DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENTS OF A FRONT- OR REAR-SIDE MOUNTED IMPLEMENT OF A SNOW GROOMER, AND SNOW GROOMER

Abstract

Device for controlling movements of a front- or rear-side mounted implement of a snow groomer including a kinematic system constructed from a plurality of actuating cylinders and transferable by a control unit into various functional positions which include pivoting movements of the mounted implement about a vertical axis, a transverse axis and a longitudinal axis, and also parallel shifting in the vertical direction. The kinematic system is additionally configured in such a manner that the mounted implement is shiftable in a translatory and/or parallel manner in a horizontal plane in the transverse direction and/or longitudinal direction relative to a vehicle frame of the snow groomer.

Claims

1. Device for controlling movements of a front- or rear-side mounted implement of a snow groomer, comprising a kinematic system which is constructed from a plurality of actuating cylinders and is transferable by means of a control unit into various functional positions which comprise pivoting movements of the mounted implement about a vertical axis, a transverse axis and a longitudinal axis, and also parallel shifting in the vertical direction, wherein the kinematic system is additionally configured in such a manner that the mounted implement is shiftable in a translatory and/or parallel manner in a horizontal plane in the transverse direction and/or longitudinal direction relative to a vehicle frame of the snow groomer.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the kinematic system is configured as a self-supporting hexapod system.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the hexapod system has six actuating cylinders which are arranged in the manner of a hexapod with one end region on the vehicle frame and are coupled with an opposite end region to a support which is provided for the fastening of the mounted implement.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the support is designed for the releasable fastening of the mounted implement.

5. Device according to claim 3, wherein coupling points for the actuating cylinders on the support for the mounted implement are each configured as double coupling regions for two actuating cylinders in each case.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the kinematic system is assigned a measuring sensor system which senses movements or positions of the actuating cylinders and passes same on to the control unit, and the control unit has a memory for at least one predetermined control function of each actuating cylinder, which control function can be retrieved depending on signals sensed by the measuring sensor system.

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein at least one manually actuatable operating element is provided which is provided for the retrieval of the at least one control function by a driver of the snow groomer.

8. Snow groomer comprising at least one device according to claim 1.

9. Device for controlling movements of a front- or rear-side mounted implement of a snow groomer, comprising a kinematic system which is constructed from a plurality of actuating cylinders and is transferable by means of a control unit into various functional positions which comprise pivoting movements of the mounted implement about a vertical axis, a transverse axis and a longitudinal axis, and also parallel shifting in the vertical direction, wherein the kinematic system is configured as a self-supporting hexapod system.

10. Device according to claim 9, wherein the hexapod system has six actuating cylinders which are arranged in the manner of a hexapod with one end region on a vehicle frame and are coupled with an opposite end region to a support which is provided for the fastening of the mounted implement.

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the support is designed for the releasable fastening of the mounted implement.

12. Device according to claim 10, wherein coupling points for the actuating cylinders on the support for the mounted implement are each configured as double coupling regions for two actuating cylinders in each case.

13. Device according to claim 10, wherein the kinematic system is assigned a measuring sensor system which senses movements or positions of the actuating cylinders and passes same on to the control unit, and the control unit has a memory for at least one predetermined control function of each actuating cylinder, which control function can be retrieved depending on signals sensed by the measuring sensor system.

14. Device according to claim 13, wherein at least one manually actuatable operating element is provided which is provided for the retrieval of the at least one control function by a driver of the snow groomer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the claims and from the description below of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention that is illustrated with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a snow groomer according to the invention in a front view,

[0014] FIG. 2 shows, in a top view, a partial region of the snow groomer according to FIG. 1 in the region of a front-side mounted implement and with an embodiment of a device according to the invention for controlling the front-side mounted implement,

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the snow groomer in the region of the front-side mounted implement with the device according to FIG. 2,

[0016] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 3 with translatory shiftings of the mounted implement which have taken place in the longitudinal direction,

[0017] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 5 with a mounted implement which is raised or lowered by the device,

[0018] FIGS. 8 and 9 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 7 with the mounted implement shifted downwards or upwards in parallel,

[0019] FIGS. 10 and 11 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 9 with the mounted implement pivoted upwards or downwards,

[0020] FIGS. 12 and 13 show, in a top view, the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 11 with the mounted implement pivoted to the right or to the left,

[0021] FIGS. 14 and 15 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 13 with a mounted implement rotated to the left or to the right about a pivot axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

[0022] FIGS. 16 and 17 show the snow groomer according to FIGS. 1 to 15 with the mounted implement shifted in a translatory manner to the left or to the right.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] A snow groomer 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 17 has a driver's cab 2 which is positioned on the front side on a vehicle frame 8. The snow groomer 1 is provided with a crawler undercarriage which comprises two crawler tracks 3 on opposite sides of the vehicle frame 8. The snow groomer 1 is provided for the creation and preparation of snow pistes. For this purpose, the snow groomer 1 has both a front-side mounted implement in the form of a clearing blade 4 and a rear-side mounted implement in the form of a rear tiller 5.

[0024] The clearing blade 4 is arranged on the front side on the vehicle frame 8 of the snow groomer 1 by means of a device for controlling movements of the clearing blade 4. The device has a kinematic system which is designed as a hexapod system 6 and is described in more detail below.

[0025] The hexapod system 6 has a total of six hydraulic actuating cylinders 9 to 11 which are mounted on the rear side on a front of the vehicle frame 8 in the region of corresponding coupling points 15 to 17 so as to be pivotable about pivot axes extending at least substantially in the transverse direction of the vehicle. Each actuating cylinder 9 to 11 in each case has a piston rod which is coupled to an opposite end region of the actuating cylinder 9 to 11 in the region of a support 7 which is oriented substantially upright. For the coupling of the actuating cylinders 9 to 11, a total of three double coupling regions 12 to 14 are provided, of which a central double coupling region 13 is provided in the region of an upper side of the support 7 and two lateral double coupling regions 12, 14 are provided in the region of a lower side of the support 7. The total of six actuating cylinders 9 to 11 are each positioned in pairs with respect to one another in accordance with a hexapod, wherein two upper actuating cylinders 10 are guided from an upper coupling region 17 on the vehicle frame 8 to the central double coupling region 13. The two actuating cylinders 9, which are arranged on the left in the top view according to FIG. 2 and of which one actuating cylinder 9 is coupled to the upper coupling region 16 and the other actuating cylinder 9 is coupled to the lower coupling region 15, are coupled by their opposite end regions, i.e. the piston rods, to the lower double coupling region 14 which is on the left in the top view according to FIG. 2. In a corresponding mirror-symmetrical manner with respect to a vertical center longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the opposite two actuating cylinders 11 are coupled on the right side to the vehicle frame 8 likewise in the region of an upper coupling region 16, on the one hand, and of a lower coupling region 15, on the other hand, and extend forwards towards the support 7. The two actuating cylinders 11 are coupled to the support 7 in the region of the right lower double coupling region 12 (as seen in the top view according to FIG. 2). All of the actuating cylinders 9 to 11 are designed as double-action actuating cylinders, and therefore they can be retracted and extended in a hydraulically controlled manner.

[0026] The support 7 is freely supported by means of the total of six actuating cylinders 9 to 11 of the hexapod system 6, as can readily be seen with reference to FIG. 3. The support 7 is provided on a front side opposite the double coupling regions 12 to 14 with a receptacle (not denoted specifically) for supporting the clearing blade 4. The clearing blade 4 is fastened, preferably releasably, to the support 7.

[0027] In order to control the hexapod system 6, a control unit (not illustrated specifically) is provided which is realized electronically and acts on an electrohydraulic controller of the actuating cylinders 9 to 11 by means of electronic control commands. Each actuating cylinder 9 to 11 is in each case assigned a measuring sensor, the measuring sensors together forming a measuring sensor system within the meaning of the invention. The measuring sensors can sense movements and positions of the actuating cylinders 9 to 11 in relation to the vehicle frame 8, wherein corresponding receptacles on the vehicle frame 8 at the coupling regions 15 to 17 serve as reference points for sensing the corresponding measurement signals. The measuring sensor system is connected to the electronic control unit which has an electronic memory for at least one control function program which comprises automated movement sequences and positionings for the support 7, and therefore for the clearing blade 4, and is realized by software. The sensed measurement signals of the measuring sensor system are compared with desired values of the predetermined control programs and evaluated so that the control unit can control the actuating cylinders 9 to 11 in accordance with the desired control functions. The corresponding control functions are activated in the region of a driver's sitting position within the driver's cab 2 by a corresponding manually operable actuating element.

[0028] By means of the described control device, a multiplicity of control movements for the clearing blade 4, which are explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 17, can be carried out by means of the hexapod system (likewise described). It is thus possible, according to FIGS. 4 and 5, to shift the support 7, and therefore the clearing blade 4, forwards or rearwards in a translatory manner in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, which is clarified by the two arrows in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0029] In addition, it is possible, according to FIGS. 6 and 7, to tilt the support 7 and therefore the clearing blade 4 forwards and downwards or to position same obliquely upwards. The corresponding movements which are carried out by the hexapod system 6 are again illustrated by the two arrows in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0030] In addition, it is possible to shift the support 7 and therefore the clearing blade 4 upwards or downwards in a translatory or parallel manner in the vertical direction, as is illustrated with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The corresponding movement directions are also shown here by the two arrows.

[0031] A further movement function is explained with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. The support 7 including the hexapod system 6 and the clearing blade 4 can be pivoted upwards or downwards about an imaginary pivot axis extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle in the region of the vehicle frame 8. The pivoting downwards takes place here as far as below a plane defined by a lower side of the crawler undercarriage 3.

[0032] According to FIGS. 12 and 13 (likewise see the two arrow depictions there), the support 7 can be rotated to the right (FIG. 12) or to the left (FIG. 13) about a pivot axis extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle by means of the hexapod system 6.

[0033] According to FIGS. 14 and 15, the hexapod system 6 is also provided to rotate the clearing blade 4, and therefore also the support of the control device, to the left (FIG. 14) or to the right (FIG. 15) about an axis of rotation extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Such a rotation is also referred to as tilting since it defines a limited rotation about a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

[0034] According to the illustrations according to FIGS. 16 and 17, the clearing blade 4 including the support 7 can also be shifted in a translatory manner to the left (FIG. 16) or in a translatory manner to the right in a horizontal plane defined by a transverse direction of the vehicle and a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0035] The large number of movement possibilities permits additional functionalities for the snow groomer 1 that are advantageous in particular for the creation of fun parks in ski areas.