Electric grasping apparatus for refuse vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897121-B2
Application number	US-202217885311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2022
Priority date	May 3, 2019
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, multiple tractive elements, a reach assembly, and a lift assembly. The multiple tractive elements are coupled with the chassis and configured to support the refuse vehicle. The reach assembly is coupled with the refuse vehicle. The lift assembly is coupled with the reach assembly. The lift assembly includes a track and a fully-electric grabber assembly. The track includes a straight portion and a curved portion. The fully-electric grabber assembly can ascend or descend the track and includes a carriage, a first grabber arm, a second grabber arm, and an electric motor. The carriage is configured to movably couple with the track. The first grabber arm and the second grabber arm are pivotally coupled with the carriage at opposite ends of the carriage. The electric motor is configured to drive the first grabber arm and the second grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refuse vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
a plurality of tractive elements coupled with the chassis and configured to support the refuse vehicle;
a reach assembly coupled with the refuse vehicle; and
a lift assembly coupled with the reach assembly, the lift assembly comprising:
a track including a straight portion and a curved portion; and
a fully-electric grabber assembly configured to ascend or descend the track, the fully-electric grabber assembly comprising:
a carriage configured to movably couple with the track;
a first grabber arm and a second grabber arm rotatably coupled with the carriage at opposite ends of the carriage; and
an electric motor configured to drive one of the first grabber arm or the second grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage;
wherein the electric motor is configured to output torque through an output driveshaft and drive the first grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage through a plurality of gears, wherein the plurality of gears comprise:
a first gear rotatably coupled with the carriage and translationally fixedly coupled with the carriage at an axis radially offset from a center of the first gear and configured to receive the output torque from the output driveshaft to rotate about the axis;
an intermediate gear configured to be driven by the first gear, wherein the intermediate gear is rotatably coupled with the first gear through a rotatable linkage that extends between the center of the first gear and a center of the intermediate gear; and
an arm gear fixedly coupled with the first grabber arm and configured to be driven by the intermediate gear to pivot the first grabber arm.

2. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gears form an eccentric gear train.

3. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gears are configured to rotate about axes that are substantially parallel with an axis about which the first grabber arm rotates.

4. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gears are a first plurality of gears, and the electric motor is a first electric motor, the fully-electric grabber assembly further comprising a second electric motor and a second plurality of gears configured to drive the second grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage independently of operation of the first electric motor.

5. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first gear and the intermediate gear have a same number of teeth.

6. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the arm gear comprises teeth along only a portion of an outer periphery.

7. A fully-electric grabber assembly for a refuse vehicle, the fully-electric grabber assembly comprising:
a carriage configured to movably couple with a track of the refuse vehicle;
a first grabber arm rotatably coupled with the carriage at a first end of the carriage;
a second grabber arm rotatably coupled with the carriage at a second end of the carriage;
an electric climb system comprising an electric climb motor configured to drive a pinion, the pinion configured to engage the track of the refuse vehicle to move the fully-electric grabber assembly along the track; and
an electric gripping system comprising:
an electric motor;
an eccentric gear train comprising a plurality of gears configured to be driven by the electric motor and drive one of the first grabber arm or the second grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage, wherein the plurality of gears comprise:
a first gear rotatably coupled with the carriage and translationally fixedly coupled with the carriage at an axis radially offset from a center of the first gear and configured to receive output torque from an output driveshaft of the electric motor to rotate about the axis;
an intermediate gear configured to be driven by the first gear, wherein the intermediate gear is rotatably coupled with the first gear through a rotatable linkage that extends between the center of the first gear and a center of the intermediate gear; and
an arm gear fixedly coupled with the first grabber arm and configured to be driven by the intermediate gear to pivot the first grabber arm.

8. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of gears of the eccentric gear train are configured to rotate about axes that are substantially parallel with an axis about which the first grabber arm rotates.

9. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the eccentric gear train is a first eccentric gear train, and the electric motor is a first electric motor, the fully-electric grabber assembly further comprising a second electric motor and a second eccentric gear train configured to drive the second grabber arm to rotate relative to the carriage independently of operation of the first electric motor.

10. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first gear and the intermediate gear have a same number of teeth.

11. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the arm gear comprises teeth along only a portion of an outer periphery.

12. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the arm gear is configured to rotate about an axis about which the first grabber arm rotates.

13. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 7 , wherein the eccentric gear train is positioned at least partly within an inner volume of the carriage.

14. A fully-electric grabber assembly comprising:
a carriage;
a grabber arm pivotally coupled at an end of the carriage;
an electric motor configured to drive an output driveshaft;
a first gear rotatably coupled with the carriage at an axis radially offset from a center of the first gear, the first gear configured to be driven by the output driveshaft to rotate about the axis;
an intermediate gear configured to be driven by the first gear, wherein the intermediate gear is rotatably coupled with the first gear through a rotatable linkage that extends between the center of the first gear and a center of the intermediate gear; and
an arm gear fixedly coupled with the grabber arm and configured to be driven by the intermediate gear to pivot the grabber arm.

15. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first gear, the intermediate gear, and the arm gear form an eccentric gearing system.

16. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first gear and the intermediate gear have a same number of teeth.

17. The fully-electric grabber assembly of claim 14 , wherein the arm gear comprises teeth along only a portion of an outer periphery.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Buege Wallace
• Schimke Martin
• Rocholl Joshua D
• Kappers Jerrod
• Kotloski Andrew

Classifications

• B65F2003/0269

  capable of moving along the side of the vehicle · CPC title

• B65F3/02

  with means for discharging refuse receptacles thereinto (conveyor construction B65G; loaders separate from vehicles B66F; fluid power control systems in general F15B) · CPC title

• F16H2035/001

  Gearings with eccentrically mounted gears, e.g. for cyclically varying ratio · CPC title

• Y10S901/38

  Electric motor · CPC title

• B65F3/08 Primary

  Platform elevators or hoists with guides or runways for raising or tipping receptacles {(pivotable guides or runways B65F3/041)} · CPC title