Soil compacting machine and method for operating a soil compacting machine

The soil compaction machine adjusts speed based on inclination to enhance energy efficiency and safety by using sensors to control the drive motor, addressing energy and reliability issues during downhill operations.

EP4610428A1Pending Publication Date: 2025-09-03BOMAG GMBH
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Patent Information

Application Number
EP2025158829
Authority / Receiving Office
EP · EP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-03-01
Filing Date
2025-02-19
Publication Date
2025-09-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing soil compaction machines face challenges in energy efficiency and operational reliability, particularly during downhill travel, where excessive speeds can compromise safety and increase power consumption.

Method used

A hand-held soil compaction machine equipped with an electric drive motor, a rechargeable battery, and a control device that adjusts the speed of the drive motor based on the inclination angle to maintain a constant speed during downhill travel, using sensors to determine the machine's direction and inclination.

Benefits of technology

The solution enhances energy efficiency by reducing power consumption and ensures operational safety by maintaining a consistent speed and preventing excessive accelerations during downhill travel without affecting the compaction function.

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Abstract

The invention relates to a soil compaction machine (1), in particular a hand-guided soil compaction machine. The soil compaction machine (1) comprises a drive motor (6) and an excitation unit (7) driven by the drive motor (6), by means of which a base plate (4) can be set into vibration. The excitation unit (7) is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting direction of force action in order to move the soil compaction machine forward. The soil compaction machine further comprises a travel parameter determination device (9) for determining a direction of travel and an angle of inclination α of the base plate in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal. Furthermore, a control device (10) is provided for reducing a speed of the drive motor as a function of the determined angle of inclination α during a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine.Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a soil compaction machine.
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Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a soil compaction machine, in particular a hand-held soil compaction machine, such as a hand-held vibrating plate for soil compaction.

[0002] Generic vibratory plates, plate vibrators or vibration plates are known, for example, from DE 10 2012 017 777 A1, DE 20 2016 005 059 U1 and EP 3 491 193 A1 by the applicant. These are hand-held or remote-controlled machines that are used to compact soil material, for example asphalt, sand, gravel or earth. They typically have a drive motor, for example an internal combustion engine that runs on petrol, diesel or natural gas. Single-cylinder engines are common, for example. Alternatively, electric motors can also be used. The drive motor is used, for example, to drive a so-called excitation unit. This typically comprises at least one unbalanced mass that is set in rotation by the drive motor. This can be done, for example, with the interposition of a suitable gearbox. The actual contact with the ground is achieved by means of a base plate orGround contact plate. The base plate is also referred to as the substructure. The exciter unit can be mounted directly on the base plate. A support plate or machine frame, which carries the drive motor and / or an energy storage unit and / or other components, such as a water tank, can be connected to the base plate, usually via suitable buffer elements. This support plate is also referred to as the superstructure. A guide element, such as a guide drawbar or a guide bar, can be hinged to the support plate. With the help of the exciter unit, the base plate or ground contact plate of the vibrating plate can be set into vibration. In other words, the base plate is subjected to dynamic forces during operation of the vibrating plate, which compacts the subsoil.The maximum amplitudes of the resulting vibration movement can be directed and adjustable, for example to achieve self-propulsion of the vibrating plate.

[0003] Due to the constantly increasing demand for energy efficiency and operational reliability, the object of the present invention is to provide a soil compaction machine which is improved in this regard.

[0004] The problem is solved with a soil compaction machine and a method for operating a soil compaction machine according to the independent claims. Preferred developments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0005] According to one aspect of the invention, a soil compaction machine is provided. Typically, the soil compaction machine is a hand-held soil compaction machine, for example, a vibrating plate, in particular a reversible vibrating plate. However, the soil compaction machine can also be a remote-controlled soil compaction machine. The soil compaction machine according to the invention comprises a drive motor and an excitation unit driven by the drive motor, by which a base plate can be set into vibration. Typically, the drive motor is an electric motor connected to a battery, in particular a rechargeable battery. The excitation unit is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting force action direction in order to move the soil compaction machine forward.Furthermore, the soil compaction machine comprises a driving parameter determination device for determining a direction of travel and an inclination angle α of the base plate in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal and / or a reference that is fixed to the horizontal. The driving parameter determination device is preferably arranged on the superstructure of the soil compaction machine. Furthermore, the soil compaction machine comprises a control device for controlling, in particular reducing, a speed of the drive motor as a function of the determined inclination angle α during a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine. Alternatively or additionally, the control device can be designed to change the resulting force action direction of the excitation unit as a function of the determined inclination angle α during a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine, in particular in order to set a desired driving speed.

[0006] This advantageously provides a soil compaction machine that is improved in terms of the required drive energy and its operational reliability. In particular, the vibration speed, i.e., the speed of the drive motor, can be reduced during downhill travel without adversely affecting the working function, thus reducing the power requirement during downhill travel.

[0007] Furthermore, the increase in speed of the soil compaction machine during downhill travel can advantageously be reduced or even prevented. A particularly advantageous feature is that, as a result of the speed reduction depending on the measured inclination angle α, the speed of the soil compaction machine, in particular the speed of travel in the direction of travel, can be kept constant during downhill travel. This advantageously increases the safety of machine operation by automatically reducing or even preventing excessive speeds, in particular accelerations, of the soil compaction machine during downhill travel. A further advantage is that the increase in operational safety is achieved without interfering with the travel direction control.With an electronic speed control as described here, the change in the vibration speed and thus the operational reliability can be implemented particularly easily and cost-effectively.

[0008] Typically, the control device is configured to regulate the speed of the drive motor such that, depending on the specific inclination angle α, a constant speed of the soil compaction machine is ensured during downhill movement, particularly in the forward or reverse direction. In other words, the control device is designed to adjust the speed of the drive motor according to the inclination angle of the terrain during downhill movement to ensure smooth movement of the soil compaction machine during downhill movement on sloping terrain.

[0009] The driving parameter determination device typically comprises at least one acceleration sensor. An acceleration sensor is a detector or measuring device used to measure changes in the speed or acceleration of an object. The acceleration sensor measures, for example, the acceleration forces acting on the sensor and converts them into electrical signals, which can then be processed by a microcontroller or other electronic device, for example, the control device described herein. The acceleration sensor can be configured to determine accelerations in the x-, y-, and / or z-axis in addition to or alternatively with single-axis acceleration sensors, which measure accelerations only in one spatial axis, and / or with multi-axis acceleration sensors, which measure accelerations in two or more spatial directions.In particular, the acceleration sensor may, for example, be a dual-axis acceleration sensor. A "dual-axis acceleration sensor" is designed to measure acceleration in two different directions, particularly orthogonal directions. For example, a dual-axis acceleration sensor could measure acceleration along the x- and y-axes, ignoring the z-axis. As illustrated in the figures, the x-axis extends in the horizontal direction, the y-axis in the vertical direction, and the z-axis is orthogonal to the x- and y-axes. Typically, the acceleration sensor described herein is configured and mounted in a position to measure accelerations in the horizontal direction (i.e., along the x-axis) and in the vertical direction (i.e., along the y-axis).

[0010] Furthermore, the acceleration sensor is designed such that the acceleration sensor signals can be transmitted to the control device. For example, the acceleration sensor signals can be transmitted to the control device via a cable or wirelessly.

[0011] According to one embodiment, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the driving parameter determination device comprises low-pass filtering to filter out vibrations of the excitation unit from the acceleration sensor signals. Low-pass filtering is a signal processing concept used to reduce or remove high-frequency signals and allow only low-frequency signals to pass through. In this case, low-pass filtering is used to filter out the vibrations generated by the excitation unit from the acceleration sensor signals. By applying low-pass filtering, the acceleration sensor signals can be cleaned of the interfering vibrations to obtain accurate information about the actual acceleration or movement of the soil compaction machine.

[0012] Furthermore, the driving parameter determination device is typically configured to determine the inclination angle α from the low-pass filtered signals of the acceleration sensor in the direction of gravitational acceleration (i.e., in the vertical direction). In other words, the driving parameter determination device is typically configured to determine the inclination angle α from the low-pass filtered signals of the acceleration sensor, using the direction of gravitational acceleration to enable accurate measurements of the inclination angle.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving parameter determination device is typically configured to determine a vibration direction vector from the signals of the acceleration sensor, in particular the unfiltered signals, in order to determine the direction of travel of the soil compaction machine. In particular, the driving parameter determination device is configured to analyze the signals with respect to a phase shift of a vibration frequency in the vertical and horizontal directions in order to determine the direction of travel.

[0014] According to one embodiment, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the driving parameter determination device is further configured to determine an inclination angle β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal or a reference plane fixed to the horizontal. By measuring the inclination angle β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal, the lateral inclination of the soil compaction machine can be determined. The control device can further be configured to stop the drive motor if a critical inclination angle β crit is exceeded.

[0015] Preferably, the soil compactor is a reversible plate compactor. "Reversible" in this context means that the plate compactor can vibrate in both directions, forward and backward, or, due to the generated vibration movement, can cause propulsion in or against a defined forward direction. This allows the operator to move the plate compactor both forward and backward, for example, to achieve uniform soil compaction and / or to facilitate maneuvering of the plate compactor. The plate compactor generates vibrations that compact the soil by pressing the particles closer together. This is particularly useful for jobs such as compacting subgrades prior to the construction of foundations, sidewalks, or roads.The reversible function offers flexibility and efficiency in compaction work, as the operator can change the direction depending on the requirements of the terrain and the work situation.

[0016] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for operating a soil compaction machine is provided. The method comprises, in a step (a), setting a base plate into vibration by means of an excitation unit driven by a drive motor. The excitation unit is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting direction of force action in order to move the soil compaction machine forward. Furthermore, in a step (b), the method comprises determining a direction of travel of the soil compaction machine. Furthermore, in a step (c), the method comprises determining an angle of inclination α of the base plate in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal. Furthermore, in a step (d), the method comprises reducing a speed of the drive motor depending on the determined angle of inclination α upon detecting a downward movement of the soil compaction machine.It should be noted that steps (b) and (c) can be performed sequentially, simultaneously or in reverse order.

[0017] According to an embodiment which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the method comprises in a step (e) regulating the rotational speed of the drive motor such that, depending on the determined angle of inclination α, a constant speed of the soil compaction machine is ensured during the downhill movement, in particular in the forward or reverse direction of the machine.

[0018] It can preferably be provided that steps (d) and / or (e) are performed in a threshold- or limit-dependent manner. This means that the reduction and / or regulation of the speed of the drive motor is only carried out above a defined speed and / or speed increase and / or a defined slope gradient and / or slope gradient change.

[0019] According to one embodiment, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the method comprises, in a step (f), determining an inclination angle β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal. Furthermore, in a step (g), the method can comprise stopping the drive motor upon detecting that a critical inclination angle β crit has been exceeded.

[0020] The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for implementation in a soil compaction machine according to the invention.

[0021] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, from which further advantages and modifications emerge. The figures schematically show: Figure 1: a side view of a soil compaction machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure; Figure 2: a side view of the soil compaction machine for explaining a forward movement in a horizontal plane; Figure 3: a side view of the soil compaction machine for explaining an upslope movement in a forward direction; Figure 4: a side view of the soil compaction machine for explaining a downslope movement in a forward direction; Figure 5: a front view of the soil compaction machine for explaining a lateral inclination of the soil compaction machine; and Figure 6: a block diagram for schematically illustrating a method for operating a soil compaction machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Various embodiments are described below, one or more examples of which are shown in each figure. Each example is provided for illustrative purposes and is not intended to be limiting. For example, features shown or described as part of one embodiment may be used on or in conjunction with any other embodiment to obtain a further embodiment. The present disclosure is intended to encompass such modifications and variations.

[0023] In the following description of the figures, the same reference numbers refer to the same or similar components. Generally, only the differences between the individual embodiments are described. Unless otherwise noted, the description of a part or aspect in one embodiment may also refer to a corresponding part or aspect in another embodiment.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a side view of the soil compaction machine 1, in particular a vibrating plate, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In Figure 1The soil compaction machine 1 is shown on a horizontal surface U, with the forward direction V and the reverse direction R being indicated for a movement of the soil compaction machine 1. Furthermore, the coordinate system shown in the figures indicates the horizontal direction x, the vertical direction y, and a lateral direction z perpendicular to the xy plane.

[0025] As exemplified in Figure 1As shown, the soil compaction machine typically has a guide device, for example a guide drawbar 2 or a guide bar, with operating elements 3, via which an operator can control the soil compaction machine, in particular a vibrating plate. The guide drawbar 2 is arranged at the rear end of the soil compaction machine 1 in the forward direction V. During operation, the soil compaction machine 1 is guided over the soil to be compacted with a base plate 4, either in the forward direction V or in the reverse direction R.

[0026] The soil compaction machine 1 comprises an excitation unit 7, for example an unbalance vibration excitation unit, which is driven by a drive motor 6. The excitation unit 7, driven by the drive motor 6, can cause a base plate 4 to vibrate. Figure 1The drive motor 6 is concealed by a housing 8, as indicated by the dashed lines. The drive motor 6 is typically mounted on a support plate 5 or a machine frame, which is connected to the base plate 4 via damping elements. The drive motor 6 can also be arranged directly on the base plate 4.

[0027] The excitation unit 7 is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting direction of force action, whereby the soil compaction machine 1 can be moved, as will be explained in more detail below in connection with Figure 2 is explained.

[0028] In addition, the soil compaction machine 1 comprises a driving parameter determination device 9, which is typically arranged on the superstructure 11 of the soil compaction machine 1. The driving parameter determination device 9 is designed to determine a direction of travel and an inclination angle α of the base plate (see Figures 3 and 4) in the direction of travel relative to the horizontal or a reference fixed to the horizontal. Furthermore, a control device 10 is provided for controlling the drive motor 6. The control device 10 is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor 6 as a function of the determined angle of inclination α during a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine 1. In particular, the control device 10 is configured to control the speed of the drive motor 6 such that a constant speed of the soil compaction machine, in particular in the direction of the current direction of travel or advancement, is ensured during the downhill movement depending on the determined angle of inclination α. ​​A downhill movement of the soil compaction machine is in Fig. 4 It is understood that the downhill movement of the soil compaction machine can be in the forward direction V, as shown in Fig. 4shown, or in reverse direction R.

[0029] Figure 2 shows a side view of the soil compaction machine 1, to explain a movement of the soil compaction machine in the forward direction V. Typically, the base plate 4 is set into vibration by rotating unbalanced masses of the excitation unit 7, which have a direction of rotation opposite to each other. Depending on the phase position of the unbalanced masses to each other, a resulting centrifugal force of the unbalanced masses is generated. During stationary vibration, the resulting centrifugal force acts in the vertical direction y. During the forward and backward movement of the soil compaction machine, the resulting centrifugal force F is inclined to the vertical at an angle, so that in addition to the vertical vibration component of the resulting centrifugal force F, a horizontal vibration component also acts, which causes a traveling movement of the soil compaction machine. In the Figure 2In the example shown, the horizontal vibration component F xV of the centrifugal force F in the forward direction dominates over the horizontal vibration component F xR in the reverse direction, resulting in a travel movement of the soil compaction machine in the forward direction.

[0030] During an upward slope movement in the forward direction and the same operation of the excitation unit 7, the horizontal vibration component F xV of the centrifugal force F is reduced due to the angle of inclination α in the forward direction, as shown for example in Figure 3 Thus, with the same driving parameter settings, the speed of the soil compaction machine is lower uphill than horizontally.

[0031] During a downward slope movement in the forward direction and the same operation of the excitation unit 7, the horizontal vibration component F xV of the centrifugal force F is increased in the forward direction, as shown for example in Figure 4Thus, with the same driving parameter settings, the speed of the soil compaction machine is greater downhill than horizontally.

[0032] As already explained, according to the invention, a control device 10 is provided which is configured such that, upon detection of a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine 1, it reduces the speed of the drive motor 6 as a function of the determined angle of inclination α. ​​This has the advantage that, during a downhill movement, energy can be saved without impairing the compaction function. Alternatively or additionally, a change in the direction of force action of the excitation unit can be provided in order to set the desired travel speed. In particular, the control device can be designed to change the resulting direction of force action of the excitation unit as a function of the determined angle of inclination α during a downhill movement of the soil compaction machine in such a way that a desired travel speed is set.

[0033] To determine the direction of travel and the angle of inclination α of the base plate 4 with respect to the horizontal, the driving parameter determination device 9 typically comprises at least one acceleration sensor 91, in particular at least one two-axis acceleration sensor, as shown schematically in Figure 1is shown. The signals from the acceleration sensor are transmitted to the control device 10, which then, in the event of a downhill movement, reduces the speed of the drive motor depending on the determined inclination angle α. According to a preferred embodiment, the driving parameter determination device comprises one or more gyroscopes for determining inclination changes. By integrating the angular velocities in preferably three spatial directions, solid angles are obtained that advantageously react more quickly to changes than the low-pass filtered acceleration values. By adding the high-pass filtered angle, which was measured by means of a gyroscope, to the low-pass filtered acceleration signal, inclination angles are obtained that are advantageously available more quickly and accurately than if only acceleration data were used.

[0034] In particular, at least one three-axis MEMS acceleration sensor and at least one three-axis MEMS gyroscope ("MEMS" = micro-electromechanical system) can be used to distinguish between lateral roll inclinations ("roll"; inclinations about a roll axis) and forward and backward inclinations ("pitch"; inclinations about a pitch axis). For this purpose, it can be provided that only the measured acceleration due to gravity is considered relevant for calculating the inclinations with the one or more acceleration sensors. All other accelerations can interfere with the calculation. It may therefore be preferable to filter the measured accelerations with a low-pass filter before calculating the inclination. The parameters of the low-pass filter can depend on the respective frequency spectrum of the application.

[0035] In particular, the driving parameter determination device 9 may comprise a low-pass filter 92, as shown schematically in Figure 1 is shown. The low-pass filter 92 is designed to filter out vibrations of the excitation unit 7 from the signals S of the acceleration sensor 91. The driving parameter determination device 9 can, for example, be configured to determine the inclination angle α from the direction of the gravitational acceleration from the low-pass filtered signals SF of the acceleration sensor 9.

[0036] When using measurement data from one or more gyroscopes, it may be advantageous to consider all three measurement axes of the one or more gyroscopes. This can be achieved, for example, by transforming the measured angular velocities into Euler angular velocities, for example, using an iterative calculation process. It may also be provided that the inclination angles calculated from the acceleration data are merged with the transformed angular velocities using a complementary filter.

[0037] To determine the direction of travel, the driving parameter determination device 9 is typically configured to determine a vibration direction vector from the unfiltered signals S of the acceleration sensor 91. The direction of travel can be derived from the determined vibration direction vector. In particular, to determine the direction of travel, the signals S of the acceleration sensor 91 are analyzed by the driving parameter determination device 9 with regard to the phase shift of the vibration frequency in the vertical and horizontal directions. In particular, the driving parameter determination device 9 can be designed to isolate the vibration frequency using FFT (Fourier transformation).Alternatively or additionally, the driving parameter determination device 9 can be designed to filter the frequency range of the vibration frequency from the acceleration signals by means of a suitable filter combination of high-pass and low-pass filters in such a way that other interfering signal components are removed from the measurement signal.

[0038] To determine the direction of travel, for example, the acceleration of the machine in the direction of travel and in the vertical direction can be measured using a MEMS acceleration sensor. The measurement data can be recorded, in particular repeatedly, over a time interval, for example in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 seconds. This measurement data can be filtered with a bandpass filter, for example to remove frequency components around the excitation frequency. The filtered data can be transformed into the frequency domain using an FFT operation, and the phase response can be calculated from the transformed values. For example, the phase when traveling forward can be approximately -180° and the phase when traveling backward can be approximately 0°. It is possible to define ranges around these two values, whereby it is then possible that if a phase is detected in these ranges, it is assigned to the respective direction of travel.To avoid outliers, it is possible that an output direction of travel is only changed when the same direction of travel has been detected several times in a row, for example at least twice in a row.

[0039] With reference to the Figure 5 It should be noted that the driving parameter determination device 9 can also be designed to determine an angle of inclination β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel (in Figure 5 in the z-direction) relative to the horizontal. This advantageously allows a lateral inclination of the soil compaction machine to be determined. In this context, the control device 10 is typically configured to stop the drive motor when a critical inclination angle β crit is exceeded. This advantageously prevents the soil compaction machine from tipping, thus improving operational reliability.

[0040] Figure 6shows a block diagram for schematically illustrating a method 100 for operating a soil compaction machine according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 100 comprises, in a step (a), vibrating a base plate 4 by means of an excitation unit 7 (schematically represented by block 101 in Fig. 6 ). The excitation unit 7 is driven by a drive motor 6 and is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting direction of force action in order to move the soil compaction machine. Furthermore, the method 100 comprises, in a step (b), determining a direction of travel of the soil compaction machine (schematically represented by block 102 in Fig. 6 ). In addition, the method 100 comprises in a step (c) determining an angle of inclination α of the base plate 4 in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal (schematically represented by block 103 in Fig. 6). Furthermore, the method 100 comprises in a step (d) reducing a speed of the drive motor 6 depending on the determined angle of inclination α upon detection of a downward movement of the soil compaction machine 1 (schematically represented by block 104 in Fig. 6 ).

[0041] According to an embodiment that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the method 100 comprises, in a step (e), regulating the speed of the drive motor 6 such that, depending on the determined angle of inclination α, a constant speed of the soil compaction machine 1 is ensured during the downhill movement (schematically represented by block 105 in Fig. 6). As a precautionary measure, a device for determining the actual driving speed may also be provided, which measures an actual increase in driving speed when driving downhill and then prevents it if necessary. Radar-based or image processing sensors can be used to measure the driving speed.

[0042] According to an embodiment that can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the method 100 further comprises in a step (f) determining an angle of inclination β of the base plate 4 transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal (schematically represented by block 106 in Fig. 6 ). In addition, the method 100 can comprise, in a step (g), stopping the drive motor 6 upon detection of an exceedance of a critical inclination angle β crit (schematically represented by block 106 in Fig. 6 ).

[0043] As can be seen from the embodiments described herein, a soil compaction machine and a method for operating a soil compaction machine are advantageously provided, which are improved in terms of energy efficiency and operational reliability. In particular, during downhill movement, the vibration speed, i.e., the speed of the drive motor, can be reduced without detriment to the working and compaction function, thus reducing the power requirement during downhill travel.

[0044] Furthermore, it is possible to reduce or even prevent the increase in the speed of the soil compaction machine during downhill travel. This is particularly advantageous because the machine can maintain a constant speed during downhill travel by adjusting the rotational speed according to the inclination angle α. This measure contributes to saving energy and increasing safety when operating the machine by automatically minimizing the risk of excessive speed. An additional advantage is that this improvement in operational safety is achieved without interfering with the control of the direction of travel. The implementation of an electronic speed control, as described here, enables simple and cost-effective adjustment of the vibration speed and thus improved operational safety. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0045] 1Soil compaction machine 11Superstructure 12Substructure 2Guide drawbar 3Control elements 4Base plate 5Support plate 6Drive motor 7Excitation unit 8Housing 9Drive parameter determination device 91Acceleration sensor 92Low-pass filtering 10Control device 100Procedure FCentrifugal force F xV horizontal vibration component in forward direction F xR horizontal vibration component in reverse direction Snfiltered signal of the acceleration sensor Sf low-pass filtered signal of the acceleration sensor USubsurface VForward direction RReverse direction xhorizontal direction yvertical direction zlateral direction

Claims

1. Soil compaction machine (1), in particular a hand-held or remote-controlled soil compaction machine, comprising: - a drive motor (6), - an excitation unit (7) driven by the drive motor (6), by means of which a base plate (4) can be set into vibration, wherein the excitation unit (7) is designed to generate a vibration with a resulting force direction in order to move the soil compaction machine, characterized in that - a driving parameter determination device (9) for determining a direction of travel and an angle of inclination α of the base plate in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal, and - a control device (10) for reducing a speed of the drive motor as a function of the determined angle of inclination α during a downward movement of the soil compaction machine.

2. Soil compaction machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein the control device (10) is configured to control the speed of the drive motor of the excitation unit (7) such that, depending on the determined angle of inclination α, a constant speed of the soil compaction machine is ensured during the downhill movement.

3. Soil compaction machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) comprises at least one acceleration sensor (91), in particular a two-axis acceleration sensor, with which signals from the acceleration sensor can be transmitted to the control device (10).

4. Soil compaction machine (1) according to claim 3, wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) comprises a low-pass filter (92) to filter out vibrations of the excitation unit (7) from the signals of the acceleration sensor, and wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) is configured to determine the inclination angle α from the direction of the acceleration due to gravity from low-pass filtered signals of the acceleration sensor.

5. Soil compaction machine (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the travel parameter determination device (9) is configured to determine a vibration direction vector from the signals, in particular unfiltered signals, of the acceleration sensor in order to determine the direction of travel.

6. Soil compaction machine (1) according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the travel parameter determining device (9) is configured to analyze the signals with respect to a phase shift of a vibration frequency in the vertical and horizontal directions in order to determine the direction of travel.

7. Soil compaction machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) further comprises one or more gyroscopes for determining changes in inclination.

8. Soil compaction machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) is further designed to determine an inclination angle β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal.

9. Soil compaction machine (1) according to claim 8, wherein the control device (10) is further configured to, when a critical inclination angle β is exceeded krit to stop the drive motor (6).

10. Soil compaction machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the drive motor (9) is an electric motor connected to a battery.

11. Soil compaction machine (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the driving parameter determination device (9) is arranged on the superstructure (11) of the soil compaction machine (1).

12. Method for operating a soil compaction machine, in particular a hand-held soil compaction machine, comprising: a) setting a base plate (4) into vibration by means of an excitation unit (7) which is driven by a drive motor (6), wherein the excitation unit (7) is designed to generate an oscillation with a resulting direction of force in order to move the soil compaction machine forward, b) determining a direction of travel of the soil compaction machine, c) determining an angle of inclination α of the base plate (4) in the direction of travel with respect to a horizontal, and d) reducing a speed of the drive motor as a function of the determined angle of inclination α when a downward movement of the soil compaction machine is detected.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: e) controlling the speed of the drive motor such that, depending on the determined angle of inclination α, a constant speed of the soil compaction machine is ensured during the downhill movement.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising: f) determining an angle of inclination β of the base plate transverse to the direction of travel with respect to the horizontal, and g) stopping the drive motor upon detection of an exceedance of a critical angle of inclination β krit .

Citation Information

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