Control method for machine guidance in parallel to existing longitudinal surface structure and device for applying this method

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for supporting the guidance of a machine parallel to an existing, longitudinal surface texture (1) that can be used for scanning, as well as to a device for applying this method. At least one sensor and / or signal transmitter (3) is used that automatically detects a rotation, displacement, or horizontal movement, in particular a rotary encoder. The method and device are particularly suitable for maneuvering machines that move on surfaces under their own power and have corresponding control systems for determining the direction of travel.

[0002] The following are known from the prior art: US Pat. No. 9,121,146 B2 deals with the calculation of volumes or areas, not with the guidance or control of construction machinery. It shows a device with a sensor for depth measurement. A sensor that detects rotation is not mentioned. Nor is this device intended for controlling the machine in the direction of travel.

[0003] Document DE 10 2010 022 467 A1 describes a construction machine used for surface treatment, e.g., a road milling machine. It explicitly refers to the height adjustment or leveling device. This involves the height adjustment of the machine. For this purpose, a carriage guided parallel to the construction machine is assumed as a reference. A fixed distance between this carriage and the construction machine is also mentioned. Furthermore, the possibility of measuring transverse and longitudinal inclinations is particularly discussed. Direct control of the machine in the direction of travel is not described.

[0004] Neither the technical teachings from US 9 121 146 B2 nor from DE 10 2010 022 467 A1 can solve the problems of keeping the lane.

[0005] EP 2 119 832 A1 shows another method for track guidance of a construction machine.

[0006] To better understand the procedure, the definition of surface texture should be explained at this point. According to the M OB, "Code of Practice for the Production of Surface Textures on Concrete Traffic Surfaces" of the FGSV (Road and Traffic Research Association), 2009 edition, page 5 et seq., a surface texture in road construction is a geometric shape of the surface that can be determined using wavelengths and amplitudes. Texture is defined as formations with a maximum wavelength of 500 mm. Anything beyond this represents an unevenness. An edge, as mentioned in particular in US 9 121 146 B2, is a unique contour that, in our opinion, can be regarded as having an infinite wavelength. It definitely does not have a wavelength below 500 mm. This is therefore an unevenness.Consequently, the publication in question also speaks of determining a profile and not of a texture.

[0007] Particularly in road construction when surface texturing is carried out using grinding processes, individual working paths are created one after the other. These should be executed as parallel to one another as possible with minimal overlap, or if possible without any overlap, of the adjacent paths. Until now, the machine has been guided purely manually using a rigid dipstick and / or pointer that the machine operator uses to orient himself and maneuver the machine as precisely as possible using the existing steering system. The dipstick and / or pointer, which is attached to the machine, is aligned with the texture of the adjacent path. The machine is guided in such a way that the dipstick and / or pointer is kept as constantly as possible above the orientation line. This is a highly personnel-dependent process that requires a high level of concentration and attention, as the dipstick and / or pointer must be constantly aimed at from a great distance.Constantly staring at a line can lead to a loss of concentration and fatigue. Different and / or changing conditions such as light incidence, reflections, optical irregularities on the surface, wetness, etc. can also negatively impact orientation. Particularly in areas with radii / curves, a greater impact on the overlap areas can be observed due to the process-related distance between the leveling rod and / or pointer and the actual surface treatment site. In practice, this often leads to uneven and excessively wide overlap areas between individual work passes. This compromises the homogeneity of the surface. Especially in the area of ​​road surfaces with increased requirements for noise reduction, this can lead to negative final results on the structure. In this respect, there is a need for improvement.

[0008] In the search for optimized machine guidance, experiments were also conducted with optical (e.g., camera systems) and acoustic (e.g., ultrasound) methods. As with the method described above using a dipstick and / or pointer, the influence of ambient conditions must be considered negatively. Fog, water on the surface, varying irradiation from light sources, and contamination such as mud, individual stones, and / or leaves on the surface negatively influence the results of the sensor measurements, as do changes in the surface texture, for example, due to local damage or wear of the texturing tools.

[0009] In contrast, the invention is based on the technical problem of specifying a method with which, on the one hand, parallel machine guidance with minimal overlapping areas of adjacent processing paths is possible in a simple and inexpensive manner and, on the other hand, with which the machine operator is relieved by optical orientation aids and / or automated steering, wherein the surface texture of the road surface produced meets all requirements.

[0010] To solve this technical problem, the invention teaches a method for supporting the guidance of a machine parallel to an existing, longitudinal surface texture, which can be used for scanning. This method uses at least one sensor and / or signal generator that automatically detects a rotation, displacement, or horizontal movement, in particular a rotary encoder.

[0011] For this purpose, a scanning tool and / or guide object (2), such as in particular a wire, a comb, a brush, rollers or combinations thereof, is inserted into an existing longitudinal surface structure (1) ( Fig. 1 ) that should follow the texture lines as if on rails. The tool can be pushed or pulled. The probe tool should be adjusted in size and shape to the texture that serves as a guide.

[0012] This sensing tool and / or the guided object is connected to a sensor and / or signal generator (3) which automatically detects rotation, displacement or horizontal movement (in particular a rotary encoder) in such a way that if the machine deviates from the parallel target line, a signal is emitted from the sensor and / or signal generator which reports the deviation. The sensing tool and / or the guided object, together with the sensor and / or signal generator, forms a scanning unit. This unit is fastened to the machine frame via a suitable holder, in particular by quick-action clamping devices which enable rapid attachment at variable locations. The scanning unit is aligned and fixed in the desired position via appropriate adjustment and fixing systems, in particular a height adjustment system (4) and / or a device for adjusting the horizontal position (5).

[0013] In order to achieve optimal behavior of the described system for the given work paths, various adjustment options can be used if required. X-direction / adjustment in working direction (8) ∘ Adjustment in the working direction enables the optimal position of the probe tool (2) relative to the machine to be continuously set. The optimal position can vary greatly for straight or curved work paths and is also heavily dependent on the geometry of the machine (e.g. center distances of the wheels and the position of the working tool). Y-direction / adjustment device for the horizontal position (5) ∘ For coarse / special textures, this can be used to align the probe tool in the center of the texture to ensure the best possible scanning in both directions perpendicular to the working direction. Z-direction / height adjustment system (4) ∘ Serves to adjust the height of the probe tool (2) to the texture surface. This is necessary for different types of texture structures, texture depths, probe tools, preload of the probe tool and its readjustment in the event of wear.

[0014] During the course of the work, the boundary conditions may require the sensor and / or signal generator to be corrected, particularly when there are changes in cross slope and gradient, as well as changes in radii in curved sections. Appropriate calibration devices must be provided for this purpose. In particular, the above-mentioned adjustment device for the horizontal position can be used, or computer-assisted electronic correction of the signal can be performed via operator input.

[0015] The signal from the sensor and / or signal generator can be used in different ways.

[0016] In particular, a computer can convert the signal into an imaging process for visually monitoring the machine's working direction. The signal is output on a type of monitor to indicate the deviation to the machine operator, particularly in terms of direction and magnitude, so that they can manually correct it using the machine's existing steering system. This procedure relieves the machine operator, as they no longer have to aim at the dipstick and / or pointer from a great distance. There is also no need to concentrate on the monotonous longitudinal structure. In addition to reducing the load on the machine operator, the system is also significantly more precise than aiming using the dipstick and / or pointer. Using correspondingly fine sensors, even the smallest deviations can be detected immediately and continuously. Furthermore, the susceptibility to errors due to variable boundary conditions (incidence of light, etc.) is eliminated through the automated determination of the line guidance.

[0017] Additionally or alternatively, the signal from the sensor and / or signal generator can be converted by a computer into signals directly usable by the steering control system and used to feed the automatic steering system of machines that must follow a specific line. The electrical signal can be transmitted to the machine control system via the deviation in such a way that steering impulses lead to an automated steering movement to counteract the deviation. In addition to the aforementioned advantages of reduced susceptibility to errors and more precise situation assessment than with the dipstick and / or pointer, this also further reduces the workload for the machine operator. They are thus left with only monitoring tasks.In addition, the quality of execution is further increased because not only is the line monitoring carried out continuously and automatically, but the entire machine control system can immediately and automatically counteract any deviations without the machine operator having to react.

[0018] Thanks to precise control, the overlap areas between two adjacent machining paths mentioned above can be reduced to a minimum or even eliminated completely. Furthermore, the line routing becomes more consistent. This leads overall to higher quality and homogeneity of the surface processed by the machines.

[0019] To support the monitoring activities of the machine operator, a line laser (6) can also be attached as an aid for visual inspection ( Fig. 2). This is aligned with the existing longitudinal surface structure (1). This facilitates any necessary manual correction of the direction of travel and the calibration of the sensor for input of the adjusted zero position in the new position to the computer control.

[0020] If the machine's design prevents the operator from having a direct view of the work area, an additional camera system can provide support. This allows visibility even in confined or hazardous areas, allowing the operator to monitor the machine's position in real time and take immediate action if necessary.

[0021] At the start of work, the line laser must be aligned to the outer edge of the working tool (11) or texture edge (7). This is done using a horizontal adjustment (9), which allows for continuous adjustment.

[0022] The line laser creates a line on the work surface aligned in the direction of travel, visually indicating the horizontal position and direction of the machine relative to the texture. This is important both for checking during the work process and when setting up / setting up the machine parallel to the previously processed work path, so that when approaching, the machine can be driven parallel to the work surface rather than curves. This is a significant improvement, as existing sights only display a horizontal point and not the direction.

[0023] Optionally, the above-mentioned height adjustment system for the entire scanning unit, consisting of the sensor and / or signal generator, the scanning tool and / or the guide object, etc., can also be provided in an electronic version. This facilitates the adjustment of the optimal height of the guide object in operating mode, as well as the lifting of the scanning unit when not in use (e.g., shunting, loading). List of reference symbols:

[0024] (1) Longitudinal surface texture (2) Probe tool and / or guide object (3) Sensor and / or signal generator (4) Height adjustment system (5) Adjustment device for the horizontal position (6) Line laser (7) Texture edge working path (8) Adjustment in working direction (9) Horizontal adjustment laser / camera system (10) Camera (11) Outer edge working width / tool

Claims

1. A method for supporting the guidance of a construction machine for surface processing, especially in road construction, where the construction machine includes a control system for determining the direction of travel parallel to an existing longitudinal surface texture, which is used for scanning, characterized in that at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter is used, which, together with and by means of a scanning tool and / or guide object as a scanning unit, touching the surface texture, automatically determines a rotation, displacement, and / or horizontal movement, especially a rotary encoder.

2. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method is used in a machine for grinding and grooving.

3. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the scanning tool and / or the guide object, especially a wire, a comb, a brush, rollers, or combinations thereof, is inserted into an existing longitudinal surface texture in such a way that it / they follow the lines of the texture like on rails, whereby the scanning tool and / or the guide object can be pushed or pulled.

4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the scanning tool and / or the guide object is connected to at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter in such a way that it automatically determines horizontal deviations or horizontal movement and, in the event of a lateral deviation of the machine from the parallel target line, emits a signal that reports the deviation.

5. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal of at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter is converted into a method and output as support for the machine operator, especially visually or acoustically.

6. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal of at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter is converted into impulses that are fed directly into a computer control of the machine steering to achieve automated direction correction.

7. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, in addition to a scanning unit consisting of at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter and the scanning tool / guide object, a line laser is attached, which is aligned with the existing longitudinal surface texture and supports the monitoring activity of the machine operator.

8. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, in addition to a scanning unit consisting of at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter and the scanning tool / guide object, a camera system is attached, which is aligned with the existing longitudinal surface texture and the possibly existing line laser and supports the monitoring activity of the machine operator.

9. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the entire scanning unit consisting of at least one sensor and / or signal transmitter and the scanning tool / guide object is equipped with a height adjustment system to facilitate the adjustment of the height during operation or for lifting the unit.

10. A device for supporting the guidance of a construction machine characterized by at least one sensor and / or a signal transmitter, especially a rotary encoder, and a scanning tool / guide object, which can be inserted into a longitudinal surface texture to scan it by touch, and with a computer or machine control, which is set up to execute a method according to one of the preceding claims.

11. A device according to claim 10, which is equipped with a line laser and / or a camera system to simplify monitoring work and / or adjustment and / or fixing options in the x, y, and z axes, i.e., in all directions.