Distributed operator control for work vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9777461-B2
Application number	US-201514920553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An operator control arrangement has first and second operator controls with pluralities of first and second controls configured to provide inputs to at least one controller to control respective first and second sets of operations of machine-positioning and implement-positioning components. The first and second sets of operations include pluralities of machine-positioning and implement-positioning operations. The pluralities of first controls and/or inputs are numbered within fifty percent of the pluralities of second controls and/or inputs, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operator control arrangement for a work vehicle, the work vehicle having machine-positioning components and at least one implement movable with respect to the vehicle by implement-positioning components, the machine-positioning components and the implement-positioning components being controlled by at least one controller on board the work vehicle, the operator control arrangement comprising:
a first operator control grip having a plurality of first controls configured to provide a first set of inputs to the at least one controller to control a first set of operations of the machine-positioning components and the implement-positioning components, wherein the first set of operations includes a plurality of first machine-positioning operations and a plurality of first implement-positioning operations; and
a second operator control grip having a plurality of second controls configured to provide a second set of inputs to the at least one controller to control a second set of operations of the machine-positioning components and the implement-positioning components, wherein the second set of operations includes a plurality of second machine-positioning operations and a plurality of second implement-positioning operations;
wherein at least one of the plurality of first controls and the plurality of first inputs are numbered within fifty percent of the plurality of second controls and the plurality of second inputs, respectively.

2. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first controls include a plurality of first machine-positioning controls configured to provide a set of first machine-positioning inputs and the plurality of second controls include a plurality of second machine-positioning controls configured to provide a set of second machine-positioning inputs; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of first machine-positioning controls and the plurality of first machine-positioning inputs are numbered within fifty percent of the plurality of second machine-positioning controls and the plurality of second machine-positioning inputs, respectively.

3. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first controls include a plurality of first implement-positioning controls configured to provide a set of first implement-positioning inputs and the plurality of second controls include a plurality of second implement-positioning controls configured to provide a set of second implement-positioning inputs; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of first implement-positioning controls and the plurality of first implement-positioning inputs are numbered within fifty percent of the plurality of second implement-positioning controls and the plurality of second implement-positioning inputs, respectively.

4. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein each of a first machine-to-implement controls ratio of the first operator control and a second machine-to-implement controls ratio of the second operator control is at least 1:4.

5. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the pluralities of first and second controls each include controls controlling at least three of the pluralities of first and second machine-positioning operations and at least three of the pluralities of first and second implement-positioning operations, respectively.

6. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first and second operator controls are joystick controls, each pivotal about X and Y axes; and
wherein the pluralities of first and second controls include pivoting the first and second operator controls about the associated X and Y axes and include control switches mounted to the first and second operator controls.

7. The operator control arrangement of claim 6 , wherein pivoting the first operator control about one of the associated X and Y axes provides a steering input to turn steered wheels of the work vehicle; and
wherein at least one of the control switches of the second operator control provides at least one of a wheel lean input and an articulation input, the wheel lean input being used to change tilt angles of the steered wheels and the articulation input articulating a chassis of the work vehicle.

8. The operator control arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the work vehicle is a motor grader having a chassis and a circle and blade assembly;
wherein the chassis has a first section mounting the steered wheels to independently turn and lean with respect to the first section of the chassis, the first section of the chassis being articulately mounted with respect to a second section of the chassis; and
wherein the first section of the chassis mounts first and second actuators coupling the first section of the chassis to the circle and blade assembly.

9. The operator control arrangement of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of second controls include first and second control switches in which the first control switch is configured to provide a wheel lean input to control the lean of the steered wheels with respect to the first section of the chassis and the second control switch is configured to provide an articulation input to control the articulation of the second section of the chassis with respect to the first section of the chassis.

10. The operator control arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the first and second control switches are positioned on the second operator control so that a single movement of a single digit of an operator's hand applied to the first and second control switches simultaneously initiates the wheel lean input and the articulation input.

11. The operator control arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the first and second operator controls have first and second palm rests within finger reach of the respective pluralities of first and second controls.

12. The operator control arrangement of claim 9 , wherein the first and second control switches are first and second roller controls arranged side by side along a common roller axis.

13. The operator control arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the first and second roller controls are each pivotable about the roller axis in opposite first and second directions from a neutral position;
wherein the first roller control is configured to provide a first wheel lean input when moved in the first direction about the roller axis to effect a first lean of the steered wheels with respect to the first section of the chassis in a first lateral direction and the first roller control is configured to provide a second wheel lean input when moved in the second direction about the roller axis to effect a second lean of the steered wheels with respect to the first section of the chassis in a second lateral direction; and
wherein the second roller control is configured to provide a first articulation input when moved in the first direction about the roller axis to effect a first articulation of the second section of the chassis with respect to the first section of the chassis in a first pivotal direction and the second roller control is configured to provide a second articulation input when moved in the second direction about the roller axis to effect a second articulation of the second section of the chassis with respect to the first section of the chassis in a second pivotal direction.

14. The operator control arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the first operator control is a joystick pivotable about first and second pivot axes in which pivoting about the first pivot axis provides the steering input and pivoting about the second pivot axis provides a first blade input to drive the first actuator to adjust a height of

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Wuisan Giovanni A
• Horstman Nathan J
• Bonneau Stephen E
• Huber Ronald J
• Polzin Jed D
• Valenzuela Richard A

Classifications

• E02F3/847

  using electromagnetic, optical or acoustic beams to determine the blade position, e.g. laser beams · CPC title

• E02F3/765

  with the scraper blade being pivotable about a horizontal axis disposed perpendicular to the blade · CPC title

• E02F9/2029

  Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed (control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/2004 Primary

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title

• E02F9/2087

  Control of vehicle steering (for steering with hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/225) · CPC title