Automatic washout system for a mixer vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260559-B2
Application number	US-201815875659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A washout system for a concrete mixer vehicle includes a plurality of valves, a plurality of nozzles, and a controller. The plurality of valves are configured to (i) be fluidly coupled to a pump and a fluid tank and (ii) receive a fluid from the pump. One or more of the plurality of nozzles are fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of valves. Each of the plurality of nozzles are configured to provide the fluid to a respective target when the respective one of the plurality of valves is selectively activated to an open position. The controller is configured to monitor a plurality of washout parameters during operation of the concrete mixer vehicle and initiate one of a plurality of washout modes in response to a subset of the plurality of washout parameters being satisfied for the one of the plurality of washout modes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A concrete mixer vehicle comprising:
a charge hopper configured to receive a mixture or mixture ingredients;
a mixing drum positioned to receive the mixture or the mixture ingredients from the charge hopper;
a discharge hopper positioned to selectively receive a wet mixture from the mixing drum;
a chute positioned to receive the wet mixture from the discharge hopper;
a tank configured to store a fluid; and
an automatic washout system comprising:
a plurality of electronically controllable valves that are in fluid communication with the tank, the plurality of electronically controllable valves operable between an open position and a closed position;
a plurality of nozzles, one or more of the plurality of nozzles fluidly coupled to a respective one of the plurality of electronically controllable valves, each of the plurality of nozzles positioned to provide the fluid to a respective target when the respective one of the plurality of electronically controllable valves is selectively activated to the open position; and
a controller having one or more memory devices coupled to one or more processors, the one or more memory devices configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
monitor a plurality of washout parameters during operation of the concrete mixer vehicle; and
initiate one of a plurality of washout modes in response to a subset of the plurality of washout parameters being satisfied for the one of the plurality of washout modes;
wherein initiating a first of the plurality of washout modes includes activating one or more of the plurality of electronically controllable valves such that nozzles associated with the one or more of the plurality of electronically controllable valves provide the fluid to clean at least two of the charge hopper, the interior of the mixing drum, the exterior of the mixing drum, the discharge hopper, and the chute, simultaneously;
wherein initiating a second of the plurality of washout modes includes preventing one or more of the plurality of electronically controllable valves from being activated to prevent the fluid from being discharged onto the ground; and
wherein the second of the plurality of washout modes includes a no mess mode that prevents washing the discharge hopper and the chute to prevent the fluid from being discharged onto the ground.

2. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first or the second of the plurality of washout modes includes a mix mode wash mode, wherein, in the mix mode wash mode, the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
activate respective electronically controllable valves associated with respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate cleaning an interior surface of the charge hopper and a portion of the interior of the mixing drum; and
deactivate the respective electronically controllable valves associated with the respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate cleaning the interior surface of the charge hopper and the portion of the interior of the mixing drum in response to a volume of the fluid discharged from the respective nozzles reaching a predetermined volume.

3. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the subset of the plurality of washout parameters for the mix mode wash mode includes at least one of (i) a batch plant geofence, (ii) an indication that the mixing drum was recently charged with the mixture or the mixture ingredients, (iii) an indication that the concrete mixer vehicle is in a neutral gear or a park gear, and (iv) an indication that the mixing drum is currently operating in an initial mix mode.

4. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first of the plurality of washout modes includes a wet down discharge mode, wherein, in the wet down discharge mode, the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
activate respective electronically controllable valves associated with respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate wetting an interior surface of the discharge hopper and the chute; and
deactivate the respective electronically controllable valves associated with the respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate wetting the interior surface of the discharge hopper and the chute in response to at least one of (i) a volume of the fluid discharged from the respective nozzles reaching a predetermined volume and (ii) the respective electronically controllable valves being active for a predetermined period of time.

5. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the subset of the plurality of washout parameters for the wet down discharge mode includes at least one of (i) a job site geofence, (ii) an indication that the chute is in a discharge orientation, and (iii) an indication that the mixing drum is going to discharge at least a portion of the wet mixture.

6. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first of the plurality of washout modes includes a partial discharge wash mode, wherein, in the partial discharge wash mode, the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
activate respective electronically controllable valves associated with respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate cleaning the interior of the mixing drum, the exterior of the mixing drum, the discharge hopper, and the chute;
deactivate the respective electronically controllable valves associated with the respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate cleaning the interior of the mixing drum in response to a volume of the fluid discharged into the interior of the mixing drum from the respective nozzles reaching a predetermined volume; and
deactivate the respective electronically controllable valves associated with the respective nozzles that are positioned to facilitate cleaning the exterior of the mixing drum, the discharge hopper, and the chute in response to at least one of (i) a volume of the fluid discharged from the respective nozzles reaching a predetermined volume and (ii) the respective electronically controllable valves being active for a predetermined period of time.

7. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the subset of the plurality of washout parameters for the partial discharge wash mode includes at least one of (i) a job site geofence, (ii) a designated washout area geofence, (iii) an indication that the mixing drum discharged a portion of the wet mixture at a job site that is less than a total amount of the wet mixture within the mixing drum, and (iv) an indication that the concrete mixer vehicle has one or more additional discharge stops to make.

8. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to control a rotational speed of the mixing drum during the partial discharge wash mode.

9. The concrete mixer vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first of the plurality of washout modes includes a complete discharge wash mode, wherein, in the complete discharge wash mode, the one or more memory devices are further configured to store instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
activate respective electronically controllable valves associated with respective nozzles that

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Wurtz Chris L
• Clifton Cody D

Classifications

• B08B9/0813 Primary

  by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• B05B13/0278

  Arrangement or mounting of spray heads (B05B13/0207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60S1/66

  for cleaning vehicle exterior · CPC title

• B28C5/4248

  using chutes (combined with transporting belts B28C5/4255, combined with pumps or screws B28C5/4258) · CPC title

• B28C5/4203

  Details; Accessories · CPC title