Load weight monitoring system for dump truck

• US 5,822,224 A
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimura, Hiroshi, Nakanishi, Hitoshi, Hasegawa, Nobuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, CRAIG S
• Application Number:
  US08/875,830
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 455/463, 455/500-73, 455/550, 455/566, 455/62-68, 177/25.19, 177/136, 364/567
• US Class Current: 702/174
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network

Abstract

The present invention enables a reliable radio communication between a plurality of dump trucks and loaders, improves operability, and can flexibly cope with movement of the dump truck during the loading operation. To this end, a loader selecting means (2) is provided for each dump truck, and a plurality of channels are provided for each dump truck controller (6) and each loader controller (35), the dump truck controller (6) inputs a loader selection signal from the loader selecting means (2), and selects, from a plurality of channels, a channel available for communicating with the loader controller (35) corresponding to the loader selection signal to transmit a load weight value, and the selected loader controller (35) receives the load weight value on the channel available for communications, and displays the received load weight value on a weight display means (32).

Claims

1. A load weight monitoring system for monitoring loading operations of a plurality of dump trucks and a plurality of loaders, said system comprising:

a plurality of dump truck controllers, each dump truck controller being for association with a respective one of the plurality of dump trucks;

a plurality of loader controllers, each loader controller being for association with a respective one of the plurality of loaders, each loader controller being available for communications by radio with an associated dump truck controller;

a plurality of weight detectors, each weight detector being for association with a respective loader to detect a load weight of an associated dump truck;

a plurality of weight display means, each weight display means being for association with a respective loader to display a detected load weight through an associated dump truck controller and an associated loader controller;

a plurality of loader selecting means, each loader selecting means being for association with a respective dump truck, for selecting from said plurality of loaders a particular loader to be associated with the respective dump truck; and

each said dump truck controller and each loader controller being provided with a plurality of channels;

wherein a dump truck controller inputs a loader selection signal from a loader selecting means, selects from a plurality of channels of that dump truck controller a channel available for communications between that dump truck controller and a loader controller corresponding to said loader selection signal, and transmits a load weight signal; and

wherein a selected particular loader controller receives said load weight signal on said channel available for communications between the selected particular loader controller and the associated dump truck controller, and displays the received load weight signal on an associated weight display means.

2. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of dump truck start permission input switches, each dump truck start permission input switch being associated with a respective loader controller;

a plurality of start permission reporting means, each start permission reporting means being associated with a respective dump truck controller;

wherein a loader controller, when inputting a dump truck start permission signal from a dump truck start permission input switch, transmits a dump truck start permission signal to an associated dump truck controller on the channel available for communications between the respective loader controller and the associated dump truck controller; and

wherein a dump truck controller, which has received a dump truck start permission signal, reports a start permission to an operator on that dump truck via the respective start permission reporting means.

3. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of radio communication prohibition switches, each radio communication prohibition switch being associated with a respective dump truck controller; and

wherein a dump truck controller prohibits transmission of an open request to an associated loader controller when a radio communication prohibition signal, inputted from an associated radio communication prohibition switch is set for communication prohibition, and transmits a load weight signal on said channel available for communications when said radio communication prohibition signal is not set for communication prohibition.

4. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of standby input switches, each standby input switch being associated with a respective loader controller; and

wherein a loader controller opens a radio communication link with an associated dump truck controller to receive a load weight signal on said channel available for communications when a standby signal, inputted from an associated standby input switch, is set at standby, and does not accept a request for opening said radio communication link from an associated dump truck controller when said standby signal is not set at standby.

5. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of communication anomaly reporting means, each communication anomaly reporting means being associated with at least one of a loader controller and an associated dump truck controller; and

wherein when a communication anomaly occurs, a controller, to which a communication anomaly reporting means is attached, reports said communication anomaly to an operator by an associated communication anomaly reporting means.

6. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of remaining weight display means and a plurality of link disconnect requesting means, each remaining weight display means and each link disconnect requesting means being associated with a respective dump truck controller; and

wherein each dump truck controller calculates a difference between a rated load weight value, stored in advance, and a respective load weight signal, displays the calculated difference on an associated remaining weight display means, and forcibly disconnects a radio link with an associated loader controller when inputting a link disconnect request signal from an associated link disconnect requesting means.

7. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 6, wherein each link disconnect requesting means comprises a travel distance detector for detecting a travel distance of an associated dump truck, and a link disconnect judging means for inputting a detected travel distance and for outputting a link disconnect request signal to an associated dump truck controller when said detected travel distance becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined value.

8. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of remaining weight display means, each remaining weight display means being attached to a respective loader controller; and

wherein said each loader controller calculates a difference between a rated load weight value, stored in advance in an associated dump truck controller, and said load weight signal, and displays the calculated difference on an associated remaining weight display means.

9. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of start permission input switches, each start permission input switch being attached to a respective loader controller; and

a plurality of start permission reporting means, each start permission reporting means being attached to a respective dump truck controller;

wherein a loader controller, when inputting a dump truck start permission signal from an associated start permission input switch, transmits a start permission signal to an associated dump truck controller on said channel available for communications; and

wherein a dump truck controller, which has received a start permission signal, reports a start permission to an operator by an associated start permission reporting means.

10. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of radio communication prohibition switches, each radio communication prohibition switch being attached to a respective dump truck controller; and

wherein a dump truck controller prohibits transmission of an open request to an associated loader controller when a radio communication prohibition signal, inputted from an associated radio communication prohibition switch, is set at communication prohibition, and transmits a load weight signal on said channel available for communications when said radio communication prohibition signal is not set at communication prohibition.

11. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of standby input switches, each standby input switch being attached to a respective loader controller; and

wherein a loader controller opens a radio communication link with an associated dump truck controller to receive said load weight signal on said channel available for communications when a standby signal inputted, from an associated standby input switch, is set at standby, and does not accept a request for opening said radio communication link from an associated dump truck controller when said standby signal is not set at standby.

12. A load weight monitoring system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of communication anomaly reporting means, each communication anomaly reporting means being attached to either of a loader controller and a dump truck controller; and

wherein, when a communication anomaly is judged, a controller, to which a communication anomaly reporting means is attached, reports the communication anomaly to an operator by an associated communication anomaly reporting means.

13. A load weight monitoring system for a dump truck, said system comprising:

a dump truck controller, provided for a dump truck;

a loader controller, provided for a loader and available for communicating by radio with said dump truck controller;

a weight detector, provided for said dump truck, to detect a load weight of said dump truck; and

a weight display means, provided for said loader, to display said load weight through said dump controller and said loader controller and for monitoring loading operations of said dump truck and said loader;

wherein said loader is provided with a start permission input switch;

wherein said loader controller, when inputting a dump truck start permission signal from said start permission input switch, transmits said start permission signal to said dump truck controller; and

wherein said dump truck controller forcibly disconnects a radio link with said loader controller when receiving said start permission signal from said loader controller.

14. A load weight monitor system for a dump truck, said system comprising:

a dump truck controller, provided for association with a dump truck;

a loader controller, provided for association with a loader and available for communicating by radio with said dump controller;

a weight detector, provided for association with said dump truck to detect a load weight of said dump truck;

a weight display means, provided for association with said loader, to display said load weight through said dump truck controller and said loader controller, and for monitoring loading operations of said dump truck and said loader;

a travel distance detector, provided for association with said dump truck, for detecting a travel distance of said dump truck; and

a link disconnect judging means for inputting said detected travel distance, wherein said link disconnect judging means outputs a link disconnect request signal to said dump truck controller when the detected travel distance, after the start of a loading operation, becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined value; and

wherein said dump truck controller, which has inputted said link disconnect request signal, forcibly disconnects a radio link with said loader controller.