Material handler with electronic load chart

• US 6,779,961 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Macdonald, Michael P., Troppman, G. Louis III, Barney, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Underwood, Donald W.
• Application Number:
  US10/013,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20030082041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 414/680, 414/685, 414/718, 414/728, 414/699, 212/278, 352/131, 352/132, 180/948, 180/41, 180/906, 340/705, 350/172
• US Class Current: 414/728
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 17/003 for fork-lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0655 with a telescopic boom
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/286 telescopic or slidable fork-lift trucks with a telescopic boom B66F9/0655

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a material handler that includes a frame, a telescoping boom, a boom extension sensor, a boom angle sensor, and a control system. The telescoping boom is coupled to the frame, pivotable between a lowered and a raised position, and movable between a retracted and an extended position. The boom extension sensor generates a first signal that corresponds to the distance which the boom is extended. The boom angle sensor generates a second signal that corresponds to the angle which the boom is pivoted. The control system receives the signals and displays a cursor located at a position that is based on the first signal and the second signal.

Claims

1. A material handler capable of lifting a load that has a load weight, the material handler comprising:

a frame configured for movement over the ground so as to transport the load;

a telescoping boom coupled to the frame, the telescoping boom being extendable between a retracted position and an extended position, and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position;

one of a first boom attachment and a second boom attachment coupled with the boom upper end and configured to support the load generally proximal to the upper end;

a boom extension sensor that generates a first signal corresponding to the distance the boom is extended;

a boom angle sensor that generates a second signal corresponding to the angle the boom is pivoted; and

a control system that displays a cursor located at a position that is based on the first signal and the second signal to indicate to the operator when the material handler is operating at a safe loading condition and displays a boundary that defines a first zone in which it is safe to operate the boom and a second zone in which it is unsafe to operate the boom, wherein the control system is configured to selectively display a first boundary for the first boom attachment and to alternatively display a second boundary for the second boom attachment.

2. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the control system receives the first and second signals.

3. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the distance that the telescoping boom is extended is measured relative to the retracted position.

4. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the angle that the telescoping boom is pivoted is measured relative to the lowered position.

5. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the control system includes a screen that displays the cursor.

6. The material handler of claim 5, wherein the location of the cursor on the screen is defined by a first dimension based on the first signal and a second dimension based on the second signal.

7. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the material handler is likely to tip over when the cursor is located within the second zone.

8. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the first boom attachment is one of a fork, a bucket, and a truss boom and the second boom attachment is another one of the fork, the bucket, and the truss boom.

9. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the control system includes a switch that selectively adjusts the boundary between the first boundary and the second boundary.

10. The material handler of claim 1, wherein the control system includes a keypad, the weight of the load being manually entered by an operator on the keypad to adjust the boundary for different load weights.

11. A material handler capable of lifting a load that has a load weight, the material handler comprising:

a frame supported for movement over the ground;

a telescoping boom coupled to the frame, the telescoping boom being extendable between a refracted position and an extended position, and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position, the telescoping boom including a boom attachment;

a boom extension sensor that generates a first signal corresponding to the distance the boom is extended;

a boom angle sensor that generates a second signal corresponding to the angle the boom is pivoted; and

a control system that receives the first and second signals, the control system including

a screen that displays a boundary that defines a first zone in which it is safe to operate the boom and a second zone in which it is unsafe to operate the boom and that displays a cursor located at a position that indicates to the operator when the material handler is operating at a safe loading condition, wherein the location of the cursor on the screen is defined by a first dimension based on the first signal and a second dimension based on the second signal,

a switch that selectively adjusts the boundary for different boom attachments, and

a keypad that selectively adjusts the boundary for different load weights.

12. A material handler capable of lifting a load that has a load weight, the material handler comprising:

a frame supported for movement over the ground;

a telescoping boom coupled to the frame, the telescoping boom being extendable between a retracted position and an extended position, and pivotable between a lowered position and a raised position, the telescoping boom including a boom attachment;

a boom extension sensor that generates a first signal corresponding to the distance the boom is extended;

a boom angle sensor that generates a second signal corresponding to the angle the boom is pivoted; and

a control system that displays a boundary that defines a first zone in which it is safe to operate the boom and a second zone in which it is unsafe to operate the boom and a cursor located at a position within the boundary that is based on the first signal and the second signal so as to indicate to the operator when the material handler is operating at a safe loading condition, the control system being adjustable to display the boundary for different boom attachments and having a switch that selectively adjusts the boundary for different boom attachments.