Operator vehicle with assisted centring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11808009-B2
Application number	US-202017109702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2020
Priority date	Dec 16, 2019
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

Described is an operator vehicle, comprising:
a platform ( 2 ), equipped with a seat ( 3 ); a tower (T), coupled to the seat ( 3 ) in a rotatable fashion about a main rotation axis; motor means, arranged to rotate the tower (T) about the main axis; a detector, arranged to detect the movement of the angular position of the tower towards a reference angular position relative to the main axis, and to emit a corresponding proximity signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An operator vehicle, comprising:
a platform, equipped with a seat;
a rotating tower, coupled to the seat in a rotatable fashion about a main rotation axis;
motor means, arranged to determine a rotation of the rotating tower about the main rotation axis;
a detector, arranged to detect a movement of an angular position of the rotating tower towards a reference angular position relative to the main rotation axis, and to emit a corresponding proximity signal; and
a control module, configured to receive the corresponding proximity signal emitted by the detector and to control a drive of the motor means as a function of the corresponding proximity signal received, wherein
the detector is arranged to detect at least a first approaching position, separated by a first operating angle relative to the reference angular position, and at least a second approaching position, separated by the reference angular position by a second operating angle, less than the first operating angle; and
the control module is arranged to slow down the rotation produced by the motor means upon receiving the corresponding proximity signal at the first approaching position, and to stop the rotation produced by the motor means upon receiving the corresponding proximity signal at the second approaching position.

2. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is arranged to slow down the rotation produced by the motor means upon receiving the corresponding proximity signal emitted by the detector.

3. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is arranged to stop the rotation produced by the motor means upon receiving the corresponding proximity signal emitted by the detector.

4. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the detector is arranged to detect at least a first approaching position, separated by a first operating angle relative to the reference angular position;
the control module is arranged to slow down or stop the rotation produced by the motor means upon receiving the corresponding proximity signal at the first approaching position.

5. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is arranged to independently activate the motor means, after a corresponding command, for positioning a coupling part in the reference angular position.

6. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises at least one proximity sensor, associated with the rotating tower or with the seat or with the platform.

7. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the control module is arranged to independently activate the motor means, after a corresponding command, for positioning the rotating tower in the reference angular position.

8. The operator vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the control module is equipped with an algorithm which, after receiving a command from an operator, activates the motor means for rotating a coupling part in the reference angular position, using the proximity sensor.

9. The operator vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising an automatic locking device, designed for locking the rotating tower in the reference angular position.

10. The operator vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the automatic locking device is equipped with an actuator connected to the control module, and wherein the actuator is controlled by the control module to adopt an operating configuration, in which it actuates the automatic locking device in an active position, for locking the rotating tower in the reference angular position, and a non-operating configuration, in which it actuates the automatic locking device in an inactive position, for freeing the rotating tower relative to the rotation about the main rotation axis.

Assignees

• Manitou Italia Srl

Inventors

• Iotti Marco

Classifications

• E02F9/10 Primary

  Supports for movable superstructures mounted on travelling or walking gears or on other superstructures · CPC title

• B62D49/0614

  equipped with visual aids for positioning implements or to control working condition (optical signalling for vehicles in general B60Q1/26) · CPC title

• E02F9/26

  Indicating devices {(E02F5/145 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B66F9/07

  Floor-to-roof stacking devices, e.g. "stacker cranes", "retrievers" · CPC title

• B66F9/24 Primary

  Electrical devices or systems · CPC title