Vector neutral truck

• US 6,783,187 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael S. Parsons
• Original Assignee: Michael S. Parsons
• Inventors: Parsons, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENEVERT, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US10/628,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20040080206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 298/7, 298/17.5, 298/17.6, 298/22.R, 296/190.08, 340/435, 340/436, 340/437, 340/438, 340/903, 340/937, 701/1, 701/23, 701/28, 701/36, 348/113, 348/114, 348/115, 348/116, 348/117, 348/118, 348/119, 348/120, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/159, 348/169
• US Class Current: 298/22.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/016 characterised by their responsiveness, when the vehicle is travelling, to specific motion, a specific condition, or driver input B60G17/017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0165 to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/026 Heavy duty trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/60 Load
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/824 Travel path sensing; Track monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/142 Visual Display Camera, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2600/1875 Other parameter or state estimation methods not involving the mathematical modelling of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/22 Braking, stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/226 automatically, based on stopping at a preset or target point position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/24 Steering, cornering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/91 Suspension Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/92 ABS - Brake Control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/965 Automatic or driver-independent manoeuvre, e.g. for obstacle avoidance or roll-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/28 Tipping body constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/026 characterised by comprising more than one bogie, e.g. situated in more than one plane transversal to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/04 with more than one wheel

Abstract

A self-propelled vehicle includes a main frame which has a main-frame longitudinal axis. First and second powered wheel/suspension assemblies are connected to the main frame near respective first and second ends of the main frame. A steering system includes a hand-held steering controller, in an operator'"'"'s cab, which turns the first and second wheel/suspension assemblies simultaneously and in opposite directions. A dump box and hydraulic dump box hoist mechanism are supported by the main frame. The operator'"'"'s cab is supported along a transverse cab axis, perpendicular to the main-frame longitudinal axis, at a fixed longitudinal position along the main frame. A television-based pathway monitoring system includes a camera cluster and multiple viewing screens in the operator'"'"'s cab. The multiple viewing screens are positioned in the operator'"'"'s cab such that an operator need not change one'"'"'s directional orientation when the vehicle moves in opposite directions.

Claims

1. A self-propelled vehicle, comprising:

a main frame which includes a main-frame longitudinal axis,

a first wheel/suspension assembly connected to said main frame near a first end of said main frame,

a second wheel/suspension assembly connected to said main frame near a second end of said main frame,

a power plant supported by said main frame,

a power transmission means connected to said power plant for transmitting power from said power plant to said first wheel/suspension assembly or to said second wheel/suspension assembly,

a steering system connected to said first wheel/suspension assembly and said second wheel/suspension assembly, wherein said steering system includes a steering controller which turns said first wheel/suspension assembly and said second wheel/suspension assembly simultaneously, wherein said first wheel/suspension assembly and said second wheel/suspension assembly are simultaneously turned in opposite directions,

a dump box and dump box hoist mechanism supported by said main frame, and

an operator'"'"'s cab supported by said main frame along a transverse cab axis at a substantially constant longitudinal position along said main frame, wherein said transverse cab axis is substantially perpendicular to said main-frame longitudinal axis, and wherein said steering controller is located inside said operator'"'"'s cab, and wherein said operator'"'"'s cab is located at a medial position on said main frame along said main-frame longitudinal axis.

2. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 1 wherein said steering controller is hand-operated.

3. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 1 wherein said power transmission means transmit power from said power plant to both said first wheel/suspension assembly and said second wheel/suspension assembly.

4. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 1 wherein said operator'"'"'s cab is located on said transverse cab axis at a selected location either on one side of said main-frame longitudinal axis or the opposite side of said main-frame longitudinal axis.

5. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 1, further including:

a hydraulic fluid module, powered by said power plant, for providing power to said dump box hoist mechanism for lifting said dump box.

6. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 5 wherein:

said operator'"'"'s cab is located on said transverse cab axis selectively on one side of said main-frame longitudinal axis, and

said hydraulic fluid module is located on said transverse cab axis selectively on an opposite side of said main-frame longitudinal axis.

7. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 1, further including:

an image-reception-based pathway monitoring system which includes multiple image receivers and multiple viewing screens for monitoring said multiple image receivers, wherein said multiple viewing screens are located inside said operator'"'"'s cab.

8. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 7 wherein said multiple viewing screens are positioned in said operator'"'"'s cab such that an operator need not change one'"'"'s directional orientation when said vehicle moves in opposite directions.

9. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 7 wherein said image-reception-based pathway monitoring system includes image receivers that view blind spots near said vehicle that are not directly visible by the operator inside the operator'"'"'s cab.

10. The self-propelled vehicle of claim 7 wherein said image-reception-based pathway monitoring system includes image receivers that view areas near said vehicle that are visible or would be visible by the operator in the operator'"'"'s cab if the operator turned his head so as to face such viewable areas.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

said image-reception-based pathway monitoring system is comprised of a television-based pathway monitoring system, and

said multiple image receivers include a camera cluster.