Truck-mounted concrete pump

Abstract

The invention relates to a truck-mounted concrete pump (10), having a chassis (12), having two front and two rear support outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17) which can be supported on an underlying surface via extendable support legs (18, 19, 20, 21), are each arranged on the chassis (12) and can be extended from a driving position into a supporting position with a maximum extension width and into intermediate positions, having a sensor arrangement (34, 35, 36, 37) for detecting the supporting positions of the respective support outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17), and having an articulated boom (13) which can be folded out, has a turntable (24) arranged rotatably about a vertical axis (H) and has a chain of articulatedly interconnected boom segments (13a-d) mounted articulatedly on the turntable (24), wherein the working range (72) of the articulated boom (13) is dependent on the support configuration, that is to say on the supporting positions of the support outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17) as identified by the sensor arrangement (34, 35, 36, 37), and a control device (60) is provided, which is designed to identify and enable the working range (72) of the articulated boom (13) depending on the identified support configuration. According to the invention, the control device (60) is designed to simultaneously enable at least two working ranges (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d) of the articulated boom depending on the identified support configuration (13).

Description

[0001] Truck-mounted concrete pump

[0002] The invention relates to a truck-mounted concrete pump with a chassis, two front and two rear outriggers which can be supported on a base via extendable support legs, each of which is arranged on the chassis and can be extended from a travel position into a support position with maximum extension width and into intermediate positions, with a sensor system for detecting the support positions of the respective outriggers and a foldable articulated mast which has a turntable arranged so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis and a chain of mast segments which are articulated to one another and are linked to the turntable, wherein the working range of the articulated mast depends on the support configuration, i.e. on the support positions of the outriggers detected by the sensor system, wherein a control device is designed to detect and release the working range of the articulated mast depending on the detected support configuration.

[0003] Truck-mounted concrete pumps are a well-known, state-of-the-art technology for distributing concrete on construction sites. The extended articulated boom of a truck-mounted concrete pump exerts a considerable load moment on the substructure or truck chassis, so truck-mounted concrete pumps are typically supported on the ground by four outriggers mounted on extendable outriggers. With the outriggers fully extended and supported, the fully extended articulated boom can typically rotate 360° around its vertical axis. This allows a circular area around the truck-mounted concrete pump to be reached with the articulated boom without the risk of the truck-mounted concrete pump tipping over. If the outriggers cannot be fully extended or folded down due to cramped construction site conditions, the working range of the articulated boom must be restricted to prevent the truck-mounted concrete pump from tipping over.

[0004] EP1356910 A1 discloses a method for monitoring the stability of a truck-mounted concrete pump. Sensors detect the extended positions of the outriggers. Based on the load moment of the articulated boom on the truck-mounted concrete pump, which is continuously determined by additional sensors, the movement of the articulated boom is stopped if a maximum permissible load moment for the detected support positions is exceeded. The advantage of this method is that the operator can freely select the extended positions of the outriggers when setting up the truck-mounted concrete pump. However, after the truck-mounted concrete pump has been supported, the operator does not yet know whether the area to be concreted can be completely covered by the articulated boom with the selected extended positions of the outriggers.

[0005] It is also known from EP 2 038 493 B1, for example, that in a truck-mounted concrete pump the working range of the articulated boom, i.e. the pivot angle of the slewing mechanism of the articulated boom about the vertical axis and / or the inclination of at least one boom segment, in particular the first boom segment of the articulated boom, is limited if not all of the outriggers are fully extended. For example, on construction sites with confined spaces it is common practice to fully extend only the two front outriggers and not to extend the two rear outriggers if the concreting field is in front of the driver's cab of the truck-mounted concrete pump. The control device detects the selected outrigger configuration and then releases a working range for the articulated boom that is limited to the area in front of the driver's cab of the truck-mounted concrete pump.Alternatively, the operator can select a suitable working area before supporting the truck-mounted concrete pump and extend the outriggers accordingly, adapted to the selected working area, and support the truck-mounted concrete pump. In contrast to the method from EP 1 356 910 A1, the operator of the truck-mounted concrete pump knows the working area of ​​the articulated boom before it is unfolded, i.e. the operator can estimate whether the area to be concreted can be completely reached by the articulated boom. A working area within the meaning of this patent application is determined by two limit angles for the slewing gear about the vertical axis of the articulated boom and, if applicable, by the swivel angle for the first boom segment. The working area is clearly assigned to a specific support configuration or, conversely, a specific support configuration is clearly assigned to a defined working area.Compliance with the limit angles ensures the stability of the machine during concreting. These limit angles are determined by calculations during the machine's design. Compliance with the working range is automatically monitored by the control system that controls the movement of the articulated boom.

[0006] If the control device only releases a reduced working area for a truck-mounted concrete pump because the outriggers are not fully extended, the problem arises that after the truck-mounted concrete pump has been supported, the articulated mast initially remains folded up in the mast support. In the above example, where only the two front outriggers for concreting work in front of the driver's cab are fully extended, in order to reach the intended working area, the articulated mast must first be moved into it separately, as the working area cannot be reached directly from its position in the mast support. This means that the articulated mast has to be guided through an area that has not been released as a working area by the control device. In order to achieve this without endangering the stability of the machine, the articulated mast must be unfolded and, if necessary,be rotated around the vertical axis, whereby a narrow movement corridor must generally be maintained for the first mast segment. The total permitted movement range for the articulated mast, which is required for concreting with the articulated mast and its transfer into the working area, cannot be represented in a simple form by a single working area with two limit angles each for the slewing gear and, if applicable, for the first mast segment, as described above. In the state of the art, this is generally implemented by a separate operating mode in the form of a separate transfer travel, which requires a forced sequence in the control of the articulated mast that operators often find complex and counterintuitive.

[0007] Truck-mounted concrete pumps are also offered by manufacturers in different reach categories. For example, the S36X truck-mounted concrete pump from Schwing GmbH has an articulated boom reach of approximately 36 meters, an articulated boom length of approximately 31 meters, and a support width of the two front outriggers of approximately 6.20 meters. The S47SX truck-mounted concrete pump, on the other hand, has an articulated boom reach of approximately 47 meters, an articulated boom length of approximately 41 meters, and a support width of the two front outriggers of approximately 8.95 meters. The support width of a truck-mounted concrete pump is the sum of the width of the truck chassis (usually 2.50 meters) and the extension widths of the front and rear outriggers. These different types of truck-mounted concrete pumps are referred to below as truck-mounted concrete pumps with different reach categories.

[0008] It is often desirable to operate a truck-mounted concrete pump with a reach category featuring a large outrigger width, meaning large extension widths of the individual outriggers, on a smaller construction site with a smaller available footprint because a truck-mounted concrete pump with a suitable reach category and a small outrigger width is not available. This is generally not possible with state-of-the-art truck-mounted concrete pumps because certain minimum outrigger widths or minimum extension widths are required for the truck-mounted concrete pumps to prevent the truck-mounted concrete pump from tipping over during operation with the articulated boom extended.

[0009] Against this background, it is the object of the invention to provide a truck-mounted concrete pump that can be used more flexibly on construction sites.

[0010] This problem is solved by a truck-mounted concrete pump having the features of claim 1.

[0011] Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims. It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can also be combined with one another in any technologically expedient manner, thus demonstrating further embodiments of the invention. The truck-mounted concrete pump according to the invention is characterized in particular by the fact that the control device is designed to detect and simultaneously enable at least two working areas of the articulated boom depending on the detected support configuration.

[0012] This has the particular advantage that the articulated boom can be moved intuitively back and forth between two work areas. The above-mentioned example of the work area in front of the driver's cab and the separate transfer travel required for this can thus be solved more easily, for example, by mapping the movement area required for the transfer travel using one or more separate work areas, which are also released when, as described above, only the two front outriggers are fully extended and the two rear outriggers are not extended. The operator can thus move the articulated boom relatively freely and intuitively from its folded position through an initial released work area and possibly further work areas to the work area required for concreting.A separate operating mode for the transfer journey, including the mandatory sequence that is perceived as complex and non-intuitive, is therefore no longer necessary.

[0013] Each of the operating ranges is determined by two limit angles for the slewing gear around the vertical axis of the articulated mast and by a corresponding slewing angle range for the first mast segment. Each operating range is defined by such a parameter set. The limit angles and slewing angle ranges of the various operating ranges differ from one another.

[0014] The invention takes into account the fact that the permissible range of movement of the articulated mast for a specific support configuration, i.e., the range of movement that is non-critical with regard to tipping, is inadequately defined by only two limit angles for the slewing gear and one pivot angle range for the first mast segment. This is due to the interrelationship between the permissible angular range of the slewing gear about the vertical axis and the permissible pivot angle range for the first mast segment about the associated horizontal pivot axis. The invention addresses this by enabling two or more working ranges within which the mast can move without the risk of tipping over.

[0015] Advantageously, the work areas identified and approved by the control system partially overlap. This partial overlap of the work areas also ensures the truck-mounted concrete pump's stability while the articulated boom is being moved from one approved work area to another. The articulated boom does not need to make any special, possibly monitored, movements to move from one work area to another.

[0016] Preferably, the truck-mounted concrete pump comprises a concrete pump which can be in an active or an inactive state, wherein at least one working range for the articulated boom detected and released by the control device is a pivoting range in which the concrete pump is inactive.

[0017] A working area, which in this sense is defined as a swivel or pass-through area, which the boom only passes through during the unfolding or folding process on the way to the actually required working area without the concrete pump being active, can therefore, for example, be defined somewhat larger by the control device because the concrete pump, which can trigger vibrations of the articulated boom during concrete delivery, is not active and thus the stability of the truck-mounted concrete pump is increased.

[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment, the control device only allows the activation of the concrete pump if the articulated boom is moved within defined safety limit angles for at least one released working area.

[0019] Advantageously, the truck-mounted concrete pump has a plurality of predefined reach categories, with at least one reach category being assigned reduced extension widths of the outriggers compared to the maximum extension widths. The control device is designed to limit the pivot angle α of the first boom segment, i.e., the mast segment of the articulated boom directly connected to the turntable, in accordance with the reach category. This has the advantage over the prior art that, thanks to the reach categories with reduced extension widths of the outriggers and the inventive limitation of the pivot angle of the first boom segment, a large truck-mounted concrete pump, which is actually too large for a construction site with a small footprint, can nevertheless be used on this small construction site.The reduced reach of the articulated boom due to the limitation of the swivel angle of the first boom segment is often still sufficient to cover the desired concrete application area with the articulated boom. In principle, the truck-mounted concrete pump according to the invention with a larger reach category emulates a truck-mounted concrete pump with a smaller reach category. For example, a type S47SX truck-mounted concrete pump from Schwing GmbH can be used on a construction site where only a space is available for a type S36X truck-mounted concrete pump.

[0020] Advantageously, the control device is designed to assign a reach category to the support positions of the support booms detected by the sensors.

[0021] Thus, the control device can assign a corresponding reach category based on the detected support positions of the outriggers, i.e. the detected support configuration, whereby a truck-mounted concrete pump that is too large for a construction site can still be used safely on the construction site with reduced support widths. The inventive detection and simultaneous release of at least two working ranges of the articulated boom results in a particular advantage here, since the assignment of the support positions of the outriggers detected by the sensors to a reach category may not be clear. Depending on the reach category, different working ranges with different limit angles for the slewing gear or the first mast segment may be possible. These will overlap, but one working range may not be able to be fully covered by the other.The inventive recognition of multiple work areas simultaneously avoids a potentially disadvantageous, unambiguous assignment based on any kind of prioritization. Further features, details, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and from the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. Corresponding objects or elements are provided with the same reference numerals in all figures. They show:

[0022] Figure 1: truck-mounted concrete pump according to the invention;

[0023] Figure 2a, b: Side view of truck-mounted concrete pumps with different boom folding types;

[0024] Figure 3a, b: Top view of truck-mounted concrete pumps with working area according to the state of the art;

[0025] Figure 4a, b: Top view of truck-mounted concrete pumps with working areas according to the invention;

[0026] Figures 5a, 5b: Top view of truck-mounted concrete pumps with range categories according to the invention;

[0027] Figure 6a, 6b: Rear view of truck-mounted concrete pumps with range categories according to the invention;

[0028] Figure 7: further plan view of a truck-mounted concrete pump with working areas according to the invention; and

[0029] Figure 8: schematic representation of the control of an inventive

[0030] Truck-mounted concrete pump.

[0031] Figure 1 shows a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention. The truck-mounted concrete pump 10 has a chassis 12, two front and two rear outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 which can be supported on a base via extendable support legs 18, 19, 20, 21. Each of the outriggers is arranged on the chassis 12 and can be extended from a travel position to a support position with maximum extension width and to intermediate positions. Furthermore, the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 has a foldable articulated mast 13 with a turntable 24 arranged for rotation about a vertical axis H and a chain of articulated mast segments 13a-e connected to one another, which is articulated to the turntable 24. The first mast segment 13a is pivotally connected to the turntable 24 via an articulated joint 25. The further mast segments 13b-e are connected to the preceding mast segment via articulated joints 26-29.The mast segments 13a-d can be pivoted relative to the turntable 24 and among themselves by means of hydraulic cylinders or other suitable pivot drives about the horizontal articulated joints 25-29. The turntable 24 is driven and mounted with the articulated mast 13 for rotation about the vertical axis H. A slewing gear sensor 43 detects the angle of rotation oo about the vertical axis H of the articulated mast 13. The articulated mast 13 in the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 shown in Figure 1 is designed as a so-called normal fold, i.e., the articulated mast 13, in the folded state, is arranged completely behind the driver's cab 11 and placed on the mast support 31 above, as shown here by way of example, the second mast segment 13b (see Figure 2a). The truck-mounted concrete pump shown by way of example in Figure 1 has five mast segments 13a-e. The invention is explained below using truck-mounted concrete pumps 10 with four boom segments 13a-d. Truck-mounted concrete pumps with a larger number of boom segments are also known.

[0032] Position sensors 34, 35, 36, 37 on the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 are used to detect the extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17. In the case of telescopic straight or curved outriggers 14, 15, which are frequently used as front outriggers 14, 15, cable displacement sensors or a plurality of discrete sensors, such as inductive or capacitive sensors, can be used. For the rear outriggers 16, 17, which are frequently designed as so-called folding outriggers, position sensors 36, 37, designed as angle of rotation sensors, on the joints of the folding outriggers 16, 17, can detect the extension angles.

[0033] A concrete pump 23, typically a two-cylinder piston pump with two hydraulically driven differential cylinders and two delivery cylinders, located below the articulated boom 13, draws the fresh concrete to be delivered on a construction site from the feed hopper 22 and pumps the concrete through a delivery line (not shown) routed along the extended articulated boom 13 to the tip of the articulated boom 13 and to the end hose 30 for concrete delivery. The concrete pump 23 has an active and an inactive state, i.e., it is active during the delivery of the concrete and inactive before the concrete delivery and during pumping breaks.

[0034] For a better understanding of the problem solved by the invention, the two main types of folding of an articulated mast 13 and their unfolding process are first explained with reference to Figures 2a and 2b. Figures 3a and 3b show two different working areas 72 according to the prior art, which can be assigned to different support configurations. As already explained in connection with Figure 1, Figure 2a shows a so-called normal folder. At the beginning of the unfolding process, with a normal folder, the A-joint 25 is first opened and thus the entire mast package is lifted from the mast support 31. As soon as the first mast segment 13a is vertical or almost vertical (e.g. with an angle α between 88 degrees and 92 degrees), the other joints 26, 27, 28 can be opened and thus the articulated mast 13 can be extended. If only one working area 72 in front of the driver's cab 11 is released for the articulated mast 13 (seeFigure 3a), because the two rear outriggers have not been extended or only partially extended or folded down, the articulated mast 13 must, according to the state of the art, be guided to the working area 72 by a so-called folding and unfolding assistant under strict movement specifications. Because the mast segments 13a-d of the articulated mast 13 shown in Fig. 2a are folded into one another in a quasi-roll-like manner, this is also referred to as a roll-folder. A Z-shaped arrangement of the folded mast segments 13a-d would result in a so-called Z-folder. Mixed forms of roll and Z-folding are also known.

[0035] In the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 shown in Figure 2b with an articulated boom 13 in a so-called overhead fold, the folded boom assembly of the articulated boom 13 must first be opened via the B-joint 26 until the second boom segment 13b is vertical or nearly vertical. If the A-joint 25 were opened with the articulated boom 13 folded, the second boom segment 13b would be pressed onto the driver's cab 11 with the C-joint 27. Once the second boom segment 13b is erected, the other joints 27, 28 can be opened, and the opened articulated boom 13 is finally guided beyond the driver's cab 11 to the work area by pivoting the A-joint by 160 to 180 degrees. Overhead folders are particularly interesting for long articulated masts, because the vehicle length behind the driver's cab is not sufficient to stow the individual, very long mast segments 13a-13d there.

[0036] Figures 3a and 3b show truck-mounted concrete pumps according to the prior art, in which a working area is released for each support configuration. If, as shown in Figure 3b, the released working area 72 is located to the left of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 because the two right-hand support booms 15, 17 are not extended or folded down, the articulated mast 13 of the overhead folder must be guided through areas, for example in front of the driver's cab 11, which are not permitted for a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 with a working area 72 according to the prior art. This means that, in order to reach the working area 72 to the left of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10, the unfolding process according to the prior art is strictly specified and monitored by a folding and unfolding assistant to prevent the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 from tipping over during unfolding.

[0037] Figures 4a and 4b show a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention, in which the working range 72 of the articulated boom 13 depends on the support configuration, i.e. on the support positions of the support arms 14, 15, 16, 17 detected by the sensors 34, 35, 36, 37, and a control device 60 (see Figure 7) is designed to detect and release the working range 72 of the articulated boom 13 depending on the detected support configuration, wherein the control device 60 is designed to simultaneously release at least two working ranges 72a, 72b, 72c of the articulated boom 13. The control device 60 controls the movement of the articulated mast 13 in accordance with travel commands given by an operator (e.g. by remote control), and thus automatically monitors compliance with the working areas 72, 72a, 72b, 72c.The control device 60 ensures that the articulated mast 13 always remains safely within the permissible operating ranges 72, 72a, 72b, 72c, even in the event of incorrect operation. The control device 60 converts the travel commands into control signals for the mast drives (e.g., hydraulic cylinders, swivel drive). If the operating ranges 72, 72a, 72b, 72c, i.e., the corresponding angles, are exceeded, the mast movement can be automatically stopped, for example.

[0038] In the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 shown in Figure 4a, the two front, curved outriggers 14, 15 are fully extended, while the two rear folding outriggers 16, 17 are not folded down or are only slightly folded down. The control device 60 detects this support position based on the position sensors 34, 35, 36, 37 and further detects which working areas 72a, 72b, and 72c are possible for the articulated boom 13 and releases at least two partially overlapping working areas 72a, b, c for the movement of the articulated boom 13. For the operator, this means that the articulated boom 13 can first be lifted out of the boom support 31 in the working area 72c and can also be pivoted a few degrees to the right or left.In addition, the operator could also partially or completely unfold the articulated mast 13 to the rear, i.e., beyond the feed hopper 22, because the working range 72c includes a lateral angle limitation for rotating the articulated mast 13 about the vertical axis H, but does not reduce the reach of the unfolded articulated mast 13. After the articulated mast 13 has been lifted out of the mast support 31 using the working range 72c, the first mast segment 13a can be brought into a vertical position (angle a>= 88 degrees), whereby the articulated mast 13 reaches the working range 72b. In the working range 72b, the mast package, i.e., in particular, the mast segments 13b, 13c, and 13d, could already be unfolded with the first mast segment 13a in a vertical position. In addition, the articulated boom 13 can be rotated about the vertical axis H over the right or left side of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 in the direction of the working area 72a.This means that, in contrast to the prior art, the operator has a relatively high degree of freedom for the articulated mast 13 on its way to the working area 72a, for example, to avoid obstacles. The unfolding process described in Figure 4a is particularly relevant for a standard folder, as described above.

[0039] The illustration in Figure 4b primarily relates to an overhead folder, for which the unfolding process is simplified according to the invention compared to the prior art. Based on the signals from the position sensors 34, 35, 36, 37, the control device 60 detects that the two right-hand support booms 15, 17 are not extended or only slightly extended, and that the two left-hand support booms 14, 16 are fully extended. The control device 60 releases the partially overlapping working areas 72a and 72b for this support configuration. The working area 72a initially allows the lifting and at least partial unfolding of the articulated boom package 13 toward the rear feed hopper 22.As soon as the first mast segment 13a is vertical, the articulated mast 13 can be freely rotated in the working area 72b about the vertical axis H, if necessary also via the driver's cab 11, until the articulated mast 13 is aligned about the vertical axis H in the direction of the working area 72a and can then be fully unfolded without limiting the swivel angle a of the A-joint 25.

[0040] The working area 72c located in the direction of the mast support 31 also has the advantage that the folded mast package can still be aligned around the vertical axis H during the folding process before it is deposited in the mast support 31. To enable fine adjustment of the slewing gear position during deposit, a further, not shown working area could be defined, for example, which can be used with an inclination angle of the A-joint of, for example, less than 30 degrees and which allows a slightly larger angle of rotation around the vertical axis H than the working area 72c. This additional working area could be used, for example, to pivot the mast package slightly to the side during cleaning work on the feed hopper 22.

[0041] The working areas 72a, 72b, and 72c shown in Figures 4a and 4b, which are recognized and released by the control device 60, partially overlap. This is particularly advantageous because the articulated mast 13 can only be transferred from one working area to another if the working areas overlap.

[0042] The circular working area marked 72b in Figures 4a and 4b, in which the first boom segment 13a must be vertical, can also be referred to as a pivoting or drive-through area because, due to the dynamic load from the pulsating concrete pump 23, the concrete pump 23 must be inactive in this working area 72b in order to prevent overloading of the outriggers 14, 14, 16, 17 or the tipping over of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10. During work operation, in which the articulated boom 13 can be freely moved in the working area 72a with the concrete pump 23 active, this also has the advantage that the articulated boom 13 can be temporarily transferred into the working pivoting area 72b when the concrete pump 23 is inactive, for example when avoiding obstacles or for other reasons, and then return to the working area 72a for concrete delivery.In the examples shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the two rear outriggers 16, 17 (Fig. 4a) and the outrigger 17 (Fig. 4b) are fully folded or not extended, respectively. If these rear outriggers 16, 17 are extended slightly, for example, 20% of the total extension distance, the restriction to the inactive state of the concrete pump 23 could possibly be lifted, so that concrete could also be pumped in the working area 72b.

[0043] This procedure eliminates the need for a separate implementation of the transfer runs known from the state of the art with corresponding folding and unfolding assistants, which considerably simplifies the complexity of the control software and the operation of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10.

[0044] The logic for verifying compliance with the working areas 72a, 72b, 72c is achieved by the control device 60 always monitoring the conditions for shutting down or limiting the mast movement, and if necessary, for initiating an emergency stop, for all released working areas (and safety areas). If no restrictions exist for at least one released working area 72a, 72b, 72c, any restrictions identified from other working areas 72a, 72b, 72c can be ignored. If competing restrictions exist, only the restriction with the least effect needs to be implemented.

[0045] The released working areas 72a, 72b, 72c can be displayed to the operator in a bird's eye view, for example, on a screen of an input / output device 50 arranged on the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 and / or the remote control 57. For example, an animation can also be present on the corresponding screen 50, which can be used to display, near boundary areas between two partially overlapping working areas 72a, 72b, 72c, measures (e.g., by raising the A-joint 25), that enable further pivoting of the slewing gear about the vertical axis H. If the available screen does not support this form of graphic display, a corresponding text message or audio instruction can also be output.In the embodiments illustrated and described so far, it has always been assumed that at least two adjacent outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 are fully extended or folded down. In Figure 4a, for example, these are the two front outriggers 14 and 15, and in Figure 4b, the two left outriggers 14 and 16.

[0046] In the event that the full extension or folding down of at least two adjacent support booms 14, 15, 16, 17 is not possible on a construction site, the control device 60 detects the reduced support positions via the position sensors 34, 35, 36, 37 and, in addition to limiting the angle of rotation of the articulated mast 13 about the vertical axis, as in the working areas 72a and 72c, can provide an additional reduction in the range of the articulated mast 13, for example by limiting the pivot angle a of the A-joint 25 in the working areas 72a and 72c.For the working or swivel range 72b, in which the position of the first boom segment 13a is already limited to a swivel angle a of 88-90 degrees, a further limitation of this swivel angle is not necessary, and for support widths in the range of 50-100% of the maximum support width, it can be assumed that no reach reduction of the articulated boom 13 is necessary in conjunction with the inactive concrete pump 23. However, if the actual support widths are even smaller (e.g., <50% of the maximum support width), a reach reduction or a limitation of the swivel angles of the B-joint 26 and / or the C-joint 27 and / or, if applicable, other joints can also be implemented in the working Z-swivel range 72b.Limiting the pivot angle of the B-joint 26 and / or other joints 27, 28 may also be necessary, for example, in other working areas 72a, b, c, in order to prevent, for example, a rearward load position or rearward load moment of the articulated mast 13 that endangers stability. These considerations also apply to the embodiments described in connection with Figures 4a and 4b.

[0047] The control device 60 can also assign the detected support widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 to reach categories. Figure 5a shows a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention with the maximum reach of the articulated boom 13 and with a lower reach category with reduced extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 compared to the maximum extension widths, in which the swivel angle a of the first boom segment 13a was limited according to the determined reach category. In this exemplary illustration, the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 is a type S47SX III from Schwing GmbH. With a reach height of the articulated boom of approximately 47 meters, the articulated boom 13 has a reach of approximately 41 meters from the center of the turntable 24. In order to achieve this reach without endangering the stability of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10, the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 must be extended to their maximum extension width.The support width of 8.95 meters of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 shown as an example in Figure 5a results from the truck chassis width of 2.50 meters and the extension widths of the front outriggers 14, 15 of approximately 3.2 meters each. The rear outriggers 16, 17 must be extended accordingly to the maximum support width of 9.30 meters, which corresponds to an extension width of the outriggers 16, 17 of approximately 3.4 meters. This makes this truck-mounted concrete pump 10 too large to be set up on a small construction site with a limited footprint of, for example, eight meters wide. Based on the extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17, the control unit 60 determined a reach category that corresponds to a truck-mounted concrete pump of the type S36X, as shown in Figure 5b. This truck-mounted concrete pump 10 has a reach of the articulated boom 13 of approx.31 meters from the center of the turntable with a maximum support width of the two front outriggers 14, 15 of 6.20 meters. If the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 of type S47SX III is supported with this support width, the swivel angle a of the first boom segment 13a is limited according to the determined reach category, resulting in a reduced reach of the articulated boom 13. The possible reach of the articulated boom 13 is primarily based on the required stability of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 for the extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 determined via the reach categories. The reduced reach of 31 meters indicated in Figure 5a exactly matches the maximum reach of the truck-mounted concrete pump type S36X, which is smaller according to the determined reach category (or equivalent support width).In reality, these values ​​may differ, as in this example, the reach category is defined based on the maximum support width of the smaller truck-mounted concrete pump type. The actual achievable reach of the articulated boom 13 for the larger truck-mounted concrete pump type may therefore differ upwards or downwards from the maximum reach of the smaller truck-mounted concrete pump type due to its design. Conversely, the reach category could also be defined based on the maximum reach of the articulated boom of the smaller truck-mounted concrete pump type. In this case, the maximum support width for this reach category would generally not exactly match the maximum support width of the smaller truck-mounted concrete pump type.

[0048] Figure 6a shows the rear view of a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention with an original horizontal reach of the articulated boom 13 of 41 meters at the maximum extension width of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17. In this truck-mounted concrete pump 10, the control device 60 has determined a reach category with the extension widths of the two right-hand outriggers 15, 17 reduced by approximately 50% based on the determined extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17. The pivot angle a of the first boom segment 13a is limited to approximately 80 degrees according to the selected reach category, i.e., the first boom segment 13a can be pivoted from 80 to 90 degrees, resulting in a horizontal reach of the articulated boom 13 of approximately 31 meters, as shown in Figure 6a.The footprint 70 is still sufficient for setting up the truck-mounted concrete pump 10, but in this example is so narrow that, despite the reduced extension width of the two right-hand outriggers 15, 17, the two left-hand outriggers 14, 16 cannot be extended or can only be extended to a limited extent. This means that an additional support configuration, explained in more detail below, is used, which results in a limitation of the angle of rotation of the foldable articulated boom 13 about the vertical axis H by the control device 60. Without this limitation of the angle of rotation, the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 would tip over if the articulated boom 13 were moved to the left side of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10.

[0049] In Figure 6b, for the same truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention as in Figure 6a, a reach category with the extension widths of the two right-hand outriggers 15, 17 reduced by approximately 25% was determined. The swivel angle a of the first boom segment 13a is now limited to approximately 45 degrees according to the determined reach category. This means that the first boom segment 13a can still be swiveled from 45 to 90 degrees, resulting in a reach of the articulated boom 13 of approximately 38 meters, as shown in Figure 6b. In this example, the angle of rotation of the articulated boom 13 around the vertical axis H is also limited.

[0050] According to the invention, the operator first positions the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 on the designated footprint 70 on the construction site and extends the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 as far as the footprint 70 and site operations permit, so that, for example, sufficient space remains for other activities on the construction site. As soon as the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 are extended accordingly, the operator can properly support the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 with the support legs 18, 19, 20, 21. This means that the control device 60 first checks the extended state or the extended width of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 to determine whether the minimum extension widths required to achieve certain reach categories have been reached.

[0051] The limitation of the pivot angle a of the first mast segment 13a, i.e., the mast segment 13a of the articulated mast 13 directly connected to the turntable 24, can be configured in different ways. For example, the first mast segment 13a can be fixed at an angle a of 90 degrees. If the support widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 allow higher load moments of the articulated mast 13, a movement of the first mast segment 13a can also be permitted within an angular range of 70 to 90 degrees, for example. In addition, the movement of other mast segments, in particular the second mast segment 13b, could also be limited. This would be particularly the case if the extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17 are so small that only low load moments of the articulated mast 13a are possible.

[0052] Figure 7 shows the working areas 72a, 72b, and 72d of a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention, whereby the advantages of simultaneously enabling at least two working areas in conjunction with a reduced reach category of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 are particularly clearly visible. The working area 72a to the left of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 results from the two left support booms 14 and 16 being fully extended. This means that the articulated boom 13 can be moved in the working area 72a over an angle of approximately 185° to the left of the truck-mounted concrete pump 10 without limiting the pivot angle a of the first boom segment 13a. The working area 72d, with a limitation of the pivot angle a of the first boom segment 13a, additionally allows the articulated boom 13 to be moved into an area to the right in front of the driver's cab 11.The working range 72b is assigned to a reduced reach category, in which the two left outriggers 14, 16 and the front right outrigger 15 would only need to be partially extended. Because the two left outriggers 14, 16 are fully extended in this example, i.e., the minimum outrigger width for the reduced reach category has been exceeded, the working ranges 72a and 72d can be released simultaneously. In addition, a third working range 72b is released, which, when the mast segment 13a is in the vertical position, enables a 360° rotation of the articulated mast 13 around its vertical axis H. This working range 72b can, for example, be defined as the swivel range 72b with the concrete pump 23 inactive.

[0053] Figure 8 shows a schematic representation of the control of a truck-mounted concrete pump 10 according to the invention with a five-part articulated boom 13 with an input / output device 50 and a control device 60.

[0054] The control device 60 is connected to sensors 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, which provide information about the swivel angles α, β, γ, δ, ε of the individual mast segments 13 ae and the slewing angle α. These sensors can be rotation angle sensors arranged on the articulated joints 25-29, inclination sensors on the mast segments 13 a-e, displacement sensors in the hydraulic cylinders of the articulated joints 25-28, or other suitable sensors. Sensor 38 detects the swivel angle α of the first mast segment 13a, i.e., the mast segment 13a of the articulated mast 13 directly connected to the turntable. The articulated joints 25-29, or the hydraulic cylinders or joint drives driving the articulated joints, also receive control signals from control device 60. Thus, control device 60 can detect and limit, in particular, the swivel angle α. Limiting the swivel angles β, γ, δ, ε is optionally possible.

[0055] The control device 60 is also connected to a sensor system for detecting the support positions of the respective outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17. This sensor system is formed by the position sensors 34, 35, 36, 37, which detect the extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15, 16, 17. The extension lengths of the front outriggers 14, 15 detected by these sensors are converted by the control device 60 into extension widths of the outriggers 14, 15.

[0056] List of reference symbols

[0057] 10 truck-mounted concrete pumps

[0058] 11 Driver's cab

[0059] 12 chassis

[0060] 13 articulated mast 13a-e mast arm segments

[0061] 14 Outrigger front left

[0062] 15 Outrigger front right

[0063] 16 Outrigger rear left

[0064] 17 Outrigger rear right 18 Support leg front left

[0065] 19 Support leg front right

[0066] 20 Support leg rear left 21 Support leg rear right

[0067] 22 feed hoppers

[0068] 23 Concrete pump

[0069] 24 turntables

[0070] 25 A-joint

[0071] 26 B-joint

[0072] 27 C-joint

[0073] 28 D-joint

[0074] 29 E-joint

[0075] 30 end hose

[0076] 31 Mast support

[0077] 34 Position sensor support boom front left

[0078] 35 Position sensor support boom front right

[0079] 36 Position sensor support boom rear left

[0080] 37 Position sensor support boom rear right

[0081] 38 Angle sensor A-joint (a)

[0082] 39 Angle sensor B-joint (ß)

[0083] 40 Rotation angle sensor C-joint (y)

[0084] 41 Angle sensor D-joint (ö)

[0085] 42 Angle sensor E-joint (E)

[0086] 43 Rotation angle sensor slewing gear (w)

[0087] 50 Input device

[0088] 51a,b Menu fields

[0089] 52 Support configuration selection field 53 Reach category selection field

[0090] 54 keys

[0091] 55 screen

[0092] 57 Remote control 60 Control device

[0093] 70 footprint

[0094] 71 Concreting area

[0095] 72a-d Work areas

[0096] H vertical axis

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) comprising: a chassis (12), two front and two rear outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17) which can be supported on a base via extendable support legs (18, 19, 20, 21), wherein the outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17) are each arranged on the chassis (12) and can be extended from a driving position into a support position with a maximum extension width and into intermediate positions, with a sensor system (34, 35, 36, 37) for detecting the support positions of the respective outriggers (14, 15, 16, 17), and a foldable articulated mast (13) which has a turntable (24) arranged so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis (H) and a chain of articulated mast segments (13a-e) which are articulated to one another and are connected to the turntable (24), a control device (60) which is designed to control the articulated mast (13) when executing mast movements, wherein the control device (60) is further designed to detect and release a restricted working area (72,72a) of the articulated mast (13) depending on a detected support configuration, i.e. on the support positions of the support booms (14, 15, 16, 17) detected by the sensors (34, 35, 36, 37), characterized in that the control device (60) is designed to simultaneously release at least one further working area (72b, 72c, 72d) of the articulated mast (13) depending on the detected support configuration.

2. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two working areas (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d) recognized and released by the control device (60) partially overlap.

3. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the truck-mounted concrete pump (10) has a concrete pump (23) with an active and an inactive state, wherein at least one working range (72b) for the articulated boom (13) recognized and released by the control device (60) is a pivoting range (72b) in which the concrete pump (23) is inactive.

4. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the control device (60) only permits a vertical position of the first mast segment (13a) of the articulated mast (13) during movements of the articulated mast (13) in a pivoting range (72b).

5. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the truck-mounted concrete pump (10) has a concrete pump (23) with an active and an inactive state, wherein the control device (60) only permits the activation of the concrete pump (23) if the articulated mast (10) is moved within defined safety limit angles for at least one released working area (72a, 72b, 72c, 72d).

6. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of defined range categories, wherein at least one range category is assigned reduced extension widths of the support booms (14, 15, 16, 17) compared to the maximum extension widths, and in that the control device (60) is designed to limit the pivot angle (a) of the first mast segment (13a), that is to say the mast segment (13a) of the articulated mast (13) directly connected to the turntable (24), in accordance with the range category.

7. Truck-mounted concrete pump (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the control device (60) is designed to assign a range category to the support positions of the support booms (14, 15, 16, 17) detected by the sensor system (34, 35, 36, 37).

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