging from zero degrees to twenty degrees.

2. A debris collection vehicle wherein the broom controller includes a tilt sensor and a tilt actuator to determine a tilt of the broom

7. A tilt controller positioned on a debris collection device, the tilt controller having a hardware and a software component configured to control a side broom tilt, a side broom positioning, and a side broom rotation, wherein the tilt controller can recall the side broom positioning and the side broom tilt for automatic displacement of the side broom, the tilt controller comprising:

a memory element to store a side broom tilt angle and a side broom positioning; and

a memory recall module to automatically position the side broom tilt and side broom positioning, the memory recall module obtaining the side broom tilt angle and the side broom positioning from the memory element.

8. The tilt controller of claim 7, wherein the tilt controller updates an operator display to display the side broom tilt angle.

9. The tilt controller of claim 7, wherein the tilt controller receives an operator input via a central console to manually control the side broom tilt angle.

10. The tilt controller of claim 7, wherein the tilt controller receives an operator input via a central console to manually control the side broom positioning.

11. A method of automatically deploying a side broom positioned on a debris collection vehicle having a chassis and a cab, wherein a tilt controller is configured to actuate the side broom to a known side broom positioning and a known side broom tilt, the method comprising:

recalling a previously stored side broom tilt angle and a side broom 3-dimensional coordinate from a memory element;

deploying the side broom to the 3-dimensional coordinate via a broom linkage connected to the chassis; and

actuating the side broom to the side broom tilt angle via a tilt actuator positioned on the side broom.

12. The method of claim 12, wherein a central console is located within the cab for operating the tilt controller.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the side broom tilt has a full range of motion ranging from zero degrees to twenty degrees.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the tilt controller updates an operator display to display the side broom tilt angle.