Refuse vehicle with electric chassis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12502965-B2
Application number	US-202318234167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2023
Priority date	Oct 15, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A refuse vehicle includes a chassis, an energy storage device supported by the chassis, a body assembly, and a power distribution unit. The energy storage device is configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover. Activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle. The body assembly is configured for storing refuse and is supported by the chassis. The power distribution unit is coupled to the energy storage device and is configured to control power transmission outward from the energy storage device. The body assembly includes a controller that communicates with the power distribution unit to adjust a flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refuse vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
an energy storage device supported by the chassis and configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover, wherein activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle;
a body assembly supported by the chassis;
a lifting system configured to engage and lift a refuse can to deposit refuse from the refuse can into the body assembly;
a power distribution unit coupled to the energy storage device and configured to control power transmission outward from the energy storage device;
wherein the body assembly includes a controller communicating with the power distribution unit to adjust a flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly; and
a can alignment sensor in communication with the controller and configured to monitor a position of the refuse can, wherein the controller is configured to operate the prime mover in response to receiving an indication that the refuse can is outside of a target zone relative to the body assembly.

2. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an electric power take-off, wherein the electric power take-off includes a hydraulic pump and an electric motor, wherein the electric motor is configured to receive electrical power from the energy storage device to drive the hydraulic pump to convert electrical power into hydraulic power.

3. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device is a first battery assembly, wherein the body assembly includes a second battery assembly independent from the first battery assembly, and wherein the controller is configured to supply electrical power from the second battery assembly to at least one motor on the body assembly when the first battery assembly is disconnected from the body assembly.

4. The refuse vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second battery assembly is configured to supply DC electrical power to an inverter, and wherein the inverter is configured to supply AC electrical power to the at least one motor on the body assembly.

5. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lifting system includes at least two forks, and wherein the at least two forks include a laser alignment system configured to project laser light along a direction aligned with the at least two forks to indicate a current position of the at least two forks.

6. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a global positioning system configured to detect a position of the refuse vehicle, wherein the global positioning system is in communication with the controller and the controller is configured to adjust the flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly in response to receiving an indication from the global positioning system that the refuse vehicle is located in a known location.

7. The refuse vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the known location is associated with an increased travel speed, and wherein the flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly is reduced and a flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the prime mover is increased in response to receiving the indication that the refuse vehicle is located in the known location.

8. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle range extender coupled to the body assembly, wherein the vehicle range extender includes a turbine generator configured to supply electrical power from the body assembly to the prime mover to drive the refuse vehicle.

9. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one operational parameter of the refuse vehicle in response to detecting an operator identity within the refuse vehicle, and wherein the at least one operational parameter is adjusted based upon a known experience level of the operator associated with the operator identity.

10. The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the body assembly includes a sensor configured to measure at least one of a volume or mass of refuse received within the body assembly and, in response to detecting that at least one of the volume or mass of refuse received within the body assembly exceeds a threshold value, initiate a compactor stroke to compact the refuse received within the body assembly.

11. A refuse vehicle comprising:
a chassis;
an energy storage device supported by the chassis and configured to provide electrical power to a prime mover, wherein activation of the prime mover selectively drives the refuse vehicle;
a body assembly for storing refuse therein supported by the chassis, the body assembly including a plurality of actuators including a first actuator and a second actuator;
a global positioning system configured to detect a position of the refuse vehicle; and
a controller operatively coupled to the global positioning system and configured to adjust a flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly to autonomously perform a sequence of predetermined operations of the actuators in response to receiving an indication from the global positioning system that the refuse vehicle is located in a predetermined location, the sequence of predetermined operations comprising a first predetermined operation of the first actuator and a second predetermined operation of the second actuator.

12. The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising a power distribution unit coupled to the energy storage device and configured to control power transmission outward from the energy storage device, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the power distribution unit to adjust the flow of electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly.

13. The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the flow of the electrical power from the energy storage device to the body assembly to autonomously perform the sequence of predetermined operations of the actuators in response to receiving an indication from the global positioning system that the refuse vehicle has entered the predetermined location while traveling in reverse.

14. The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the sequence of predetermined operations of the actuators is an ejection cycle to remove the refuse from the body assembly.

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Davis Emily
• Rocholl Joshua D
• Weckwerth Clinton T
• Hoover Vincent
• Moore Michael R
• Mueller Samuel
• Verhagen Jeff
• Andringa Jeremy
• Steffens Greg
• Koga Jeffrey

Classifications

• B60W10/30

  including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps · CPC title

• B65F3/00

  Vehicles particularly adapted for collecting refuse (vehicles in general B60; driving vehicle equipment or auxiliaries B60K; discharging contents by tilting entire vehicles B65G; wheeled apparatus for emptying sewers or cesspools E03F7/10) · CPC title

• B60L2200/40

  Working vehicles · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• B65F2003/146

  Sensors, e.g. pressure sensors · CPC title