Managing system for construction vehicles

• US 5,250,761 A
• Filed: 03/31/1992
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho
• Inventors: Koyanagi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/842,389
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 177/141, 177/25.14
• US Class Current: 177/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/005 Solid-state data loggers
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 wherein the data carrier is removable

Abstract

A managing system for a construction vehicle which has for its object to enable management of the vehicle relating to pre-operation checking, maintenance and summary of work load, etc to be conducted easily and quickly. This managing system comprises a vehicle control monitor (7) for inputting and recording information necessary for management of the vehicle from a plurality of information sources, a non-contact type recording card (27) for recording the information recorded in the vehicle control monitor (7), a card reader/writer (40) for reading out the information recorded in the recording card (27), and a printer (42) and a personal computer (43) for compiling management ledgers and displaying data on the basis of the information read out by the card reader/writer.

Claims

1. A managing system for a construction vehicle having front and rear wheels for which hydro-pneumatic suspension cylinders are provided, comprising:

a set of sensors including sensors operably attached to a brake fluid meter, an engine oil meter, a hydraulic fluid meter, a transmission oil meter, a retarder fluid meter, a radiator water level gauge and a battery liquid meter, respectively;

a vehicle travelling speed sensor unit for detecting a travelling speed, a highest and lowest vehicle travelling speeds and a distance travelled;

a vehicle control monitor, including;

means for computing the weight of load according to respective pressures applied to the hydro-pneumatic suspension cylinders;

means for recording an unloading time, the weight of load and the kind of load according to a combination of a vessel raising/lowering signal and a signal of a kind of load inputted by means of ten-key;

means for computing fuel consumption per unit time according to a flow rate of fuel in a fuel supply line f an engine;

means for computing the vehicle travelling speed, the highest and the lowest vehicle travelling speeds and the distance travelled according to an output signal from said vehicle travelling speed sensor unit;

means for recording the results of a pre-operation check of the vehicle according to output signals from said sensors attached to the brake fluid meter, the engine oil meter, the hydraulic operating fluid meter, the transmission oil meter, the retarder fluid meter, the radiator water level gauge and the battery liquid meter, respectively;

means for recording working hours measured by a built-in timer; and

means for recording vehicle maintenance and descriptive data;

a non-contact type recording card for recording the information recorded in said vehicle control monitor;

means for reading out the information recorded in said recording card; and

means for compiling a management ledger on the basis of the information read out from said recording card.

2. A managing system for a construction vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said vehicle control monitor further includes an input interface through which information signals are inputted;

an arithmetic circuit for, performing the calculations of said calculating means; and

a display unit for displaying the results of said calculating and recording means.

3. A managing system for a construction vehicle as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said vehicle control monitor comprises a non-contact type I.D. tag having a non-volatile memory for recording said maintenance and descriptive data of the vehicle, said data including the date of manufacture of the vehicle, a vehicle identification number, places of past failure and damage, content of repairs in the past, and principal items of auxiliary equipment mounted on the vehicle, the data being recorded by making use of a reader/writer, wherein the data recorded in the memory of the I.D. tag can be read and displayed by making use of the reader/writer.

4. A managing system for a construction vehicle as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that said reader/writer includes a memory for recording relevant information;

a CPU for computing and checking the information;

a display unit for displaying the results of computation and checking made by the CPU through an interface;

a serial-parallel conversion circuit;

an encoder, a decoder, a power supply circuit;

a modulation/demodulation circuit;

an antenna for power supply;

an antenna for reading; and

an antenna for writing.

5. A managing system for a construction vehicle as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said reader/writer includes a data transmission port which can be connected with a printer or a personal computer so that necessary data can be printed out.

6. A managing system for a construction vehicle as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that said I.D. tag includes a memory for recording management information through the intermediary of said reader/writer;

an encoder;

a decoder;

an antenna for power supply connected with a power supply circuit;

an antenna for reading connected with a modulation/demodulation circuit, and an antenna for writing.

7. A managing system for a construction vehicle having front and rear wheels for which hydro-pneumatic suspension cylinders are provided, comprising:

pressure sensor means for detecting respective pressures in the hydro-pneumatic suspension cylinders;

a set of sensors including sensors operably attached to a brake fluid meter, an engine oil meter, a hydraulic operating fluid meter, a transmission oil meter, a retarder fluid meter, a radiator water level gauge and a battery liquid meter, respectively;

a fuel flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of fuel in a fuel supply line of an engine of the vehicle;

a vehicle travelling speed sensor unit;

a vehicle control monitor, including;

means for calculating and recording a weight of load according to an output signal from said pressure sensor means;

means for recording a result of a pre-operation check of the vehicle according to output signals from said sensors attached to the brake fluid meter, the engine oil meter, the hydraulic operating fluid meter, the transmission oil meter, the retarder fluid meter, the radiator water level gauge and the battery liquid meter, respectively;

means for calculating and recording fuel consumption per unit time according to an output signal from said fuel flow rate sensor;

means for calculating and recording the vehicle travelling speed, the highest and lowest vehicle travelling speeds and the distance travelled according to an output signal from said vehicle travelling speed sensor unit;

means for recording vehicle maintenance and descriptive data;

a non-contact type recording card means for recording the information recorded in said vehicle control monitor;

means for reading the information recorded in said recording card means; and

means for compiling a management ledger on the basis of the information read from said recording card means.