Movable operator station movement limiting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960938-B2
Application number	US-202016808723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Sep 24, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A mobile machine having a machine frame with a lateral outer wall, an operator station having an outer side edge, an actuating system configured to move the operator station between a retracted position and a fully extended position that is laterally outward of the retracted position, wherein in the fully extended position, the outer side edge is a first distance outward of the lateral outer wall, a moveable component moveable between a first position and a second position, a sensor configured to send a signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position, and a controller configured to limit the distance the operator station may move laterally outward of the retracted position to a second distance in response to receiving the signal from the sensor, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile machine, comprising:
a machine frame having a lateral outer wall;
an operator station located on the machine frame, the operator station having an outer side edge;
an actuating system configured to move the operator station between a retracted position and a fully extended position that is laterally outward of the retracted position, wherein in the fully extended position, the outer side edge is a first distance outward of the lateral outer wall;
a moveable component moveable between a first position and a second position;
a sensor configured to send a signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position;
a controller configured to limit the distance the operator station may move laterally outward of the retracted position to a second distance in response to receiving the signal from the sensor, wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.

2. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein the moveable component is a leg having a ground engaging unit mounted thereto.

3. The mobile machine of claim 1 , further comprising a locking pin for locking the moveable component in the first position and one or more first locking pin bores associated with the moveable component for receiving the locking pin.

4. The mobile machine of claim 3 , wherein the signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position include detecting the locking pin received through the one or more first locking pin bores.

5. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to limit operation of the mobile machine in the absence of receiving a signal indicative of the locking pin being received through the one or more first locking pin bores.

6. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein the signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position include detecting the position of the moveable component.

7. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of first distance to second distance is in the range 2.8:1 to 3.8:1.

8. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein when the moveable component is in the first position, the controller is configured to prevent movement of the moveable component from the first position when the outer side edge is a distance outward of the lateral outer wall that is greater than the second distance.

9. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein when the outer side edge is a distance outward of the lateral outer wall that is less than the second distance, the controller is configured to allow movement of the moveable component from the first position to the second position.

10. The mobile machine of claim 1 , wherein the actuating system comprises a hydraulic cylinder having a piston slidably moveable within the cylinder, and a sensing device configured to detect the position of the piston within the cylinder.

11. A method of preventing interference between a moveable operator station of a mobile machine and a moveable component of the mobile machine, where the operator station is moveable between a retracted position and a fully extended position that is a first distance laterally outward of the retracted position, the method including:
sending a signal indicative of the moveable component being in a first position;
limiting movement of the operator station laterally outward of the retracted position to a second distance that is less than the first distance.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the moveable component is a leg having a ground engaging unit mounted thereto.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position includes detecting the presence of a locking pin received within one or more first locking pin bores.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising limiting operation of the mobile machine in the absence of receiving a signal indicative of the locking pin being received through the one or more first locking pin bores.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position include detecting the position of the moveable component.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising preventing movement of the moveable component from the first position when the operator station is laterally outward from the retracted position a distance that is greater than the second distance.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the ratio of first distance to second distance is in the range 2.8:1 to 3.8:1.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising allowing movement of the moveable component from the first position to the second position when the operator station is laterally outward from the retracted position a distance that is less than the second distance.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein sending a signal indicative of the moveable component being in the first position includes detecting a position of a piston within a cylinder of an actuator configured to move the moveable component.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising detecting a position of a piston within a cylinder of an actuator configured to move the operator station.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Paving Products Inc

Inventors

• Doy Nathaniel S
• Hogan Lee M
• Johnson Nicholas B

Classifications

• E01C23/127

  rotary, e.g. rotary hammers · CPC title

• E01C2301/30

  Cabin details · CPC title

• B62D33/0636 Primary

  displaceable along a linear path · CPC title

• E02F9/166

  movable, tiltable or pivoting, e.g. movable seats, dampening arrangements of cabins (seats for vehicles in general B60N2/00) · CPC title

• E01C23/088

  Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)} · CPC title