Method and arrangement to control the operation of a wood-handling device in a work machine, and a forest machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11937554-B2
Application number	US-201816476365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A method for controlling operation of a wood-handling device in a work machine. The wood-handling device is attached through a rotation device to an end of a set of booms of the work machine to create a desired orientation of the wood-handling device for the operation. The orientation of the wood-handling device using the rotation device is tied on the basis of the operation to be performed using the set of booms. The orientation of the wood-handling device is tied to the position of the end of the set of booms. The position of the end of the set of booms is defined while performing the operation, on the basis of the position of the end of the set of booms. The wood-handling device is oriented using the rotation device, according to the said tie.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling an operation of a wood-handling device in a work machine, which wood-handling device is attached through a rotation device to an end of a set of booms of the work machine to create a desired orientation of the wood-handling device for the operation, the method comprising the steps of:
tying the orientation of the wood-handling device performed using the rotation device on the basis of the operation to be performed using the set of booms and the position of the end of the set of booms;
defining the position of the end of the set of booms while performing the operation; and
orienting the wood-handling device using the rotation device according to the tying step.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising tying the orientation of the wood-handling device corresponding to the position of the end of the set of booms, for a repetition of the operation to be performed, using the set of booms in at least two positions of the end of the set of booms.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising tying the orientation of the wood-handling device corresponding to the position of the end of the set of booms, for the repetition of the operation to be performed, using the set of booms in at least two positions of the end of the set of booms, by recording the orientation of the wood-handling device in at least two positions of the end of the set of booms in a memory of the work machine's control system.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
storing path-of-movement data of the operation to be performed using the set of booms or the position data of the end of the set of booms, and when performing the operation using the set of booms, changing the position of the end of the set of booms according to the stored path-of-movement data or the position data of the end of the set of booms.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the steps are performed before the operation to be performed using the set of booms.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the steps are performed before the operation to be performed using the set of booms.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising tying the orientation of the wood-handling device to the position of the end of the set of booms, which forms a point group in a location space.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising tying the orientation of the wood-handling device to the position of the end of the set of booms, which forms a location volume in a location space.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood-handling device is a grab for handling trees or other objects or moving them from one place to another.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising tying the orientation of the grab to the position of the end of the set of booms when the grab is without a load.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising tying the orientation of the grab to the position of the end of the set of booms when there is a load in the grab.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
when defining the position of the end of the set of booms, defining rotation angle of the set of booms; and
tying the orientation of the wood-handling device to the rotation angle of the set of booms.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
when performing an operation using the set of booms, using a sensor to observe the operating environment to detect obstacles;
creating a control signal, on the basis of the observation of the sensor, the defined position of the end of the set of booms, and the target point of the end of the set of booms, to guide the operation of the rotation device and/or the end of the set of booms to the target position or point, while avoiding the detected obstacles and
orienting the wood-handling device, on the basis of the defined position of the end of the set of booms and the created control signal, by the rotation device according to the tying step.

14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the grab comprises jaws arranged to open and close, and further comprising orienting the grab using the rotation device so that in connection with a load space, the movement of the grab's jaws, when opening and closing, takes place mainly on a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the trees to be arranged into the load space.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the grab comprises jaws arranged to open and close, and further comprising orienting the grab using the rotation device, so that in connection with a stack or heap, a movement of the jaws of the grab, when opening and closing, takes place on a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the trees to be arranged in the stack or heap.

16. An arrangement for controlling an operation of a wood-handling device in a work machine, comprising:
a set of booms attached to the work machine;
operating devices for handling of trees by the work machine, arranged to change a position of an end of the set of booms;
a rotation device;
a wood-handling device attached to an end of the set of booms through the rotation device for creating a desired orientation in the wood-handling device for the operation;
a position determining sensor to determine the position of the end of the set of booms and the orientation of the wood-handling device relative to the work machine when performing the operation; and
a control means for tying the orientation of the wood-handling device performed using the rotation device on the basis of the operation to be performed using the set of booms and the position of the end of the set of booms and for orienting the wood-handling device using the rotation device according to the tying.

17. The arrangement according to claim 16 , wherein the control means is operative for: tying the orientation of the wood-handling device performed using the rotation device on the basis of the operation to be performed using the set of booms and the position of the end of the set of booms; defining the position of the end of the set of booms while performing the operation; and orienting the wood-handling device using the rotation device according to the tying step.

18. A forest machine, wherein the forest machine comprises an arrangement according to claim 16 .

19. A forest machine, wherein the forest machine is arranged to implement a method according to claim 1 .

20. A computer software product for controlling an operation of a wood-handling device in a work machine, wherein the product comprises program-code means stored on a computer-readable media/storage device, which program-code means are arranged to perform at least some of the steps according to claim 1 , when the program is run on a computer.

21. An apparatus, comprising a memory unit for storing program code and a processor for performing the program code, wherein when performing the apparatus implements at least some of the steps according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Ponsse Oyj

Inventors

• Tossavainen Jukka
• Tanskanen Terho

Classifications

• A01G23/006 Primary

  Log skidders · CPC title

• A01G23/083

  Feller-delimbers · CPC title

• B66C1/585

  Log grapples · CPC title

• B66C1/68

  mounted on, or guided by, jibs (jibs B66C23/64) · CPC title

• B66C13/085

  electrical · CPC title