Paving train

Abstract

A paving train for producing at least one pavement layer on a traffic surface is formed from at least two independently driven units travelling in a group, such as a road finisher, a road paver, an IP finisher, a feeder, a supply unit or the like. The units move one behind the other at a given distance. In order to enable communication between the units via certain parameters such as speed, material filling level and the like, and in order also to easily control a corresponding distance between the units as well as the corresponding material transfer, a wireless communication link is formed between the units at least for exchanging speeds and/or material filling level.

Claims

1. A paving train for producing at least one pavement layer on a traffic surface, the paving train comprising: at least two independently drivable units for traveling in a group, which units are movable one behind the other at a predeterminable distance, wherein the at least two units comprise a feeder and one of a road finisher, a road paver, or an IP finisher, and wherein the feeder is configured to supply material to the road finisher, the road paver, or the IP finisher; and a wireless communication system for forming a wireless communication link between the at least two units at least for exchanging material level data and at least one of paving speed data or material flow rate data, so that distance between the feeder and the road finisher, the road paver, or the IP finisher may be controlled based on the material level data and at least one of paving speed data or material flow rate data.

2. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein data can be transmitted in encrypted form by means of the wireless communication link.

3. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least two units has a collision protection.

4. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the at least two units comprise the road finisher and the feeder.

5. The paving train according to claim 4 wherein a paving speed can be predetermined by the road finisher and can be changed by the feeder via the wireless communication link.

6. The paving train according to claim 4 wherein a desired paving speed and/or current desired paving speeds can be transmitted to the feeder by the road finisher.

7. The paving train according to claim 4 wherein the feeder has a material hopper, and wherein a current speed and/or a filling quantity of the material hopper can be transmitted from the feeder to the road finisher.

8. The paving train according to claim 7 wherein the current speed is a material flow rate.

9. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the feeder has at least two material hoppers for receiving different mixed materials.

10. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the feeder has a filling level indicator device.

11. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein sensors are arranged for level measurement.

12. The paving train according to claim 11 wherein the sensors comprise an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, or a 3D sensor.

13. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the feeder has a material hopper and a time display device for displaying time until a filling quantity present in the material hopper is used up.

14. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the at least two units comprise the feeder, the road finisher and an additional road finisher, and the feeder is assigned to the two road finishers, and wherein an operator of the paving train can transmit a current material stock of each road finisher by means of the wireless communication link.

15. The paving train according to claim 14 wherein each road finisher has a material hopper and can transmit to the operator at least a filling level and/or an estimated time until a filling quantity of the material hopper is used up.

16. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the at least two units comprise the road finisher having a sensor for measuring a filling level on the road finisher.

17. The paving train according to claim 16 wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, or a 3D sensor.

18. The paving train according to claim 1 wherein the wireless communication system is configured to establish the wireless communication link using WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wibree, Wimax, or optical directional radio.

19. A paving train for producing at least one pavement layer on a traffic surface, the paving train comprising: at least two independently drivable units for traveling in a group, wherein the at least two units are movable one behind the other at a predeterminable distance; and a wireless communication system for establishing a wireless communication link between the at least two units for communicating speed and/or material level data; wherein the at least two units comprise two finishers and a feeder assigned to the two finishers, and wherein an operator of the paving train can transmit a current material stock of each finisher by means of the wireless communication link.

20. The paving train according to claim 19 wherein each finisher has a material hopper and can transmit to the operator at least a filling level and/or an estimated time until a filling quantity of the material hopper is used up.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a paving train consisting of two finishers and a feeder;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a paving train consisting of road finisher, IP finisher and feeder; and

(3) FIG. 3 shows the principle of displays for the material filling level or usage time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a feeder 3 for feeding two road finishers 2. These vehicles form a paving train 1 for producing at least one pavement layer on a traffic area. Each of the units 2, 3 is driven independently and these drive in a group to enable, for example, uninterrupted paving of asphalt. Each of the two finishers 2 has a corresponding material hopper or buffer 7, into which the feeder 3 can deliver additional material. Corresponding filling levels of the material buffers 7 can be determined by a filling level sensor 8, whereby such a filling level sensor is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, a 3D sensor or the like. A wireless communication link 6 is established between the units, which can be used, for example, to control a distance 5 between road finisher 2 and feeder 3. Such distance control is achieved, for example, by transmitting a target paving speed or the current target speed from the finisher to the feeder. This means that the feeder follows or travels ahead of the finisher at the appropriate speed in order to maintain the required distance 5. At this distance 5, the finisher can still be loaded with material from the feeder 3.

(5) Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it can be seen via the wireless communication link on the feeder 3 which finisher 2 still has how much material available. Referring also to FIG. 3, the feeder driver is shown how much material is still available in the respective material buffer 7 of the corresponding finisher 2. This enables the feeder driver to determine in good time and reliably how much material should be transported to which finisher and when. This means that the feeder driver can switch from one finisher to another as soon as he has received the relevant information via the wireless communication link. According to the disclosure, the feeder driver therefore always knows the current filling quantity of the two finishers. In addition to the corresponding filling quantity, the feeder driver can also see the estimated time until the existing quantities are used up at the finisher, see again FIG. 3 with the percentage data for the filling level indicator devices 9 or percentage data and time data for the filling level indicator device with time display 9, 10.

(6) The corresponding times can, for example, be calculated on the basis of the measured filling quantities and flow rates known from the past at the finisher.

(7) In both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, further parameters, such as the finisher's paving speed, are transmitted via the wireless communication link so that the feeder can adapt to the finisher. In addition, a collision protection can be provided between the units of paving train 1, which, for example, prevents the units from being too close together if the wireless communication link fails.

(8) According to the disclosure, this allows the finisher to set the corresponding speed for the paving train. However, in some cases the finisher driver is unaware of any bottlenecks in the feeding of mix from the feeder. The wireless communication link enables feedback to the finisher driver. This enables the finisher driver to reduce the paving speed. This can also be done by the feeder, as it also has the corresponding displays in FIG. 3 for its material buffers and its material consumption time.

(9) In addition, the wireless communication link is used to determine the corresponding parameters when starting up after a stop or when stopping the units of the paving train. This can be improved, for example, by transmitting current target speeds between the units. Similarly, the corresponding parameters can also be reported via the wireless communication link from the feeder, e.g., see material level or time till consumption of the material. This means that these parameters can also be used by the finisher to adjust the paving speed according to these parameters.

(10) In FIG. 2, the corresponding paving train 1 consists of three units, see road finisher 2, Inline-pave (IP) finisher 4 and feeder 3. These can travel one after the other with the appropriate distance control, see the embodiment for FIG. 1, whereby it is also possible to change the arrangement of the units. Here, too, there is a corresponding transmission of parameters between the units, see as parameters the paving speed, nominal paving speed, current nominal speed, material filling levels or time for material consumption. The corresponding wireless communication link 6 exists between all units.

(11) It should also be noted that it is also possible, for example, for the feeder to have two material buffers with different mixes, so that the corresponding material can be transferred to the finisher as required. This means, for example, that different material can be fed to the different finishers as shown in FIG. 1.

(12) This also applies analogously to FIG. 2.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the corresponding displays for two material buffers, for example, see level indicator 9 with 30% and 70% material respectively in the material buffers of two finishers or in two material buffers of a feeder. FIG. 3 also shows a further example where the level indicator 9 also has a time display 10. This shows that, for example, the 30%-filled material buffer can still be fed to the finisher for five minutes, or the 70%-filled material buffer can still be fed for seven minutes. However, this can also be an indication of the time remaining for two different finishers to empty their material buffers.