Pavement edge finishing device

Abstract

This invention provides a pavement edge finishing device that enables more efficient and higher-quality finishing of pavement edges than conventional methods. [Solution] The system includes an excess aggregate removal means 12 that removes excess aggregate from the paving material by a rotating removal brush 123 at the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement, an excess aggregate suction means 13 provided behind the excess aggregate removal means 12 and suctioning the excess aggregate removed by the excess aggregate removal means 12, and an edge compaction means 14 provided behind the excess aggregate suction means 13 and compacting the upper surface of the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement by the vibration of a plate member 145, wherein the excess aggregate removal means 12, the excess aggregate suction means 13 and the edge compaction means 14 are connected to the rear side of the screed 2 of the asphalt finisher 1 via a connecting member 11.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pavement edge finishing device that enables finishing of pavement edges in asphalt pavement.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the construction of asphalt pavement, rakemen with paving rakes are arranged on both sides of an asphalt finisher during spreading, and the paving material at the pavement edge is finished before being compacted by a roller. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, from the edge of the screed, the paving material overflowing onto the upper surface of the existing pavement or the paving gauge is pushed toward the new pavement side by the paving rake, and the excess aggregate is removed with a scoop or the like.

[0003] In the above-described work, the finishing of the edge varies depending on the worker, resulting in variations in quality. There is also a risk of contact between the worker and the roller during primary compaction or a general vehicle traveling on an adjacent traffic lane.

[0004] Under such circumstances, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention provided with a rotary brush at the rear end position of the screed. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses an invention provided with a pressurizing device at the rear end position of the screed to omit the raking work by the operator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, none of the conventional techniques described above could completely replicate the raking work performed by a rakeman. No matter which of the conventional techniques was adopted, it was not possible to remove excess aggregate while shaping the edges with a rake and achieving a finish similar to that achieved by troweling with the back of the rake.

[0007] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a pavement edge finishing device that enables more efficient and higher quality finishing of pavement edges than conventional methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a pavement edge finishing device comprising: an excess aggregate removal means for removing excess aggregate from the pavement material by a rotating removal brush at the side edge of a leveled asphalt pavement; an excess aggregate suction means provided behind the excess aggregate removal means for suctioning the excess aggregate removed by the excess aggregate removal means; and an edge compaction means provided behind the excess aggregate suction means for compacting the upper surface of the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement by vibration of a plate member, wherein the excess aggregate removal means, the excess aggregate suction means and the edge compaction means are connected to the rear side of the screed of an asphalt finisher via a connecting member.

[0009] In a further embodiment, the pavement edge finishing device is characterized in that the excess aggregate removal means, the excess aggregate suction means, and the edge compaction means can each be individually adjusted in height from the pavement surface.

[0010] In one further embodiment, the pavement edge finishing device is characterized in that the edge compaction means is equipped with a traverse means capable of moving the edge compaction means in a transverse direction at the side edge of the asphalt pavement.

[0011] In one further embodiment, the pavement edge finishing device is provided with a thermal camera located in front of the edge compaction means and capable of capturing thermal images of the area around the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement, and the edge compaction means is characterized in that the traverse means is controlled based on the analysis results of the thermal images to enable movement in the transverse direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the pavement edge finishing device of the present invention, by providing the above-mentioned excess aggregate removal means, excess aggregate suction means, and edge compaction means to the rear of the side of the screed of the asphalt finisher via a connecting member, the work that was conventionally performed by a rake operator can be mechanized and automated, and work efficiency can be greatly improved.

[0013] Furthermore, this invention reduces the number of rake operators, eliminating the risk of collisions with heavy machinery and nearby vehicles at paving sites. In addition, it eliminates the variations in finish quality caused by individual rake operators, making it possible to achieve uniform finish quality at the edges of the pavement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a rear perspective view showing how a pavement edge finishing device is attached to a finisher in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side perspective view of a pavement edge finishing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] These are an upper perspective view (a) and a lower perspective view (b) of the excess aggregate removal means in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an overhead perspective view of the excess aggregate suction means in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] These are an upper perspective view (a) and a lower perspective view (b) of the end compaction means in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]It is a cross-sectional view in the transverse direction for explaining the leveling state of the paving end of the new paving. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the operation mode of the paving end finishing device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining the rolling pressure mode by a roller in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining the imaging mode by a thermal camera in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram for explaining an example of a captured image. [Figure 11] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating the temperature difference from a captured image. [Figure 12] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram for explaining a method of outputting the boundary between the new paving and the existing paving from a captured image. [Figure 13] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram for explaining an offset function.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the paving end finishing device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a rear perspective view showing the attachment mode of the paving end finishing device 10 to the asphalt finisher 1 in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a side perspective view thereof.

[0017] As shown in the figure, the pavement edge finishing device 10 of this embodiment includes: excess aggregate removal means 12 for removing excess aggregate of the paving material by a rotating removal brush 123 at the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement; excess aggregate suction means 13 provided behind the excess aggregate removal means 12 for suctioning the excess aggregate removed by the excess aggregate removal means 12; and edge compaction means 14 provided behind the excess aggregate suction means 13 for compacting the upper surface of the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement by the vibration of a plate member 145. The excess aggregate removal means 12, the excess aggregate suction means 13, and the edge compaction means 14 are connected to the rear side of the screed 2 of the asphalt finisher 1 via a connecting member 11. Specifically, the pavement edge finishing device 10 is detachably attached to the rear of the side cover 21 of the screed 2 via the connecting member 11.

[0018] Furthermore, the asphalt finisher 1 is equipped with a generator (not shown), a control box 16 housing the control circuit of the pavement edge finishing device 10, and a controller 17 for setting the operating mode of the pavement edge finishing device 10. It is also possible to install an emergency stop switch (not shown) to stop the operation of the pavement edge finishing device 10 in emergencies.

[0019] The aforementioned generator (not shown) provides an AC100V output, and by using this as the power source for the pavement edge finishing device 10, it becomes possible to install the pavement edge finishing device 10 in accordance with asphalt finishers 1 both domestically and internationally.

[0020] Furthermore, since the controller 17 described above allows for adjustment of various operating modes of the pavement edge finishing device 10, it is possible to appropriately set the settings to accommodate various asphalt mixtures.

[0021] Figure 3 shows an upper perspective view (a) and a lower perspective view (b) of the excess aggregate removal means 12 in the pavement edge finishing device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, it is equipped with a removal brush 123 that is rotated by a rotary motor 122, and the height position of the removal brush 123 can be adjusted by a brush height adjustment member 121.

[0022] More specifically, in this embodiment, a geared motor is used as the rotary motor 122, and the rotation speed can be adjusted by the controller 17 described above. In addition, a roll channel brush is used as the removal brush 123, and nylon 66, which has excellent chemical resistance, wear resistance, and heat resistance, is used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wire diameter is 0.3 mm in order to give the brush an appropriate hardness.

[0023] With the above configuration, as shown in Figure 7(a), excess aggregate of the paving material can be removed from the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement by the rotating removal brush 123. In this embodiment, a rubber scattering prevention member 124 is provided to prevent the scattering of aggregate. This prevents contact of excess aggregate with surrounding vehicles, etc., and also allows for the accumulation of excess aggregate, enabling efficient suction of the excess aggregate by the excess aggregate suction means 13 described later. Furthermore, a height measurement sensor (not shown) can be provided, and the brush height adjustment member 121 can be automatically controlled by a motor or the like to maintain a set height position from the paving surface at all times.

[0024] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the excess aggregate suction means 13 in the pavement edge finishing device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the excess aggregate suction means 13 comprises at least a suction member 131 which serves as a suction port for excess aggregate and a suction duct 132 for transporting the excess aggregate.

[0025] With the above configuration, as shown in Figure 7(b), excess aggregate removed by the operation of a suction device (not shown) is sucked up and collected in an aggregate recovery container (not shown). The excess aggregate suction means 13 sucks up coarse aggregate in particular without the need for manual labor, making it possible to immediately compact the pavement material.

[0026] Figure 5 shows an upper perspective view (a) and a lower perspective view (b) of the edge compaction means 14 in the pavement edge finishing device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, it comprises a plate member 145 that is in direct contact with the side edge of the pavement, a vibrator 143 that enables compaction by the plate member 145, a plate heating heater 147 that heats the plate member 145, an attack angle adjustment member 146 that can adjust the attack angle of the plate member 145, and a spring 144, making it possible to properly compact the side edge of the pavement as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0027] Furthermore, the attack angle adjustment member 146 in this embodiment allows for adjustment of the attack angle by a maximum of 10° (20mm). In addition, the plate heating heater 147 uses a 600W space heater (maximum 200°C), which suppresses dragging of the paving material during compaction and quality deterioration due to temperature drop of the paving material.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the end compaction means 14 of this embodiment includes a traverse means 141 that can move the end compaction means 14 in the transverse direction at the side edge of the asphalt pavement, and a compaction height adjustment member 142 that can adjust the height from the pavement surface.

[0029] More specifically, the traversing means 141 in this embodiment consists of an electric cylinder with a stroke length of 200 mm. This makes it possible to move the end compaction means 14 to an appropriate position according to the end position of the newly constructed pavement. Note that the stroke length is not limited to 200 mm and can be selected as appropriate.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the compaction height adjustment member 142 of this embodiment allows for height adjustment of the plate member 145 by operating a handle.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a thermal camera 15 is provided on the front side of the end compaction means 14 and is capable of capturing thermal images of the area around the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement. The end compaction means 14 is controlled by a traverse means 141 based on the analysis results of the thermal images, making it possible to move the end compaction means 14 in the transverse direction.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the system is configured to photograph the vicinity of the edge of the newly laid pavement surface from a predetermined height (h) using a thermal camera 15. This is intended to detect the boundary between the existing pavement surface at room temperature and the newly laid, high-temperature pavement surface. It should be noted that the boundary between the new pavement surface and adjacent structures is not limited to the existing pavement surface; it is also possible to detect the boundary with pavement guides, gutters, street drains, etc., as long as a temperature difference between them and the new pavement surface can be captured in the photograph.

[0033] Figure 10 shows an example of a captured thermal image, in which a thermal image measuring 200 mm horizontally (32 squares: 6.25 mm) and 150 mm vertically (24 squares: 6.25 mm) is captured.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, the average temperature is calculated for each column from column No. 1 to column No. 32. Once the average temperature for each column is calculated, the temperature difference is calculated as shown in Figure 11.

[0035] In other words, the column with the largest temperature difference is the side edge of the new pavement (the boundary between the existing pavement surface and the new pavement surface), as shown in Figure 13(a). By controlling the aforementioned traversing means 141 based on this result, it becomes possible to always position the edge compaction means 14 at an appropriate transverse position during pavement construction and perform compaction.

[0036] In other words, as shown in Figure 12, the temperature in the i-th row and j-th column is denoted as x(i,j), the average temperature Xj in the j-th column and the temperature difference Tj in the j-th column are calculated using the relationship shown in Figure 12, and the position in the j-th column where the temperature difference Tj is maximum is output as the side edge of the new pavement (the boundary between the existing pavement surface and the new pavement surface shown). Such thermal image analysis may be performed, for example, by a control circuit housed in the control box 16 mentioned above, or it can also be performed on a PC (not shown).

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13(b), an offset function is provided to set an offset line at a predetermined distance towards the new pavement from the side edge of the new pavement (the boundary between the existing pavement surface and the new pavement surface shown in the figure) calculated and output as described above. Of course, this offset function can also be used to set the offset line towards the existing pavement side or towards the wooden formwork side of the edge of the new pavement.

[0038] In other words, depending on the construction conditions, the most preferable position for compaction by the end compaction means 14 is not necessarily the side edge of the new pavement (the boundary between the existing pavement surface and the new pavement surface shown in the diagram). Therefore, in this embodiment, the system is configured to output a suitable compaction position (offset line shown) located at a predetermined distance from the side edge of the new pavement (the boundary between the existing pavement surface and the new pavement surface shown in the diagram), and by controlling the traverse means 141 based on this, it is possible to always position the end compaction means 14 at a suitable transverse position during pavement construction and perform compaction.

[0039] Next, the operation of the pavement edge finishing device 10 in this embodiment will be described.

[0040] Figure 6 schematically shows in a cross-sectional view how asphalt mixture for new pavement is laid and leveled by an asphalt finisher 1 adjacent to existing pavement. As shown in the figure, generally, the leveled asphalt mixture is compacted by rolling with a roller, so excess material is added during leveling. At this time, as shown in the figure, excess material is generated at the side edges of the leveled asphalt pavement.

[0041] Then, as shown in Figure 7(a), the excess aggregate of the paving material can be removed from the side edge of the laid asphalt pavement by the rotating removal brush 123 of the excess aggregate removal means 12. The removed excess aggregate comes into contact with the scattering prevention member 124 and accumulates in the vicinity below it.

[0042] Next, as shown in Figure 7(b), excess aggregate accumulated near the bottom of the scattering prevention member 124 is sucked up by the excess aggregate suction means 13, and the excess aggregate is collected in an aggregate recovery container (not shown) mounted on the asphalt finisher 1. After that, as shown in Figure 7(c), compaction is performed by the edge compaction means 14, and then, as shown in Figure 8(d), compaction is performed with a roller to finish the surface flush with the existing pavement.

[0043] (Other embodiments) The pavement edge finishing device 10 of this embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications as shown below are possible.

[0044] For example, the brush height adjustment member 121 of the excess aggregate removal means 12 and the compaction height adjustment member 142 of the end compaction means 14 can be automatically adjusted by a motor or the like. In other words, by automatically adjusting the height position of the excess aggregate removal means 12 and the end compaction means 14 based on the distance to the newly constructed pavement surface measured by a known distance measuring sensor, it becomes possible to eliminate the need for manual adjustments by workers and to finish the pavement edges with high quality.

[0045] Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiment shows an example where new paving is performed adjacent to existing paving, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such a form. Even when a so-called paving guide made of square timber is installed at the edge of the new paving, the paving edge finishing device 10 of the present invention exhibits similar effects, making it possible to finish the paving edge efficiently and with high quality.

[0046] Furthermore, while Figure 10 shows an example of a thermal image, it is possible to arbitrarily set the shooting range, installation height, installation position, and dimensions per square of the thermal camera 15.

[0047] Although embodiments and other modifications of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the claims are included. Furthermore, the specific materials, dimensions, shapes, etc., described in the above embodiments can be modified to the extent that they solve the problem of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1. Asphalt finisher 2 Screede 21 Side cover 10. Pavement edge finishing device 11 Connecting member 12. Means for removing excess aggregate 121 Brush height adjustment member 122 Rotation Motor 123 Removal Brush 124 Shatterproof component 13. Excess aggregate suction means 131 Suction member 132 Suction duct 14 End compaction means 141 Rampant means 142 Compaction height adjustment member 143 Vibrator 144 Spring 145 Plate Member 146 Attack Angle Adjustment Member 147 Plate heating element 15 Thermal cameras 16 Control Box 17 Controllers

Claims

1. An excess aggregate removal means for removing excess aggregate from the paving material by a rotating removal brush at the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement, An excess aggregate suction means is provided behind the excess aggregate removal means and suctions the excess aggregate removed by the excess aggregate removal means, The system includes an end compaction means provided behind the excess aggregate suction means, which compacts the upper surface of the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement by vibration of a plate member, The excess aggregate removal means, the excess aggregate suction means, and the end compaction means are connected via a connecting member to the rear side of the screed of the asphalt finisher. A pavement edge finishing device characterized by the following features.

2. The excess aggregate removal means, the excess aggregate suction means, and the end compaction means are each individually adjustable in height from the pavement surface. The pavement edge finishing device according to feature 1.

3. The end compaction means includes a traverse means that allows the end compaction means to be moved in a transverse direction at the side edge of the asphalt pavement. The pavement edge finishing device according to feature 1 or 2.

4. The end compaction means is provided on the front side, and a thermal camera capable of capturing thermal images of the area around the side edge of the leveled asphalt pavement is provided. The end compaction means is capable of moving in the transverse direction when the traverse means is controlled based on the analysis results of the thermal image. The pavement edge finishing device according to feature 3.

Images