Ergonomic vehicle cab

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023278425-A1
Application number	US-202318110947-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2023
Priority date	Mar 7, 2022
Publication date	Sep 7, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A refuse vehicle includes a controller having a processor and at least one memory. The controller is in communication with a control console on a first side of a cab and a control console on a second side of a cab. The controller is configured to detect a presence of an operator in a seat on the first side or a seat on the second side based on a signal from a camera, a weight sensor, or an ignition, and in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, enable a vehicle operator interface of the control console on the first side and disable a vehicle operator interface of the control console on the second side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refuse vehicle, comprising:
a chassis coupled to a wheel, the chassis including a first portion and a second portion; an energy storage system supported by the chassis; a drive motor coupled to the wheel and configured to receive electrical energy from the energy storage system and provide rotational mechanical energy to the wheel; a cab supported by the first portion of the chassis and defining a first side and a second side, each of the first side and the second side includes a seat and a control console coupled to the seat; a refuse compartment supported by the second portion of the chassis; and a controller having a processor and at least one memory, the controller being in communication with the control console on the first side and the control console on the second side and being configured to:
detect a presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on a signal from a camera, a weight sensor, an ignition, or an activation switch; and
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, enable a vehicle operator interface of the control console on the first side and disable a vehicle operator interface of the control console on the second side.

2 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the ignition comprises a first ignition arranged on the first side and a second ignition arranged on the second side.

3 . The refuse vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on an activation signal from the first ignition or the second ignition.

4 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on image data from the camera, and wherein the camera is arranged within an interior of the cab.

5 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on the weight sensor detecting a weight in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side above a threshold weight.

6 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle operator interface of the control console on the first side is a first joystick and the vehicle operator interface of the control console on the second side is a second joystick.

7 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface arranged within an interior of the cab.

8 . The refuse vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, adjust an orientation of one or more graphical buttons on the user interface to be closer to the first side than the second side.

9 . The refuse vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the controller is configured to detect the presence of an operator based on activation of the activation switch.

10 . A refuse vehicle, comprising:
a chassis coupled to a wheel, the chassis including a first portion and a second portion; an energy storage system supported by the chassis; a drive motor coupled to the wheel and configured to receive electrical energy from the energy storage system and provide rotational mechanical energy to the wheel; a cab supported by the first portion of the chassis and defining a first side and a second side; a refuse compartment supported by the second portion of the chassis; a camera arranged within an interior of the cab; a user interface arranged within the interior of the cab; and a controller having a processor and at least one memory, the controller being in communication with the camera and the user interface and being configured to:
detect a presence of an operator in the first side or the second side based on image data from the camera; and
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, adjust an orientation of one or more graphical buttons on the user interface to be closer to the first side than the second side.

11 . The refuse vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, enable a drive component on the first side of the cab and disable a drive component on the second side of the cab.

12 . The refuse vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the drive component on the first side of the cab and the drive component on the second side of the cab are both one of a pedal, a steering wheel, a joystick, or a graphical button.

13 . The refuse vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a first weight sensor configured to detect a weight on a seat on the first side of the cab and a second weight sensor configured to detect a weight on a seat on the second side of the cab.

14 . The refuse vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to detect the presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on the image data and a signal from the first weight sensor or the second weight sensor.

15 . The refuse vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the signal from the first weight sensor or the second weight sensor indicates that the weight in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side is above a threshold weight.

16 . A refuse vehicle, comprising:
a chassis coupled to a wheel, the chassis including a first portion and a second portion; an energy storage system supported by the chassis; a drive motor coupled to the wheel and configured to receive electrical energy from the energy storage system and provide rotational mechanical energy to the wheel; a cab supported by the first portion of the chassis and defining a first side and a second side, each of the first side and the second side includes a seat; a refuse compartment supported by the second portion of the chassis; a first weight sensor configured to detect a weight on the seat on the first side; a second weight sensor configured to detect a weight on the seat on the second side; and a controller having a processor and at least one memory, the controller being in communication with the first weight sensor and the second weight sensor and being configured to:
detect a presence of an operator in the seat on the first side or the seat on the second side based on the first weight sensor or the second weight sensor detecting a weight above a threshold weight; and
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, enable a drive component on the first side of the cab and disable a drive component on the second side of the cab.

17 . The refuse vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the drive component on the first side of the cab and the drive component on the second side of the cab are both one of a pedal, a steering wheel, a joystick, or a graphical button.

18 . The refuse vehicle of claim 16 , further comprising a user interface arranged within an interior of the cab.

19 . The refuse vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
in response to detecting the presence of an operator on the first side of the cab, adjust an orientation of one or more graphical buttons on the user interface to be closer to the first side than the second side.

20 . The refuse vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to detec

Assignees

• Oshkosh Corp

Inventors

• Miller Amanda
• Steffens Greg
• Rausch Andrew

Classifications

• B60K35/00 Primary

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60K35/658

  the instruments being ergonomically adjustable to the user · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K37/20

  Dashboard panels · CPC title