Steering system with joystick mounted controls

• US 7,334,658 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Parketny, Thorsten, Kressin, Knuth, Spindler, Thomas, Berg, Torsten
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JOHN QUOC
• Assistant Examiner(s): Webb; Tiffany L.
• Application Number:
  US11/019,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20060137931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 180/333, 180/332, 180/326, 180/315, 180/6.2, 180/6.24, 414/685
• US Class Current: 180/333
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/12 Hand levers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/22 Alternative steering-control elements, e.g. for teaching purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04788 comprising additional control elements

Abstract

A steering system is provided for a work machine. The steering system may include at least one hand-operated work implement control device and a steering mechanism configured to control a direction of travel of the work machine. The system may also include a first steering device operatively coupled to the steering mechanism and configured to control at least one component of the steering mechanism based on operator input. The system may further include a second steering device mounted on the work implement control device. The second steering device may be configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the steering mechanism to thereby control a direction of travel of the work machine based on lateral movement of the second steering device relative to the work implement control device.

Claims

1. A steering system for a machine, comprising:

at least one hand-operated work implement control device;

a steering mechanism configured to control a direction of travel of the machine;

a first steering device operatively coupled to the steering mechanism and configured to control at least one component of the steering mechanism based on operator input; and

a second steering device mounted on the work implement control device, the second steering device being configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the steering mechanism to thereby control a direction of travel of the machine based on lateral movement of the second steering device relative to the work implement control device.

2. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes at least one traction device, the first steering device being operatively coupled to the at least one traction device and configured to control directional movement of the at least one traction device;

and

the second steering device being configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the at least one traction device to thereby control directional movement of the at least one traction device based on lateral movement of the second steering device relative to the work implement control device.

3. The steering system of claim 2, wherein the at least one traction device includes at least one of a wheel and an endless track.

4. The steering system of claim 2, wherein an amount by which the second steering device is laterally moved corresponds to a rate of directional movement of the at least one traction device.

5. The steering system of claim 2, wherein an amount by which the second steering device is moved laterally corresponds to an amount of directional movement of the at least one traction device.

6. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the second steering device includes a self-centering feature.

7. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the second steering device is selected from the group consisting of a thumb slider, a thumbwheel, and a hat switch.

8. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the second steering device and the work implement control device are simultaneously operable.

9. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the first steering device includes a steering wheel.

10. The steering system of claim 9, wherein the steering wheel is configured to tilt and/or telescope relative to an operator seat of the machine.

11. The steering system of claim 1, wherein steering inputs made with the first steering device override steering inputs made with the second steering device.

12. The steering system of claim 1, wherein the second steering device is configured to function in at least one alternative mode of operation in which it controls one or more functions of the machine other than the steering mechanism.

13. The steering system of claim 1, further including a display configured to indicate whether the second steering device is operatively coupled to the steering mechanism.

14. The steering system of claim 1, further including an audible alert device configured to indicate operative coupling or decoupling of the second steering device to the steering mechanism.

15. The steering system of claim 1, wherein an operability of the second steering device to control steering is related to a rate of travel of the machine.

16. The steering system of claim 15, wherein operative coupling of the second steering device to the steering mechanism is prevented when the machine is traveling above a predetermined rate of travel of the machine.

17. The steering system of claim 15, wherein operative coupling of the second steering device to the steering mechanism is prevented when the machine is traveling in a gear higher than a predetermined gear.

18. The steering system of claim 1, wherein traveling above a predetermined rate of travel is prevented when the second steering device is operatively coupled to the steering mechanism.

19. The steering system of claim 1, wherein engaging a gear higher than a predetermined gear is prevented when the second steering device is operatively coupled to the steering mechanism.

20. The steering system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined gear is first gear.

21. A steering system for a machine, comprising:

at least one hand-operated work implement control device;

a steering mechanism configured to control a direction of travel of the machine;

a first steering device operatively coupled to the steering mechanism and configured to control at least one component of the steering mechanism based on operator input; and

a multifunction input device mounted on the at least one work implement control device, the multifunction input device being configured to selectively operatively coupled to the steering mechanism to thereby control direction of travel of the machine, the multifunction input device also having two or more selectable modes of operation and being configured to operate, in at least one of the modes of operation, as a second steering device that controls a direction of travel of the machine.

22. The steering system of claim 21, wherein the steering mechanism includes at least one traction device, the first steering device being operatively coupled to the at least one traction device and configured to control directional movement of the at least one traction device;

and

the multifunction input device being configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the at least one traction device to thereby control directional movement of the at least one traction device.

23. The steering system of claim 21, wherein the multifunction input device is configured to control a function of an auxiliary work tool in at least one of the modes of operation.

24. The steering system of claim 21, further including a switch mounted on the work implement control device, the switch being configured to operatively couple the multifunction input device with the auxiliary work tool while a mode of operation is selected in which the multifunction otherwise configured to operate as a second steering device.

25. The steering system of claim 21, wherein the multifunction input device is configured to control, in at least one of the modes of operation, at least one of a hydraulic cab riser function and an offset boom function.

26. The steering system of claim 21, further including a switch configured to select between the two or more modes of operation of the multifunction input device.

27. The steering system of claim 21, wherein the second steering device is selected from the group consisting of a thumb slider, a thumbwheel, and a hat switch.

28. A machine, comprising:

a frame mounted on a base;

a controllable work implement including a work tool operatively attached to the frame via a boom and a stick, the frame being configured to relative to the base;

a steering mechanism configured to control a direction of travel of the machine;

a steering wheel operatively coupled to the steering mechanism and configured to control at least one component of the steering mechanism based on operator input;

at least one hand-operated work implement control device operatively coupled to the work implement and configured to control movement thereof; and

a multifunction input device mounted on the work implement control device, the multifunction input device being configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the steering mechanism to thereby control directional movement of the at least one traction device based on lateral movement of the multifunction input device relative to the work implement control device;

the multifunction input device having two or more selectable modes of operation and, in at least one of the modes of operation, being operatively coupled to the steering mechanism and being configured to operate as a second steering device that controls a direction of travel of the machine.

29. The machine of claim 28, wherein the steering mechanism includes at least one traction device, the first steering device being operatively coupled to the at least one traction device and configured to control directional movement of the at least one traction device;

and

the multifunction input device being configured to be selectively operatively coupled to the at least one traction device to thereby control directional movement of the at least one traction device based on lateral movement of the second steering device relative to the work implement control device.

30. The machine of claim 28, wherein the multifunction input device includes a self-centering feature and is selected from the group consisting of a thumb slider, a thumbwheel, and a hat switch.

31. The machine of claim 28, wherein operability of the multifunction input device to control steering is conditional upon a rate of travel of the work machine.

32. A method of steering a machine, comprising;

operating a steering device operatively coupled to a steering mechanism to control a direction of travel of the machine;

activating a secondary steering system by selectively operatively coupling a multifunction input device to the steering mechanism, the multifunction input device being mounted on a hand-operated work implement control device configured to control movement of a work implement;

operating the multifunction input device in a first mode of operation to control a direction of travel of the machine;

selectively operatively coupling the multifunction input device to at least one component of a system configured to perform an alternative of the machine; and

operating the multifunction input device in a second mode of operation to control the alternative function of the work machine.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein operating the steering device and the multifunction input device to control a direction of travel of the machine includes controlling directional movement of at least one traction device of the machine.

34. The method of claim 32, further including operating the multifunction input device while simultaneously using the work implement control device to control the work implement.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the steering device includes a steering wheel, and further including tilting the steering wheel out of the way while the secondary steering system is active.

36. The method of claim 32, further including limiting a rate of travel of the machine when the secondary steering system is active.

37. The method of claim 32, further including preventing use of transmission gears higher than a predetermined gear when the second steering system is active.