CONTACT-FREE MATERIAL TRANSFER BETWEEN A TRUCK AND A DRIVING ROAD CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE

Abstract

In the method for transferring material between a truck and a driving road construction vehicle, a distance between the driving road construction vehicle and a truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle without contact to the road construction vehicle truck is kept constant by a distance control system. While the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck is kept constant, material is being dumped from a loading cavity of the truck into a material hopper of the road construction vehicle. The road construction vehicle is a road finishing machine or a feeder for a road finishing machine.

Claims

1. A method for transferring material between a truck and a driving road construction vehicle wherein the road construction vehicle is a road finishing machine or a feeder for a road finishing machine, the method comprising: keeping constant, by a distance control system, a distance between the driving road construction vehicle and a truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle without contact with the road construction vehicle; and dumping material from a loading cavity of the truck into a material hopper of the road construction vehicle while the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck is kept constant.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the truck is driven by its own travel drive during the material transfer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance control system comprises a sensor which determines the distance between the driving wad construction vehicle and the truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a distance sensor which is provided on the road construction vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises a distance sensor which is provided on the truck.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance control system generates control instructions for a speed of the truck.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance control system comprises a control unit which automatically controls a travel drive and/or a brake of the truck to keep the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck constant.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein information for the distance control are wirelessly transmitted from the road construction vehicle to the truck.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein steering of the truck is performed by a driver of the truck.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance control system controls the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle to a value which is selected from a lookup table based on a type of the truck and/or a type of the road construction vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a tilting function of the loading cavity of the truck is remote-controlled from the road construction vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the tilting function of the loading cavity of the truck is manually remote-controlled by a driver of the road construction vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein a tilting level sensor is provided at the road construction vehicle which determines a tilting level of the material hopper, and where-in the lilting function of the loading cavity of the truck is automatically remote-controlled based on an output of the filling level sensor.

14. A distance control system for keeping constant a distance between a driving road construction vehicle and a truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle without contact with the road construction vehicle during a material transfer between the truck and the road construction vehicle, wherein the road construction vehicle is a road finishing machine or a feeder for a road finishing machine, the system comprising: a sensor which determines the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck driving in front of the road construction vehicle.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a distance sensor which is provided on the road construction vehicle.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a distance sensor which is provided on the truck.

17. The system according to claim 14, further comprising a control unit which automatically controls a travel drive and/or a brake of the truck to keep the distance between the driving road construction vehicle and the truck constant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Below, the disclosure will be further illustrated by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the Figures.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation for describing a material transfer between a truck and a road construction vehicle embodied as a road finishing machine according to an embodiment with a distance sensor provided at the road construction vehicle;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram which shows components of the truck and the road construction vehicle from FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation for describing a material transfer between a truck and a road construction vehicle embodied as a road finishing machine according to an embodiment with a distance sensor provided at the truck;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram which shows components of the truck and the road construction vehicle from FIG. 3; and

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a feeder for a road finishing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The disclosure relates to transferring material between a truck 1 and a driving road construction vehicle. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the road construction vehicle is a road finishing machine 3. The road finishing machine 3 is paving a road surface while it is driving over a foundation along a paving direction F. The road finishing machine 3 comprises a tractor 5 with a control platform 7 arranged thereon for a machine's driver. At the front at the road finishing machine 3, a material hopper 9 is provided for receiving paving material. The paving material is transported from the material hopper 9 via a transport device (not shown) into a rear region of the road finishing machine 3 where it is distributed in a width direction of the road finishing machine 3 by a transverse distributor screw 11. Subsequently, the paving material is compacted by a screed 13 of the road finishing machine 3 towed along behind the tractor 5. In order to install a high-quality and uniform roadway pavement, the road finishing machine 3 should pave sections as large as possible without interruption. Since the material hopper 9, however, only has a limited capacity, it is required 10 fill the material hopper 9 with further paving material during the paving drive of the road finishing machine 3. The paving material is supplied by the truck 1 and dumped into the material hopper 9 of the driving road finishing machine 3. While the paving material is being dumped from the truck 1 into the material hopper 9 of the road finishing machine 3, the truck 1 is driving in front of the road finishing machine 3.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, a distance sensor 15 is provided at the road finishing machine 3 and measures a distance between the road finishing machine 3 and the truck 1 driving in front of the road finishing machine 3. The distance sensor 15 may in particular measure a distance between an attachment point of the distance sensor 15 at the road finishing machine 3 and a rear tire of the truck 1. However, it would also be conceivable that the distance sensor 15 measures the distance between an attachment point of the distance sensor 15 at the road finishing machine 3 and another position at the truck 1. For example, a reflector surface for measuring signals emitted by the distance sensor 15 could be provided in a rear region of the truck 1. The distance sensor 15 could be embodied, for example, as an ultrasonic sensor or as a radar sensor.

[0040] Based on the distance measurement by the distance sensor 15, a distance between the driving road finishing machine 3 and the truck 1 driving in front of the road finishing machine 3 is kept constant. The distance between the road finishing machine 3 and the truck 1 may be controlled to a predetermined setpoint or to a predetermined set range. Distance control may be effected by adapting the speed of the truck 1.

[0041] The distance between the road finishing machine 3 and the truck 1 is controlled to a value or range which permits a material transfer between the truck 1 and the road finishing machine 3 by dumping the paving material from a loading cavity 17 of the truck 1 into the material hopper 9 of the road finishing machine 3. The distance control ensures that during the tilting of the loading cavity 17, at least the major part of the material actually reaches the material hopper 9 of the road finishing machine 3.

[0042] As is represented in FIG. 2, the truck 1 comprises a travel drive 19, a brake 21, a steerage 23, a lilting device 25, a control unit 27 and an antenna 29. The travel drive 19 may comprise, for example, a main power plant, in particular a diesel engine. The lilting device 25 is embodied for lifting or lowering the loading cavity 17. By actuating the tilting device 25 for lifting the loading cavity 17, the loading cavity 17 may be inclined and dump material from the loading cavity 17 to the rear. The control unit 27 of the truck 1 may control various functions of the truck 1. In particular, the control unit 27 may control the travel drive 19, the brake 21 and the tilting device 25. The antenna 29 is embodied for the wireless communication with the road finishing machine 3.

[0043] The road finishing machine 3 comprises a filling level sensor 31, the distance sensor 15, a control unit 33 and an antenna 35. The filling level sensor 31 is configured to determine a filling level of the material hopper 9. For example, the filling level sensor 31 may determine a distance of paving material in the material hopper 9 to an attachment point of the filling level sensor 31. The filling level sensor 31 may for example comprise a radar sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. The control unit 33 of the road finishing machine 3 may control various functions of the road finishing machine 3. The antenna 35 is configured for the wireless communication with the truck 1.

[0044] If the road finishing machine 3 is to be supplied with paving material by the truck 1, a driver of the truck 1 will move the truck 1 initially in front of the road finishing machine 3 into the driving path of the road finishing machine 3. Via the antenna 29 of the truck 1 and the antenna 35 of the road finishing machine 3, wireless communication between the truck 1 and the road finishing machine 3 is established. The wireless connection may be established directly between the truck 1 and the road finishing machine 3. However, it would also be conceivable that the wireless connection is established indirectly via one or several intermediate stations, for example a server. The wireless connection could be established, for example, by WIFI, Bluetooth. ZigBee or the Internet. An identification of the road finishing machine 3 and/or the truck 1 may be effected upon the establishment of the wireless connection. If the road finishing machine 3 has approached the truck 1 sufficiently from behind, the control of the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck 1 is adopted by the distance control based on the distance between the road finishing machine 3 and the truck 1 measured by the distance sensor 15. The truck's driver may enable the control of the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck for the distance control. According to a variant, the control unit 33 of the road finishing machine 3 generates control instructions for the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck 1 based on the output of the distance sensor 15. These control instructions may be transmitted via the wireless connection to the truck 1. It would also be conceivable that only measuring signals are transmitted from the distance sensor 15 to the truck 1 via the wireless connection, and the control unit 27 of the truck 1 generates the control instructions for the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck 1. The steerage of the truck 1 preferably remains the truck driver's job even during the distance control. During distance control, the truck 1 is driving in front of the road finishing machine 3 without any physical contact with the road finishing machine 3.

[0045] During distance control, the truck 1 is dumping paving material into the material hopper 9 of the road finishing machine 3 by inclining the loading cavity 17. The lilting device 25 of the truck 1 may be remote-controlled. In particular, the tilting device 25 may be remote-controlled from the road finishing machine 3. According to a simple embodiment, the tilting device 25 of the truck 1 is remote-controlled by manual inputs of a driver of the road finishing machine 3. Corresponding commands could be transmitted via the wireless connection between the truck 1 and the road finishing machine 3. As an alternative, the control of the tilting device 25 may be accomplished automatically based on information received from the filling level sensor 31 of the road finishing machine 3. Depending on the current filling level of the material hopper 9, the loading cavity 17 of the road finishing machine 1 could be lifted or lowered as required to dump more material into the material hopper 9 or to slow down or stop the flow of material into the material hopper 9.

[0046] Preferably, for safety reasons, the driver of the truck 1 has at any lime the possibility of intervening in the control of the travel drive 19, the brake 21 and the tilting device 25. Upon termination of the material transfer, the driver of the truck 1 may completely take over the control of the truck 1 again and drive away to the front to give way to the next truck 1.

[0047] FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is very similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Only differences to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and 2 are described.

[0048] Basically, the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the distance sensor 15 is not attached to the road finishing machine 3 but to the truck 1. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the calculation of the control signals for the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck may be accomplished based on the output of the distance sensor 15 by the control unit 27 of the truck 1. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, however, it is possible here, too, that the control signals for the travel drive 19 and the brake 21 of the truck are generated by the control unit 33 of the road finishing machine 3. To this end, measuring signals generated by the distance sensor 15 could be transmitted via the wireless connection to the road finishing machine 3, and control instructions subsequently generated by the control unit 33 of the road finishing machine 3 could be returned to the truck 1 via the wireless connection.

[0049] In the above-described embodiments, a material hopper 9 of a mad finishing machine 3 is filled with paving material by the truck 1, respectively. As an alternative, it would be, however, conceivable to supply the material hopper 41 of a feeder 43 for a road finishing machine with paving material with the truck 1. An example of such a feeder 43 is shown in FIG. 5. The feeder 43 is a vehicle which is driving in front of a road finishing machine 3 that is installing a road surface to supply the material hopper 9 of the road finishing machine 3 with paving material. The feeder 43 comprises a material hopper 41 for receiving paving material in front with respect to the paving direction F. The material hopper 41 of the feeder 43 could be supplied with paving material by the truck 1 during the drive of the feeder 43 in the manner described above for the filling of a material hopper 9 of a road finishing machine 3. To this end, a distance sensor 15 may be provided at the feeder 43 (analogous to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2). As an alternative (analogous to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4), the distance sensor 15 could be provided at the truck 1. With respect to the paving direction F in the rear region, the feeder 43 comprises a conveying device 45 for supplying paving material to the material hopper 9 of a mad finishing machine 3 driving behind the feeder 43. The paving material is brought from the material hopper 41 of the feeder 43 to the conveying device 45 via non-depicted transport device.

[0050] The device and operations described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 4 for supplying a material hopper 9 of a road finishing machine 3 may be analogously transferred to a material transfer between a truck 1 and a feeder 43 by dumping paving material from the loading cavity 17 of the truck 1 into the material hopper 41 of the feeder 43. In particular, the distance control between the truck 1 and the road finishing machine 3 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 may be analogously transferred to a corresponding distance control between a truck 1 and a feeder 43 driving behind it.