Leveling system for lift device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10407288-B2
Application number	US-201815880267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A lift device includes a chassis, a rear leveling assembly coupled to a rear end of the chassis, and a front leveling assembly coupled to a front end of the chassis. The rear leveling assembly includes a first rear actuator and a second rear actuator. The first rear actuator and the second rear actuator are selectively engageable to facilitate providing active control of a rear pitch adjustment and a rear roll adjustment of the rear leveling assembly. The front leveling assembly includes a first front actuator and a second front actuator. The first front actuator and the second front actuator are (i) selectively fluidly couplable to facilitate providing passive control of a front pitch adjustment and a front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly and (ii) selectively fluidly decouplable to facilitate providing active control of the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lift device, comprising:
a chassis having a front end and a rear end;
a rear leveling assembly coupled to the rear end of the chassis, the rear leveling assembly including:
a first rear actuator; and
a second rear actuator, wherein the first rear actuator and the second rear actuator are selectively engageable to facilitate providing active control of a rear pitch adjustment and a rear roll adjustment of the rear leveling assembly; and

a front leveling assembly coupled to the front end of the chassis, the front leveling assembly including:
a first front actuator; and
a second front actuator, wherein the first front actuator and the second front actuator are (i) selectively fluidly couplable to facilitate providing passive control of a front pitch adjustment and a front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly and (ii) selectively fluidly decouplable to facilitate providing active control of the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment of the front leveling assembly.

2. The lift device of claim 1 , wherein each of the rear leveling assembly and the front leveling assembly includes a carrier arm pivotally coupled to the chassis and an axle pivotally coupled to the carrier arm.

3. The lift device of claim 2 , wherein the carrier arm defines a carrier arm pivot interface and the axle defines an axle pivot interface positioned to engage with the carrier arm pivot interface, the carrier arm pivot interface and the axle pivot interface cooperatively receiving a fastener to pivotally couple the axle to the carrier arm.

4. The lift device of claim 3 , wherein the carrier arm has:
a base defining a chassis pivot interface that pivotally couples the carrier arm to a lower end of the chassis;
a projection defining the carrier arm pivot interface; and
a transition extending angularly between the base and the projection such that the projection is elevated relative to the base.

5. The lift device of claim 1 , wherein the front leveling assembly further includes one or more valves positioned to facilitate at least one of (i) selectively isolating the first front actuator and the second front actuator from a high pressure fluid source and (ii) selectively fluidly coupling the first front actuator to the second front actuator.

6. The lift device of claim 1 , wherein the first front actuator and the second front actuator are selectively fluidly decoupled during a transport mode such that the front leveling assembly is actively controllable to provide the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment.

7. The lift device of claim 6 , wherein the first front actuator, the second front actuator, the first rear actuator, and the second rear actuator are configured to facilitate reducing an overall height of the lift device to a target height in the transport mode.

8. The lift device of claim 1 , wherein the first front actuator and the second front actuator are selectively fluidly decoupled during a calibration mode such that the front leveling assembly is actively controllable to provide the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment.

9. The lift device of claim 8 , wherein the first front actuator, the second front actuator, the first rear actuator, and the second rear actuator are configured to be returned to a nominal position to facilitate establishing a reference for a sensor of the lift device in the calibration mode.

10. The lift device of claim 9 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a displacement sensor, a roll sensor, a pitch sensor, and a load sensor.

11. The lift device of claim 1 , further comprising a boom pivotally coupled to the chassis, wherein the first front actuator and the second front actuator are selectively fluidly decoupled during a boom operation mode such that the front leveling assembly is actively controllable to provide the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment.

12. The lift device of claim 11 , wherein a speed of the lift device is limited during the boom operation mode.

13. The lift device of claim 11 , wherein the first front actuator, the second front actuator, the first rear actuator, and the second rear actuator are configured to be actively controlled while the boom is in use in the boom operation mode.

14. The lift device of claim 1 , wherein the first front actuator and the second front actuator are selectively fluidly coupled during a driving mode such that the front leveling assembly provides passive control of the front pitch adjustment and the front roll adjustment.

15. The lift device of claim 14 , further comprising a boom, wherein operation of the boom is limited during the driving mode.

16. A leveling system for a lift device, comprising:
a first leveling assembly configured to pivotally couple to a first end of a chassis of the lift device, the first leveling assembly including a first actuator and a second actuator;
a second leveling assembly configured to pivotally couple to an opposing second end of the chassis of the lift device, the second leveling assembly including a third actuator and a fourth actuator;
wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to be passively controlled during a first mode of operation of the lift device;
wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to be actively controlled during a second mode of operation of the lift device;
wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are (i) fluidly couplable to each other during the first mode of operation and (ii) fluidly decouplable from each other during the second mode of operation; and
wherein the third actuator and the fourth actuator are configured to be actively controlled during at least one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation of the lift device.

17. The leveling system of claim 16 , wherein the first leveling assembly and the second leveling assembly are configured to facilitate a pitch adjustment and a roll adjustment of the chassis.

18. A leveling system for a vehicle, comprising:
a first leveling assembly configured to pivotally couple to a first end of a chassis of the vehicle, wherein the first leveling assembly is configured to be passively controlled to provide a passive pitch adjustment and a passive roll adjustment of the first leveling assembly during a first mode of operation, and wherein the first leveling assembly is configured to be actively controlled to provide an active pitch adjustment and an active roll adjustment of the first leveling assembly during a second mode of operation; and
a second leveling assembly configured to pivotally couple to an opposing second end of the chassis, wherein the second leveling assembly is configured to be actively controlled to provide an active pitch adjustment and an active roll adjustment of the second leveling assembly during the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Hao Jihong
• Puszkiewicz Ignacy

Classifications

• B60G2400/252

  vertical · CPC title

• B60G2400/60

  Load · CPC title

• B60G2400/0511

  Roll angle · CPC title

• B60G2400/0512

  Pitch angle · CPC title

• B66F9/00 Primary

  Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes (mobile or transportable lifts in, or associated with, buildings and specially adapted to be shifted from one part of a building or other structure to another part or to another building or structure B66B9/16; cranes B66C) · CPC title