Electrically adjustable control interface

• US 8,483,914 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 07/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Copeland, Bryan Everett, Diccion, Amory Rodriguez, McClintock, Jamie Lance, Pryor, Patrick Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, HARRY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/231,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32, 701/50, 180/326, 180/329, 180/331, 180/334, 108/138, 312/319.5, 3123197-3198
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/77 Height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/773 Longitudinal adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/797 for use as electrical control means, e.g. switches
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G

Abstract

An electrically adjustable control interface for a machine comprises a vertical adjustment assembly arranged in vertical support of a control pod module. The vertical adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a vertical position of the control pod module in response to a vertical adjustment command signal generated by a controller. The electrically adjustable control interface also comprises a horizontal adjustment assembly coupled to the control pod module. The horizontal adjustment assembly is configured to adjust a horizontal position of the control pod module in response to a horizontal adjustment command signal generated by the controller.

Claims

1. An electrically adjustable control interface for a machine, comprising

a control pod module including a controller and an adjustment interface each disposed thereon, the controller configured to control movement of the machine or movement of an implement connected to the machine;

and

an adjustment module connected to the control pod module, the adjustment module comprising;

a vertical adjustment assembly comprising a telescoping arm at least partially disposed within a vertically-mounted housing and arranged in vertical support of the control pod module and configured to adjust a vertical position of the control pod module in response to a vertical adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface that is disposed on the control pod module; and

a horizontal adjustment assembly comprising a telescoping arm at least partially disposed within a horizontally-mounted housing, wherein the horizontal adjustment assembly is directly coupled to the control pod module and configured to adjust a horizontal position of the control pod module in response to a horizontal adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface that is disposed on the control pod module.

2. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the vertical or the horizontal adjustment assembly includes at least a portion of a rack and pinion mechanism for adjusting the vertical or the horizontal position of the control pod module.

3. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the vertical or the horizontal adjustment assembly includes at least a portion of a screw-type mechanism for adjusting the vertical or the horizontal position of the control pod module.

4. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the control pod module includes an arm-rest assembly.

5. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the adjustment module is configured to:

receive at least one of a vertical adjustment input and a horizontal adjustment input from an operator of the machine through the adjustment interface; and

provide the at least one of the vertical adjustment input and the horizontal adjustment input to the vertical or the horizontal adjustment assembly.

6. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a joystick configured to receive an operator input for controlling the movement of the machine or movement of an implement connected to the machine.

16. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 1, wherein the adjustment interface is disposed adjacent the controller on the control pod module.

17. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 16, wherein the adjustment interface includes a combination switch.

18. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 16, wherein the adjustment interface includes a joystick.

19. The electrically adjustable control interface of claim 16, wherein the adjustment interface includes a joystick providing direction or rotational control.

7. A method for adjusting a control interface for a machine, comprising:

generating a control signal for adjusting a position of a control pod module that includes a joystick and an adjustment interface, the joystick being configured to control movement of the machine or movement of an implement connected to the machine, and the control signal being generated by the adjustment interface;

detecting, by a vertical adjustment assembly of an adjustment module that is connected to the control pod module, a vertical adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface;

adjusting, by the vertical adjustment assembly, a vertical position of the control pod module;

detecting, by a horizontal adjustment assembly of the adjustment module, a horizontal adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface, wherein the horizontal adjustment assembly is directly coupled to the control pod module;

adjusting, by the horizontal adjustment assembly, a horizontal position of the control pod module;

detecting, by a rotational adjustment assembly of the adjustment module, a rotational adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface; and

rotating, by the rotational adjustment assembly, the control pod module in response to the rotational adjustment command signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the control signal includes:

identifying a machine operator with the adjustment interface;

retrieving a stored default position of the control pod module associated with the identified machine operator; and

automatically generating the control signal based on the stored default position.

9. An operator console for a machine, comprising:

a control pod module;

a controller electrically coupled to and disposed on the control pod module, the controller configured to control movement of the machine or movement of an implement connected to the machine;

an adjustment interface electrically coupled to and disposed on the control pod module, the adjustment interface configured to detect an operator interaction and generate a control signal for adjusting a position of the control pod module based on the operator interaction, the control signal including a least one of a vertical adjustment command signal and a horizontal adjustment command signal; and

an adjustment module mechanically coupled to the control pod module and electrically coupled to the adjustment interface, the adjustment module including;

a vertical adjustment assembly comprising a telescoping arm at least partially disposed within a vertically-mounted housing and arranged in vertical support of the control pod module and configured to adjust a vertical position of the control pod module in response to the vertical adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface that is disposed on the control pod module; and

a horizontal adjustment assembly comprising a telescoping arm at least partially disposed within a horizontally-mounted housing, wherein the horizontal adjustment assembly is directly coupled to the control pod module and configured to adjust a horizontal position of the control pod module in response to the horizontal adjustment command signal generated by the adjustment interface that is disposed on the control pod module; and

a rotational adjustment assembly configured to rotate the control pod module relative to a vertical axis in response to a rotational command signal generated by the adjustment interface that is disposed on the control pod module.

10. The operator console of claim 9, wherein the control signal includes a default position command for positioning the control pod module in a default position.

11. The operator console of claim 10, wherein the default position includes a fully retracted position of one or more of the vertical adjustment assembly and the horizontal adjustment assembly.

12. The operator console of claim 10, wherein a memory device electrically connected to the adjustment interface is configured to store at least one of a current vertical position or a current horizontal position of the control pod module as the default position.

13. The operator console of claim 12, wherein the memory device is further configured to associate the default position with one or more particular machine operators.

14. The operator console of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify a machine operator through the adjustment interface;

retrieve the stored default position of the control pod module associated with the identified machine operator; and

automatically generate at least one of the vertical adjustment command signal and the horizontal adjustment command signal based the retrieved default position.

15. The operator console of claim 9, wherein the control pod module includes an arm-rest assembly.