Automotive construction machine and method for controlling an automotive construction machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9309632-B2
Application number	US-201514672502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

An automotive construction machine, in particular a slipform paver or a road milling machine, has at least one front running gear and one rear running gear in the working direction. As the construction machine advances, the lifting systems of the front running gear are extended or retracted such that the machine frame remains in a predetermined orientation to the surface of the ground in the longitudinal direction. Irregularities in the ground surface are detected as the construction machine advances, and the position of the front lifting systems, predetermined by the control or regulating unit, is monitored to keep the machine frame in a predetermined orientation to the ground surface. As the construction machine advances, the control of the rear lifting systems is engaged with a time delay subject to the control of the front lifting systems. Consequently, the working system of the construction machine, in particular the concrete mold or milling drum, is adjusted to the correct height with respect to the ground surface, so that the working system does not copy the course of the ground.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive construction machine, comprising:
a machine frame having a working direction;
at least one front running gear and at least one rear running gear configured to support the machine frame from a ground surface;
a working device supported from the machine frame;
front and rear lifting systems connected between the machine frame and the front and rear running gears, respectively, for adjusting a height and orientation of the machine frame relative to the ground surface; and
a control unit operably associated with the lifting systems, the control unit being configured such that:
the front lifting system is controlled such that the machine frame remains in a predetermined orientation with respect to the ground surface in the working direction as the construction machine advances;
the rear lifting system is controlled such that the working device remains at a predetermined height relative to the ground surface as the construction machine advances; and
the rear lifting system is correctively controlled with a time delay in response to control of the front lifting system so that the height of the working device relative to the ground surface is corrected by the rear lifting system at least in part to compensate for unevenness of the ground surface.

2. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit is configured such that as the construction machine advances the corrective control of the rear lifting system is in response to a variable correlating to a distance between a reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface.

3. The construction machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the reference point on the machine frame is located upstream of the rear running gear.

4. The construction machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the reference point on the machine frame is located substantially at the front running gear.

5. The construction machine of claim 2 , wherein:
the reference point on the machine frame is located upstream of the front running gear.

6. The construction machine of claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured such that:
in response to a reduction in the distance between the reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface, the rear lifting system is retracted by a corresponding retraction distance after the time delay; and
in response to an increase in the distance between the reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface, the rear lifting system is extended by a corresponding extension distance after the time delay, so that a lifting movement of the front lifting system is superimposed on a lifting movement of the rear lifting system after the time delay.

7. The construction machine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a tactile distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface.

8. The construction machine of claim 7 , wherein:
the tactile distance sensor is configured to detect a lifting position of the front lifting system.

9. The construction machine of claim 2 , further comprising:
a contact-free distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface.

10. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit includes a distance sensor configured to measure a distance travelled by the construction machine; and
the control unit is configured such that the time delay in corrective control of the rear lifting system corresponds to travel of the construction machine by a distance substantially corresponding to a distance between the front and rear running gears.

11. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the front and rear lifting systems comprise hydraulic lifting columns connecting the machine frame to the running gears, each lifting column having a longitudinal axis arranged at a right angle to a longitudinal axis of the machine frame; and
the control unit is configured such that the machine frame remains in a parallel orientation with respect to the ground surface in the working direction.

12. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit is configured to determine the orientation of the machine frame relative to the ground surface.

13. The construction machine of claim 12 , wherein the control unit further comprises:
an inclination sensor configured to determine an inclination of the machine frame relative to horizontal;
a data source configured to provide data describing an inclination of the ground surface; and
wherein the control unit is configured to determine a difference between the inclination of the machine frame relative to horizontal and the inclination of the ground surface.

14. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the construction machine is a slipform paver; and
the working device comprises a device for forming flowable material, including an outlet arranged substantially at the rear running gear relative to the working direction.

15. The construction machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the construction machine is a road milling machine; and
the working device comprises a milling drum arranged substantially at the rear running gear relative to the working direction.

16. A method for controlling an automotive construction machine, the construction machine including:
a machine frame;
a working device supported from the machine frame;
at least one front running gear and at least one rear running gear, configured to stand on a ground surface; and
front and rear lifting systems supporting the machine frame from the front and rear running gears, respectively so that a height and orientation of the machine frame are adjustable relative to the ground surface;
the method comprising:
(a) as the construction machine advances in a working direction, controlling a lifting movement of the rear lifting system such that the working device remains at a predetermined height relative to the ground surface;
(b) as the construction machine advances, controlling a lifting movement of the front lifting system such that the machine frame remains in a predetermined orientation in the working direction with respect to the ground surface; and
(c) as the construction machine advances:
(c)(1) adjusting the lifting movement of the front lifting system to compensate for an unevenness of the ground surface encountered by the front running gear; and
(c)(2) then after a time delay adjusting the lifting movement of the rear lifting system in response to the adjustment of the front lifting system in step (c)(1), to correct the height of the working device at least in part to compensate for the unevenness in the ground surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
in step (c)(2) the adjustment of the lifting movement of the rear lifting system is made in response to a variable correlating with a distance between a reference point on the machine frame and the ground surface.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reference point on the machine frame is located upstream of the rear running gear.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reference point on the machine frame is located substantially at the front running gear.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reference point on the machine frame is located upstream of the front running gear.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
in step (c)(2) the rear lifting system is retracted in response to a reduction in the distance between the reference

Assignees

• Wirtgen Gmbh

Inventors

• Fritz Matthias
• Busenbender Achim
• Barimani Cyrus
• Hähn Günter

Classifications

• E01C23/07

  Apparatus combining measurement of the surface configuration of paving with application of material in proportion to the measured irregularities (measuring means only E01C23/01 {G01B}) · CPC title

• E01C23/088

  Rotary tools, e.g. milling drums {(for forming recesses to receive marking materials E01C23/0946)} · CPC title

• E01C19/4893 Primary

  Apparatus designed for railless operation · CPC title

• E01C19/48 Primary

  for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface {, e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ (E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004)} · CPC title

• B62D55/116

  Attitude or position control of chassis by action on suspension, e.g. to compensate for a slope · CPC title