Method and device for maintaining and/or repairing a construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11761176-B2
Application number	US-202017089568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	May 4, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for maintaining and/or repairing a construction machine, with a mobile maintenance station that can be placed at the jobsite where the construction machine is being used, comprising a 3D printer for printing replacement parts for the construction machine on the basis of component data and/or a mobile display device for displaying repair information on the construction machine on the basis of component data, wherein a data supply station that is at a separate location from the maintenance station is provided, can be connected to the maintenance station by way of a communication link and is configured for providing the maintenance station with 3D printing data for printing the replacement part, and the maintenance station is configured for printing the replacement part layer by layer on the basis of the 3D printing data received from the data supply station.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device for maintaining and/or repairing a construction machine with a mobile maintenance station placeable at a construction jobsite, comprising:
a 3D printer for printing a replacement part for the construction machine on the basis of component data; and
a mobile display device for displaying repair information on the construction machine on the basis of the component data; and
a data supply station, wherein the mobile display device comprises an augmented reality device that displays on a display an image of a component to be repaired and a mounting environment of the component to be repaired, and overlays a mounting position of the component to be repaired in the mounting environment onto the image on the display,
wherein the data supply station is configured to provide the mobile maintenance station with augmented reality data for overlaying component information and/or position in the mounting environment, wherein the mobile maintenance station is configured to overlay the mounting position of the component to be repaired in the mounting environment onto the image on the display depending on the augmented reality data and/or the component data, and wherein the component data is obtainable from the data supply station,
wherein the mobile maintenance station and/or the data supply station comprises an identification device for identifying the component to be repaired,
wherein the identification device comprises an image evaluation device for evaluating images of the component to be repaired and/or the mounting environment of the component to be repaired taken by a camera and identifying the component to be repaired from the images on the basis of its dimensions of its main extension axes, and/or its diameter, and/or its geometry, and
wherein the augmented reality device comprises a controller for continuously or cyclically adapting the image of the mounting environment of the component to be repaired shown on the display to a real-time repair status of the construction machine, and wherein the controller is configured to gradually cease to display disassembled components in the image of the mounting environment during repair and/or is configured to gradually display newly assembled components in the mounting environment during repair.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the data supply station is at a separate location from the mobile maintenance station, wherein the data supply station is connected to the mobile maintenance station by a first communication link and is configured to provide the mobile maintenance station with 3D printing data for printing the replacement part, and wherein the mobile maintenance station is configured to print the replacement part layer by layer on the basis of the 3D printing data received from the data supply station,
wherein the data supply station is connectable to a machine data station by a second communication link, wherein the machine data station is at a separate location from the mobile maintenance station and the data supply station, wherein the machine data station is configured to provide the 3D printing data to the data supply station, wherein the machine data station comprises a storage device in which the 3D printing data and a plurality of component data relating to further components of the construction machine or another construction machine are stored, and wherein a component data set from the plurality of component data is selectable by the data supply station and/or the machine data station on the basis of a data set request sent by the mobile maintenance station.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the machine data station comprises an authentication module for checking an authorization of the data supply station to obtain predetermined component data.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the data supply station comprises a data supply station authentication module for checking an authorization of the mobile maintenance station to receive the component data, wherein the machine data station comprises a machine data station authentication module for checking an authorization of the data supply station to obtain predetermined component data, and wherein the data supply station authentication module and the machine data station authentication module are configured to check different authentication criteria comprising encoding and/or keys.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the machine data station comprises a data cloud in which component data of a plurality of components of a plurality of construction machines are stored.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printer has a movable application head or a triaxially movable application head for a layer by layer applying of at least one of a pulverulent material, a paste-like material, and a liquid material, and wherein the 3D printer has an irradiation head for irradiating applied material layers with a laser beam or electron beam or plasma beam to at least one of melt, solidify, cure, and chemically react the applied material layers to form cured layers.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile maintenance station comprises a 3D scanner for detecting a component to be repaired and for providing 3D scan data characterizing the component to be repaired, and wherein the 3D printer is configured to print the replacement part for the component to be repaired based on the 3D scan data.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the data supply station is connectable to a machine data station by a communication link, wherein the machine data station is at a separate location from the mobile maintenance station and the data supply station, wherein the machine data station is configured to provide the augmented reality data to the data supply station, wherein the machine data station comprises a storage device for storing a plurality of augmented reality data and/or component data of a plurality of further components of the construction machine or a further construction machine, and wherein an augmented reality and/or component data set from the plurality of augmented reality data and/or the component data is selectable by the data supply station and/or the machine data station on the basis of a data set request sent by the mobile maintenance station.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the identification device comprises a code reader or a bar code reader for reading a marking on the component to be repaired.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the image evaluation device comprises a color evaluator for identifying the component to be repaired on the basis of a color of the component to be repaired.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the image is provided by a camera directed at the construction machine, and wherein the image is displayable on the display in the form of a live image and/or a recorded image.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the display and/or a camera are integrated with data glasses wearable by a worker.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality device comprises a computer-aided design (CAD) data interface, wherein the data supply station is configured to provide the mobile maintenance station with CAD data on the component to be repaired and/or on the mounting environment of the component to be repaired, and wherein a CAD representation of the component to be repaired and/or the mounting environment is displayable by the augmented reality device based on the CAD data.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the data supply station comprises an authentication module for checking an authorization of the mobile maintenance station to receive the component data.

15. The device of claim 1 , whe

Assignees

• Liebherr Werk Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Bramberger Robert
• Kögl Martin

Classifications

• E02F9/267 Primary

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• B33Y50/00

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• E02F9/268

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• E02F9/2054

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• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title