VEHICLE FOR DISPLACING FEED

• US 20130073137A1
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Original Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Inventors: VAN DEN BERG, Karel, VAN KUILENBURG, Jan Martinus, DE ROOIJ, Werner Hendrikus Johannes Adrianus, VAN PAASSEN, Nicolaas Johannes Wilhelmus
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/105 Movable feed barriers, slides or fences
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0266 with stable trolleys, e.g. suspended
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93

Abstract

The invention provides an autonomous vehicle for displacing feed laterally, comprising a frame having two separately drivable rear wheels and a front supporting point, and a feed displacer in the form of an annular element which is freely rotatable and has a radius r, said element forming the outer circumference of the vehicle. In order to enhance the control stability, the rear wheels are situated at a distance of less than a radius from the geometric centre of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An unmanned autonomous vehicle for displacing feed lying on a floor substantially laterally with respect to a direction of operative travel, the unmanned autonomous vehicle comprising:

a frame having at least three supporting points, comprising a front supporting point and two wheels separately drivable by separate motors and each having a wheel axle,

a control unit for steering and moving the vehicle, and

feed displacer for displacing feed substantially laterally, comprising an annular element which is freely rotatable around the frame and has a radius, the outer circumference of said element constituting the outer circumference of the vehicle,

wherein a centre of gravity of the vehicle, viewed in the direction of operative travel, is situated between the front supporting point and the wheels,

wherein, viewed perpendicularly to the direction of operative travel and in side view, a distance between each of the wheel axles and a perpendicular line through a geometric centre of the feed displacer amounts to less than one third of said radius.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said distance amounts to at most approximately one tenth of the radius.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wheels, viewed in the direction of operative travel, are situated behind the geometric centre.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front supporting point comprises a sliding shoe, a ball, or a third wheel.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the front supporting point comprises a swivel wheel.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the front supporting point, viewed perpendicularly to the direction of operative travel and in side view, is situated at a distance of at least half the radius from said perpendicular line.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is connected for exchanging data to at least one of:

a distance determining mechanism, an orientation determining mechanism, a torque difference determining mechanism and a drive mechanism of the wheels.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, during operation, the vehicle will maintain a distance determined by the distance determining mechanism to a feed fence, which distance is greater than or equal to a pre-set minimum distance to the feed fence.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the pre-set distance is adjustable during operation.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the distance determining mechanism is an ultrasonic sensor.

11. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein during operation the centre line of the vehicle will maintain an orientation determined by the orientation determining mechanism relative to the feed fence, which orientation is at least almost equal to a pre-set orientation.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the pre-set orientation is adjustable during operation.

13. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, during operation the wheels of the vehicle will show a torque difference determined by the torque difference determining mechanism, which torque difference is smaller than or equal to a pre-set maximum torque.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the pre-set maximum torque is adjustable during operation.

15. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the unmanned vehicle is further provided with an external protective covering that is provided with at least one of the distance determining mechanism, the orientation determining mechanism, the torque difference determining mechanism.

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the unmanned vehicle is at least partially open.

17. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein the feed displacer comprises an obliquely disposed slide or a conveyor belt.

18. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the feed displacer comprises a ring or a disc.

19. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the circular element is tilted at an angle a that it is located closest to the floor, at least substantially in the direction of operative travel of the vehicle.

20. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the feed displacer, when viewed in a top view, forms a circle or an ellipse.