Piste grooming vehicle and clearing blade for a piste grooming vehicle of this type

Abstract

Piste grooming vehicle and clearing blade for a piste grooming vehicle. The piste grooming vehicle has a clearing blade arranged at the front and includes a middle part and two side parts swivellably movable relative to the middle part, a setting arrangement for adjusting the middle part and/or the side parts and at least one manually operable actuating element arranged inside a cab for operating the setting arrangement. An electronic control unit is connected between the actuating element and the setting arrangement and operates the setting arrangement with a timed sequence of control commands for achieving at least one control function for the side parts and/or the middle part from an initial position to an end position preset by the control function.

Claims

1. A piste grooming vehicle having a clearing blade arranged at a front thereof, the clearing blade comprising a middle part and two side parts swivellably movable relative to said middle part, and having setting means for adjusting at least one of the middle part and the side parts, and having at least one manually operable actuating element arranged inside a cab for operating said setting means, wherein an electronic control unit is connected between the at least one actuating element and the setting means and can be activated by the at least one actuating element and after activation operates the setting means with a timed sequence of control commands for achieving at least one control function for at least one of the side parts and the middle part from an initial position to an end position preset by the at least one control function.

2. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein several different control functions are stored in the electronic control unit and can be activated alternatively or cumulatively using the at least one actuating element.

3. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control function in the electronic control unit is system-implemented.

4. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is assigned an input unit for programming the at least one control function.

5. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the setting means is assigned a travel sensor unit to record setting data of said setting means and transmit the setting data to the control unit.

6. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the side parts is assigned an angle sensor unit to record angle data and transmit the angle data to the control unit.

7. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the control unit regulates the setting means using the at least one control function depending on at least one of a recorded travel signal and an angle signal from at least one of the travel sensor unit and the angle sensor unit.

8. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one control function is visualized in a display inside the cab of the piste grooming vehicle.

9. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the setting means are hydraulic.

10. A clearing blade for a piste grooming vehicle comprising a middle part and two side parts swivellably movable relative to said middle part, and having setting means for adjusting at least one of the middle part and the side parts, and having at least one manually operable actuating element arranged inside a cab for operating said setting means, wherein a side contour of each of the side parts is designed such that each of the side parts forms in a clearing position a straight cutting edge over an entire height thereof.

11. The clearing blade according to claim 10, wherein the middle part is provided in an area of a lower rear edge facing the cab with a rearward-projecting cutting and shaping profile that extends over an entire length of the middle part.

12. The clearing blade according to claim 10, wherein the side parts are each provided in an area of a lower rear edge facing the cab with a rearward-projecting cutting and shaping profile which is continued when the side parts are in a position flush with the middle part in a line to the cutting and shaping profile of the middle part.

13. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a side contour of each of the side parts is designed such that each of the side parts forms in a clearing position a straight cutting edge over an entire height thereof.

14. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the middle part is provided in an area of a lower rear edge facing the cab with a rearward-projecting cutting and shaping profile that extends over an entire length of the middle part.

15. A piste grooming vehicle comprising: a cab; and a clearing blade arranged at a front of the cab; the clearing blade comprising a middle part and two side parts movable relative to the middle part; an adjustment assembly for adjusting positions of the middle part and the side parts; at least one manually operable actuating element inside of the cab for operating the adjustment assembly; and an electronic control unit connected between the at least one manually operable actuating element and the adjustment assembly; the electronic control unit being activated by a single manual actuation of one of the at least one manually operable actuating element; activation of the electronic control unit causes the adjustment assembly to automatically move at least one of the middle part and the side parts from an initial position to an end position; wherein movement of the at least one of the middle part and the side parts from the initial position to the end position occurs automatically and independently of actuation of any other actuating element other than the one of the at least one manually operable actuating element, and movement of the at least one of the middle part and the side parts from the initial position to the end position occurs according to a sequence of control commands issued from the electronic control unit after the single manual actuation of the one of the at least one manually operable actuating element.

16. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 15, further including a movable joystick inside of the cab, wherein the at least one manually operable actuating element comprises a plurality of manually operable actuating elements on the movable joystick.

17. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the one of the at least one manually operable actuating element is a first one of the plurality of manually operable actuating elements, and movement of the at least one of the middle part and the side parts from the initial position to the end position occurs automatically and independently of movement of the joystick and automatically and independently of actuation of the any other of the plurality of manually operable actuating elements other than the first one of the plurality of manually operable actuating elements.

18. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of control commands issued from the electronic control unit happens over a predetermined amount of time.

19. The piste grooming vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the sequence of control commands issued from the electronic control unit happens over a predetermined amount of travel of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a front part of an embodiment of a piste grooming vehicle in accordance with the invention,

(2) FIG. 2 shows schematically in a plan view an embodiment of a clearing blade in accordance with the invention for the embodiment of the piste grooming vehicle in accordance with the invention according to FIG. 1,

(3) FIG. 3 a front view of the clearing blade according to FIG. 2,

(4) FIG. 4 a plan view of the clearing blade according to FIG. 3 in a functional position differing from that shown according to FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 5 a cross-section through the clearing blade according to FIG. 3 along the section line IV-IV and

(6) FIG. 6 an enlarged view of a portion V of the section according to FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) A piste grooming vehicle P for recreation park landscaping has in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 6 a clearing blade 1. The clearing blade 1 comprises a middle part 4 and two side parts 5 mounted swivellably movable on the middle part 4 on opposite sides. The side parts 5 are each mounted swivellably movable on the middle part 4 about a swivel axis extending in the vertical direction of the clearing blade 1. The piste grooming vehicle P itself has a front carrier F for holding the clearing blade 1, to which carrier the middle part 4 of the clearing blade 1 is detachably fastened using a suspension device 13. The front carrier F can, using hydraulic setting means 15 in the form of single-acting or double-acting hydraulic cylinders, be lifted, lowered, tilted upwards or downwards relative to a transverse vehicle axis, swivelled about a central longitudinal vehicle axis or set at an angle about a vertical vehicle axis. The clearing blade 1 is, in the fitted state, firmly connected to the front carrier F such that an adjustment of the front carrier F automatically effects a corresponding adjustment of the clearing blade 1. The clearing blade 1 has two further hydraulic setting means 6 in the form of double-acting hydraulic cylinders used for operating the side parts 5. A hydraulic setting means 6 extends on each side between a corresponding pivot on the middle part 4 and an arm on the side part 5. The hydraulic setting means 6 in the form of the hydraulic cylinder is provided with two connections for corresponding hydraulic lines in order to permit a hydraulic pressure application both for retraction and for extension of the hydraulic cylinder. This is understood under the double-acting hydraulic cylinder. With a single-acting hydraulic cylinder, only the extension direction or the retraction direction is subjected to pressure. The opposite movement direction of the hydraulic cylinder is then achieved by simply releasing the hydraulic cylinder.

(8) Both the hydraulic setting means 6 for the side parts 5 and the hydraulic setting means 15 for adjusting the front carrier F of the piste grooming vehicle P, to which the clearing blade 1 is fastened, are operated by electrohydraulic actuators H (FIG. 1), of which in FIG. 2 only an electrohydraulic block operating the hydraulic setting means 6 for the side parts 5 is shown. The electrohydraulic actuators H are connected via hydraulic lines 10 to the hydraulic setting means 6, 15. The electrohydraulic actuators H are controlled by an electronic control unit S (FIGS. 1 and 2) that can be activated via at least one control line E by at least one actuating element 3 of a joystick 2 inside a cab of the piste grooming vehicle P. The corresponding actuating element 3 is operated by a driver or another operator of the piste grooming vehicle P to trigger a required control function of the electronic control unit S by a corresponding control signal via the control line E.

(9) The electronic control unit forms an electronic control device having at least one microprocessor which is part of an operating system of said electric control unit S. In the electronic control unit S, several control functions for adjusting the middle part 4 and/or the side parts 5 are programmed and each effect an operation of the hydraulic setting means 15 of the front carrier F and/or of the hydraulic setting means 6 for the side parts 5 between an initial position and a required end position. Both initial and end positions do not necessarily correspond to the mechanically required end stops of the hydraulic setting means 6, 15 of the front carrier F and of the side parts 5. Instead, the initial and end positions correspond to defined positions of the clearing blade 1, in which advantageous grooming functions of the clearing blade 1 are achieved, such as a snow clearing function, a shaping and cutting function for recreation park structures during forward or reverse movement of the piste grooming vehicle P, or transitions to rest or transport positions of the clearing blade 1. A corresponding control function is triggered in simple manner by an operator in that the corresponding actuating element 3 in the form of a key or button is briefly operated, as a result of which the corresponding control function is activated via the control line E in the electronic control unit S and then proceeds in accordance with its programming. Corresponding control functions can already be implemented in the operating system of the electronic control unit S by the manufacturer. Supplementing this, an input unit can be connected to the electronic control unit S, using which individual control functions can be programmed by the user.

(10) To permit an even more exact operation of initial and end positions of the side parts 5 relative to the middle part 4, the hydraulic setting means 6 according to FIG. 2 are assigned travel sensors 7, which are connected to the electronic control unit S via signal lines 9. Also, each swivel hinge of each side part 5 relative to the middle part 4 is assigned an angle sensor unit 8 which is likewise connected to the electronic control unit S via a signal line 9. Using the correspondingly recorded travel or angle signals, the electronic control unit S can effect regulation of the hydraulic setting means 6 in that actual values arriving via the signal lines 9 are compared with the set travel or angle values stored in the electronic control unit S and the electrohydraulic actuators H are operated depending on these set/actual value comparisons. This permits regulation of the adjustment of the side parts 5 relative to the middle part 4. In the same way, the hydraulic setting means 15 too are assigned travel sensors and/or moving parts of the front carrier F are assigned angle sensors in order to permit similar regulation by the control unit also in respect of all main function positions of the front carrier F. It is important to note that for operating the hydraulic setting means only one sensor unit is needed in each case, i.e. an angle sensor or a travel sensor unit, since signals of one sensor are sufficient for determining with sufficient precision the adjustment travel of the respective hydraulic setting means.

(11) As can be discerned from FIGS. 2 to 5, the two side parts 5 are each provided at their side contours, positioned on the outside relative to the middle part 4, with a cutting edge 11, which in a clearing position of the side part 5 relative to the middle part 4 (see in FIG. 3 the left-hand side part 5) forms a cutting contour 11 aligned exactly vertical and straight in the vertical direction of the clearing blade 1. Since each side part 5 has a concave contour when viewed over its height, the result in a linear position of the side part 5 flush with the middle part 4 in one plane (see right-hand side part 5 in FIG. 4) is a concave side contour through the cutting edge 11. The front view of the clearing blade 1 according to FIG. 3 corresponds exactly to the position of the side parts 5 relative to the middle part 4, as is shown in FIG. 4.

(12) The middle part 4 of the clearing blade 1 also has, as can be discerned from FIGS. 5 and 6, in the area of its underside a plane shaping surface 14, which is continued towards the rear of the middle part 4, i.e. to that side facing the front carrier of the piste grooming vehicle in the fitted state of the clearing blade 1, in a shaping and cutting profile 12 whose underside extends substantially flush with the shaping surface 14 of the middle part 4. The shaping surface 14 extends in one plane over the entire width of the clearing blade 1, but can however be profiled in itself in order to achieve uniformly profiled marking of the groomed and flat snow surface. Between the underside plane of the shaping surface 14 of the middle part 4 and the underside plane of the shaping and cutting profile 12, a shallow angle is provided, since during a forward movement of the piste grooming vehicle only the shaping surface 14 of the clearing blade 1 is to be in contact with the snow, in order to prevent skidding of the clearing blade due to an excessively large contact area. During a reverse movement, by contrast, only the cutting/shaping profile 12 should contact the snow surface. These functions are achieved thanks to the shallow angle between these underside planes. The shaping and cutting profile 12 is, as can be discerned from FIG. 5, designed wedge-shaped and forms at its rear edge a cutting edge or cutting tip. The shaping and cutting profile 12 thus formed on the rear underside of the middle part 4 permits cutting and shaping of the corresponding snow surface during reverse movement of the piste grooming vehicle. The shaping surface 14 is also used to compact and press smooth the snow surface groomed by the cutting and shaping profile 12.

(13) The clearing blade 1 according to FIGS. 3 to 6 also has in the area of the side parts 5 on a rear bottom edge similar shaping and cutting profiles 12 which in the flush linear position of the side parts 5 are flush with the shaping and cutting profile 12 of the middle part 4. As a result, snow surface grooming by the rear bottom edge of the clearing blade 1 can be achieved over the entire width of the clearing blade 1 during reverse movement of the piste grooming vehicle.