Automatic drum rotation control concrete transit mixer truck

• US 7,722,243 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schwing America, Inc. (XCMG Construction Machinery Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Schwing America, Inc. (XCMG Construction Machinery Company Limited)
• Inventors: Quist, Carl Phillip, Durand, Robert Benjamin, Schumacher, Charles P., Krasny, Alexander, Worthmann, Heinz Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/641,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 366/3, 366/12, 366/53, 366/60, 366/61
• US Class Current: 366/3
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/422 Controlling or measuring devices B28C5/4227 takes precedence

Abstract

A concrete transit mixer truck includes a control system that automatically controls rotation of the mixer drum at a constant drum speed when the mixer truck is traveling. When sensed speed of the truck exceeds a threshold, the control system automatically causes a hydraulic system to rotate the drum at a constant speed, regardless of the truck engine speed.

Claims

1. A concrete transit mixer truck comprising:

a drum;

a hydraulic system for rotating the drum;

a vehicle motion sensor for providing a vehicle motion signal indicative of vehicle speed; and

a control system for controlling the hydraulic system, when the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold speed, to rotate the drum at a constant drum speed.

2. The truck of claim 1, wherein the vehicle motion sensor senses rotation of a drive shaft of the truck.

3. The truck of claim 1, wherein the vehicle motion sensor determines vehicle speed based upon GPS signals.

4. The truck of claim 1, wherein the constant drum speed is less than about 2 rpm.

5. The truck of claim 4, wherein the constant drum speed is about 1 rpm.

6. The truck of claim 1, and further comprising:

a manual override input for producing a signal to cause the control system to allow a driver to control drum speed.

7. The truck of claim 1, wherein the control system maintains rotation of the drum at a constant drum speed until either a manual override input or a discharge input is received.

8. The truck of claim 1 and further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting information relating to rotation of the drum to a remote monitoring system.

9. A method of controlling concrete transit mixer truck, comprising the method:

sensing vehicle speed of the truck; and

controlling rotation of a mixer drum of the truck to rotate the drum at a constant drum speed when the sensed vehicle speed indicates that the truck is traveling.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing vehicle speed comprises sensing rotation of a drive shaft of the truck.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing vehicle speed comprises determining vehicle speed based upon GPS signals.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the constant drum speed is less than about 2 rpm.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the constant speed is about 1 rpm.

14. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

receiving a manual override input; and

allowing a driver to control drum speed manually.

15. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

maintaining rotation of the drum at the constant drum speed until either a manual override input or a discharge input is received.

16. The method of claim 9 and further comprising:

transmitting information relating to rotation of the drum to a remote monitoring system.

17. An automatic constant drum speed control for a concrete transit mixer truck, the control comprising:

means for determining when the truck is moving at greater than a threshold vehicle speed; and

means for controlling rotation of a mixer drum of the truck at a constant speed in response to a determination that the truck is moving at greater than the threshold vehicle speed.

18. The control of claim 17, wherein the means for determining senses rotation of a drive shaft of the truck.

19. The control of claim 17, wherein the means for determining uses GPS signals to determine vehicle speed.

20. The control of claim 17, wherein the constant drum speed is less than about 2 rpm.

21. The control of claim 20, wherein the constant drum speed is about 1 rpm.

22. The control of claim 17, and further comprising:

a manual override input for producing a signal to cause the means for controlling to allow a driver to control drum speed manually.

23. The control of claim 17, wherein the means for controlling maintains rotation of the drum at a constant drum speed until either a manual override input or a discharge input is received.

24. The control of claim 17 and further comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting information relating to rotation of the drum to a remote monitoring system.