Positionable vibratory roller

Abstract

Disclosed herein are examples of tool assemblies for a work vehicle. The tool assemblies comprise a roller and a blade assembly, which may be attached to a common frame that connects the tool assembly to the work vehicle. The roller may comprise a smooth or textured roller and may be detachable from the frame. The tool assembly may further include one or more actuators to raise and lower the tool assembly. The tool assembly may also include one or more actuators to control the tilt of the tool assembly. The tool assemblies disclosed herein may additionally be associated with a controller that controls the elevation and / or tilt of the tool assembly in response to inputs such as vehicle operator inputs or worksite engineering plans.

Description

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure concerns attachments for a working machine, the attachments having a tool assembly comprising a roller and a detachable and adjustable grading blade.BACKGROUND

[0003] To prepare a worksite for a compacting operation, it is frequently necessary to first prepare the worksite by grading the material to be compacted. This is frequently done using a work vehicle equipped with a blade suitable for redistributing a granular material to a desired height. Once the granular material is at a desired height, it can be compacted with a roller as desired.

[0004] To reduce the number of working vehicles and vehicle operations required to finish a compacting job, a roller can be combined with a grading blade that progresses over the ground in advance of the roller. In this way, the grading blade can be used to redistribute granular material to a desired height before it is compacted without the need for separate vehicles to grade and compact a worksite.

[0005] However, the required spacing between a grading blade and the ground, such as the ground and / or granular material to be compacted, will vary based on the specific details of any compacting job to be performed. As such, even when a vibratory roller is combined with a knockdown blade in a single tool package, this tool package may not be suitable for a broad range of jobs, and may not be adaptable to fit a variety of working conditions.

[0006] Furthermore, the specific details of any compacting job to be performed may include various three-dimensional requirements, including location specific adjustments to surface elevation, mainfall slope, and cross slope. Existing tool assemblies combining a vibratory roller with a knockdown blade may additionally be unsuitable for such location specific adjustments.

[0007] Therefore, there is a continuing need for improvements on such tool assemblies for a work vehicle.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0008] Disclosed herein are examples of attachments for a work vehicle, particularly adjustable tool assemblies for use with a work vehicle. The tool assemblies disclosed herein generally include a roller and a blade removably mounted to a work vehicle by a common frame. The roller may be rotatably attached to the common frame, and the blade may be vertically adjustable relative to the common frame. In some examples, the tool assembly may further include one or more actuators configured to raise or lower the blade, and / or one or more actuators positioned between the common frame and the work vehicle and configured to rotate the tool assembly relative to the work vehicle.

[0009] Also disclosed herein are controllers configured to communicate with and control the operation of the tool assemblies disclosed herein. The controllers disclosed herein may control the positioning (that is, the elevation and / or the tilt) of the tool assembly or various components thereof relative to the work vehicle or the ground. Such controllers may operate in response to inputs from a vehicle operator, in response to inputs from a predetermined operational program, or in response to a combination of such inputs.

[0010] Certain examples concern a tool assembly for a work vehicle. The assembly comprises a tool frame, a roller rotatably mounted to the tool frame, a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame, and an actuator extending between the tool frame and the blade assembly and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame. The tool assembly also includes a controller configured to receive a control signal and transmit a command signal to drive the actuator to raise, lower, or maintain the blade assembly relative to the tool frame.

[0011] Certain examples concern a method for a controlled grading operation of a vehicle within a work site, the vehicle having a tool assembly movable relative to the vehicle, a controller configured to control the tool assembly, and a position tracking system, the tool assembly including a roller and a blade assembly movable relative to the roller. The method comprises receiving, by the controller, an engineering plan associated with the work site identifying, by the position tracking system, a first position of the work vehicle within the work site using a position signal received from a global navigation satellite system. The method also comprises identifying, by the controller, a target blade elevation for the blade based on the engineering plan and the identified position of the work vehicle within the work site, transmitting a lift actuator control signal from the controller to adjust the blade elevation, and adjusting the elevation of the blade assembly relative to the roller so that a measured blade assembly position approaches the target blade assembly position.

[0012] Certain examples concern a work vehicle comprising a tool frame. The work vehicle also comprises a compactor mounted to the tool frame, a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame, a lift actuator extending between the blade assembly and the tool frame and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame, and a tilt actuator extending between the tool frame and the vehicle and configured to tilt the tool frame relative to the vehicle. The work vehicle also comprises a controller configured to receive a control signal and to transmit a command signal to control the lift actuator and the tilt actuator in response to the command signal and a position sensor configured to measure the position of the work vehicle within a work site. The control signal is generated according to the position of the work vehicle within the work site and a program correlating a target blade elevation and a target tool assembly tilt to the position of the work vehicle within the work site, and the command signal drives the lift actuator and the tilt actuator such that a measured blade assembly elevation and a measured tool assembly tilt approach the target blade elevation and the target tool assembly tilt correlated to the position of the work vehicle within the work site.

[0013] Numerous objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments set forth herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a work vehicle including a work tool attachment according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a first position.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view of the tool assembly of FIG. 2 in a second position.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded rear perspective view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a first position.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a second position.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of additional sensor assemblies for use with the tool attachment of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a satellite positioning system for the work vehicle of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a controller for use with the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a work operation utilizing the tool assembly of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONGeneral Terms

[0025] The following explanations of terms are provided to better describe the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. As used herein, “comprising” means “including” and the singular forms “a” or “an” or “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” refers to a single element of stated alternative elements or a combination of two or more elements, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026] As used herein, the terms proximal and distal refer to direction along an attached object having a free end, relative to the point of attachment. Particularly, when an object is attached at one end, the end of the attachment is the proximal end, and the free end is the distal end. The direction along the object towards the point of attachment is the proximal direction. The direction along the object towards the free end is the distal direction.

[0027] Unless explained otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although methods and compounds similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, suitable methods and compounds are described below. The compounds, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise indicated. Other features of the disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description and the claims.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, percentages, temperatures, times, and so forth, as used in the specification or claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, implicitly or explicitly, the numerical parameters set forth are approximations that can depend on the desired properties sought and / or limits of detection under standard test conditions / methods. When directly and explicitly distinguishing embodiments from discussed prior art, the embodiment numbers are not approximates unless the word “about” is recited. Furthermore, not all alternatives recited herein are equivalents.Introduction to the Disclosed Technology

[0029] The present disclosure concerns tool assemblies, and particularly tool assemblies comprising an adjustable knockdown blade for use with work vehicles in grading operations. Generally, the tool assemblies disclosed herein are configured to releasably attach to a work vehicle. The tool assemblies disclosed herein are also generally configured to operate under tilt and elevation control and provided with one or more actuators to change the tilt and / or the elevation of the tool assembly.

[0030] The tool assemblies disclosed herein generally comprise a tool frame that connects to the work vehicle and a roller rotatably attached to the structural member. The roller may be a smooth drum roller or a padfoot drum roller. The tool assemblies disclosed herein also generally include a blade assembly, such as a knockdown blade, attached to the tool frame. In some examples, the blade assembly may also be removable from the tool frame. In some examples, the blade assembly may be adjustably positionable such that the spacing between the blade assembly and the ground can be altered, preferably without fully detaching the blade assembly from the tool frame.

[0031] The tool assemblies disclosed herein may also include one or more features configured to lock the tilt (that is, the vertical rotation) of the roller relative to the working vehicle with which the tool assembly is used.

[0032] In some examples, a controller is also provided to control the tilt and / or the elevation of the disclosed tool assemblies. The controller can control the tilt and / or the elevation of the tool assemblies under a predetermined program, or under ad hoc inputs from an operator of the work vehicle with which the tool assembly is associated.

[0033] Advantageously, the tool assemblies disclose herein allow for a grading operation and a compacting operation to be combined, and for both operations to adhere to tilt and elevation control parameters.Aspects of the Disclosed Technology

[0034] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts an example work vehicle 100. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the work vehicle 100 can be a vehicle such as the skid steer shown in FIG. 1, but it will be appreciated that the tool assemblies disclosed herein can be used with other work vehicles.

[0035] The work vehicle 100 includes an undercarriage 102 having first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106 (for example, crawler tracks) including first and second hydraulic travel motors 108 for driving the first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106, respectively. As seen in FIG. 1, a main frame 112 is supported by the undercarriage 102. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106 may be left and right crawler tracks, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the work vehicle 100 includes a working assembly 122 extending alongside and forward from the main frame 112. The working assembly 122 includes one or more actuators 124 extending between the main frame 112 and a working tool, such as the tool assembly described in greater detail below.

[0037] An operator cab 140 may be located on the main frame 112, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The operator cab 140 and the working assembly 122 may both be mounted on the main frame so that the operator cab 140 faces in a working direction of the work vehicle 100, such as in the direction of the working tool described in greater detail below. A control station 110 may be located in the operator cab 140.

[0038] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a working tool, such as tool assembly 200 can be mounted to work vehicle 100, for example at a distal end portion of the one or more actuators 124, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] Turning now to FIG. 2, the tool assembly 200 can include a tool frame 202, which is configured to be releasably attached to the work vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The tool assembly 200 can also include a roller 204 (sometimes called a compactor) mounted to the tool frame 202. The roller 204 can be rotatably connected to the tool frame 202. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the roller 204 can be rotatably attached to the tool frame 202 at a first end portion 206 and a second end portion 208. The first end portion 206 and the second end portion 208 can each comprise an axle that is received by the tool frame 202 such that the roller 204 is rotatably movable relative to and within the tool frame 202.

[0040] The roller 204 can be used in work operations involving the grading or compacting of granular materials, such as soil or gravel. It will be appreciated that the roller 204 can have a surface geometry tailored for a specific grading or compacting operation. For example, in some operations, a comparatively greater degree of grading or compacting is required, but a comparatively rougher finish can be tolerated. In such operations, the roller 204 can be a textured roller, sometimes referred to as a “padfoot” roller. In other operations, a comparatively lesser degree of grading or compacting is required, but a comparatively finer finish is also required. In such operations, the roller 204 can be can have a smooth rolling surface. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the roller 204 may be removably mounted to the tool frame 202, such that a roller 204 of one surface geometry may be replaced by a roller 204 of an alternate surface geometry, depending on the requirements of a given work operation, such as a grading or compacting job.

[0041] It will be appreciated that, in some aspects of the present disclosure, a grading jobs and compacting jobs may be completed separately from one another, for example, on different passes of a work vehicle 100. It will also be appreciated that in other aspects of the present disclosure, a grading job and compacting job may be combined so that granular material can be graded and compacted in the same pass of the work vehicle 100.

[0042] The tool assembly 200 can also include a blade assembly 210, which is adjustably mounted to the tool frame 202, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The blade assembly 210 comprises a blade 212 with a blade edge 214 configured to selectively engage the ground, such as the ground at a working site. Advantageously, because the tool assembly 200 includes a blade assembly 210 positioned ahead of the roller 204 in the driving direction of the work vehicle 100, the blade assembly 210 can be used to prepare the ground for a work operation, such as a roller compacting. Specifically, the blade assembly 210 can be used to grade a granular material (for example, soil or gravel) in preparation for rolling.

[0043] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the blade assembly 210 also includes one or more mounting arms 216, such as a first mounting arm 216a and a second mounting arm 216b, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The mounting arms 216 can include mounting features 218 that attach the blade assembly 210 to the tool frame 202, as shown in FIG. 3. In some examples, the one or more mounting arms can be releasably attached to the tool frame 202 such that the blade assembly 210 is releasably attached to the tool frame 202 as well.

[0044] In some examples, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, the mounting features 218 comprise a bolt 220 extending through a corresponding pair of aligned apertures in a mounting arm 216 and the tool frame 202. The one or more mounting arms 216 are in this fashion pivotally attached to the frame 202, such that they can pivotally move around the bolt 220 when the blade assembly 210 is raised or lowered, as described in greater detail below.

[0045] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include an lift actuator 222 disposed between the tool frame 202 and the blade assembly 210, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, with a piston 224 of the lift actuator 222 connected to the blade assembly 210 and a cylinder 226 of the lift actuator 222 connected to the tool frame 202, for example at the bracket 228 shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The actuator 222 can retract to raise the blade assembly 210 (as shown in FIG. 3) and can extend to lower the blade assembly 210 (as shown in FIG. 4) respectively. It will be further appreciated that the lift actuator 222 can be retained in a position to maintain the height of the blade assembly 210 relative to the ground.

[0046] In some examples, the lift actuator 222 can be a hydraulic cylinder, and in such examples may be connected to the hydraulic systems of the work vehicle 100. It will be appreciated, however, that other actuators may be used, such as pneumatic actuators or mechanically driven actuators, or any other actuator suitable for raising or lowering the blade assembly 210.

[0047] The tool assembly 200 disclosed herein can also, according to some aspects of the present disclosure, include one or more tool assembly position sensors coupled to one or more corresponding movable components of the tool assembly 200 and configured to detect the position of one or more components of the tool assembly 200, and most particularly, the elevation of the blade assembly 210 with respect to the ground. While detailed discussion is given herein primarily to the In-Cylinder Position System (ICPS) and to the Internal Measurement Unit (IMU), it will be appreciated that other systems appropriate for determining the elevation of the blade assembly 210 relative to the ground may also be applicable to the present disclosure and used alongside or in lieu of either the ICPS or IMU systems disclosed herein.

[0048] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can include an ICPS 230. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ICPS 230 can be associated with the lift actuator 222. The ICPS 230 can be positioned alongside or within the lift actuator 222 and configured to measure the position of the piston 224 relative to the cylinder 226 along the range of motion of the lift actuator 222. Accordingly, the ICPS 230 can determine the elevation of the blade assembly 210 based on the position of the piston 224 relative to the cylinder 226 of the lift actuator 222. The uses of the ICPS 230 disclosed herein, including the installation and operation thereof in relation to the lift actuator 222, will be readily understood to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The ICPS 230 will determine and record the actuator position of the lift actuator 222.

[0049] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can include an elevation IMU 232, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The elevation IMU 232 can, in some examples, be associated with the one or more mounting arms 216. The elevation IMU 232 can include one or more gravity reference sensors and / or one or more gyroscopes that are configured to track changes in position of the elevation IMU 232, and therefore also of the one or more mounting arms 216 (such as the first mounting arm 216a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the second mounting arm 216b, not visible in FIGS. 3 and 4) to which the elevation IMU 232 is attached. The elevation IMU 232 can determine the position of the blade assembly 210 by measuring the change in position of the one or more mounting arms 216 by which the blade assembly 210 is attached to the tool frame 202. The uses of the elevation IMU 232 disclosed herein, including the installation and operation thereof in relation to the one or more mounting arms 216, will be readily understood to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0050] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, as shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. The tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 can be disposed between the tool frame 202 and the work vehicle 100 and configured to rotate the tool assembly 200 in a vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 can include one or more tilt actuators 236. The one or more tilt actuators 236 can extend between a first end 238, which can in some examples be attached to a fixed structure of the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 or of the work vehicle 100, and a second end 240, which is attached to a traversable post 242 of the tool assembly 200, which may in some examples, be fixedly attached to the tool frame 202. In some examples, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can be one or more hydraulic cylinders, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, but it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that other actuators, such as mechanically driven, electrical, or pneumatic actuators may be used in lieu of the hydraulic cylinders shown.

[0052] The one or more tilt actuators 236 can be moved between an extended position and a retracted position. Because the one or more tilt actuators 236 are fixed at the first end 238, when they extend or retract, the traversable posts 242 to which they are attached at the second end 240 move accordingly. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the traversable posts 242 can be contained in one or more corresponding tilt tracks 244. Thus, as the one or more tilt actuators 236 attached to the traversable posts 242 extend or retract, the traversable posts 242 traverse within the one or more corresponding tilt tracks 244. Because the traversable posts 242 are fixedly attached to the tool frame 202, this causes the tool frame 202 to rotate in a vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100.

[0053] The tool assembly 200 can also include one or more sensors configured to detect the tilt of the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100. Particularly, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can include one or more corresponding ICPS 246, associated with the one or more tilt actuators 236 in a fashion substantially the same as that described in relation to the ICPS 230 associated with the lift actuator 222. More specifically, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can each comprise a piston 248 and a cylinder 250, and the one or more corresponding ICPS 246 can identify the position of the piston 248 relative to the cylinder 250. In turn, this allows the one or more corresponding ICPS 246 to determine the tilt of the tool assembly 200 in the vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100 to which it is attached.

[0054] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a tilt cylinder IMU 270, associated with the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tilt cylinder IMU 270 can include substantially the same components, such as one or more gravity reference sensors and / or one or more gyroscopes, as the elevation IMU 232 previously introduced and discussed, and can function in substantially the same way, except that, as the tilt cylinder IMU 270 is associated with the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, it is instead configured to detect and communicate changes in the tilt of the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 (and accordingly of the tool assembly 200).

[0055] In this way, sensors may be provided that identify the height of the blade assembly 210 relative to other components of the tool assembly 200 and / or to the work vehicle 100 and sensors may also be provided that identify the tilt of the tool assembly 200 relative to other components of the tool assembly 200 and / or to the work vehicle 100. Because the position of the work vehicle 100 relative to the ground can be measured or may be otherwise known, and because the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100 may be otherwise known from one or more additional sensors (for example, a vehicle IMU 280 as illustrated in FIG. 1 and / or a tool frame IMU 282 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) this may in turn be used to determine the appropriate position of the blade assembly 210 and / or the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100 in order to conduct a grading operation and / or a compacting operation respectively)

[0056] It will be appreciated that, while the example described above and shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 uses a sensor system that includes at least one of an ICPS or an IMU for determining the relative positions of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, the blade assembly 210 and components thereof, other systems may be suitable for determining the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground at a worksite.

[0057] For example, in addition to the ICPS or IMU systems described herein, the tool assembly 200 can include an optical position measurement system 262. This system can include one or more light emitters 264 (for example, laser emitters) configured to project light (for example a laser) at a known light height and a known light slope relative to the ground at a work site.

[0058] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more light emitters 264 can be remote from the work vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 8, and positioned at a height, H, relative to the ground that is known. The system can further include one or more light receptors 266 associated with the tool assembly 200, or with the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached, wherein the relative position of the one or more light receptors 266 and the tool assembly 200, the work vehicle 100, and / or the ground are known (that is, the height of the receptors relative to the ground as well as the position of the receptors relative to the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or components thereof may be known). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the optical position measurement system 262 includes two light receptors one or more light receptors 266 mounted to the tool assembly 200 on two corresponding masts 268 at a known height.

[0059] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more light receptors 266 include one or more sensor portions 267 capable of detecting the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264, and a light target 269. In a general example, the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 can be detected by the one or more sensor portions 267. If the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 does not intersect the light target 269, the position of the one or more light receptors 266 can be adjusted up or down by moving the tool assembly 200 to which it is mounted correspondingly up or down until the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 intersects the light target 269.

[0060] Because the height and angle of light projected by the one or more light emitters 264 relative to the ground is known, and because the position of the one or more light receptors 266 relative to the tool assembly 200 is also known, the position and angle of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground can be determined by the position at which the light impinges on the light receptors 266. In turn, this information can be used to adjust the tool assembly 200 (and particularly the blade assembly 210) to a desired height and angle relative to the ground.

[0061] Similarly, the tool assembly 200 can, in addition to or in lieu of the ICPS or IMU systems described herein, include a sonic position measurement system 272, as illustrated in FIG. 8. This system can include one or more sonic emitters 274 configured to project a sonic emission 276 at the ground and one or more sonic receptors 278 configured to receive a sonic return signal (that is, the sonic emission as reflected off the ground). Where the position of the sonic receptors 278 and sonic emitters 274 relative to the other components of the tool assembly 200 are known, this can be used to calculate the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground. In turn, this information can be used to adjust the tool assembly 200 (and particularly the blade assembly 210) to a desired height relative to the ground. It will be appreciated that, while FIG. 8 shows a tool assembly 200 including both an optical position measurement system 262 and a sonic position measurement system 272, these systems may be used independently of one another in a tool assembly 200 comprising only one system or the other.

[0062] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various systems described herein for measuring the elevation and tilt of the tool assembly 200, or of portions thereof such as the work vehicle 100, can be used to control the position and orientation (for example, the cross slope and / or the mainfall slope) of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof in various work operations, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. In some examples, one or more of the elevation, the cross slope, or the mainfall slope of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof will be adjusted as a function of position within the worksite. In some examples, one or more of the elevation, the cross slope, or the mainfall slope of the tool assembly 200 will be kept at a constant value for the work operation.

[0063] It will therefore be appreciated that the systems disclosed herein for detecting and controlling the elevation and orientation of the tool assembly 200 and / or components thereof may be advantageously coupled with one or more systems to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 and / or the work vehicle 100 within a work site.

[0064] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a position tracking system to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 (and therefore of the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached) within a work site.

[0065] For example, the position tracking system can be a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as GNSS 254, as shown in FIG. 9. The GNSS 254 can comprise a receiver 256 configured to receive signals transmitted by one or more satellites 258. The data received by the receiver 256 can be used to triangulate the position of the tool assembly 200 (and therefore of the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached) within the work site. The signals from the one or more satellites 258 can be used to triangulate the position of the receiver 256 (and thus the tool assembly 200 or the work vehicle 100 which includes the receiver 256), and more particularly, the position of the receiver 256 within the work site.

[0066] The GNSS 254 can be accompanied by or used in tandem with a ground based communication unit 260 (sometimes called a base station), such as the radio transmitter illustrated in FIG. 9. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, signals from the one or more satellites 258 can be subject to atmospheric interference, and advantageously, the ground based communication unit 260 can provide corrections to such signals, or to preliminary position information based on such signals. Particularly, the ground based communication unit 260 can be simultaneously in communication with the one or more satellites 258 and with the receiver 256 to provide a “real time kinematic correction” (“RTK correction”) to the preliminary positioning information based on the signal from the one or more satellites 258. More specifically, as is understood to those skilled in the art, the ground based communication unit 260 can correct for errors resulting from the atmospheric transmission of signals from the one or more satellites 258 to the receiver 256. In some specific examples, the GNSS 254 working in tandem with the one or more satellites 258 as discussed herein can position the work vehicle 100, or more particularly, the tool assembly 200 within the work site to an accuracy of less than 1 inch.

[0067] It will be appreciated, because information is available from the ICPS 230 and / or the elevation IMU 232 associated with the blade assembly 210 on the elevation of the blade assembly 210 and on the angle of the blade in a longitudinal direction with respect to the work vehicle 100 (sometimes called the mainfall), information is available from the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 on the tilt of the tool assembly 200 (sometimes called the cross slope) within the vertical plane in relation to the work vehicle 100, and information is available from the position tracking system 252 on the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the work site, the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 can be configured to execute a controlled grading and / or compacting operation that associates coordinates within the worksite with a target elevation value (that is, target mainfall slope component) for the blade assembly 210 and / or a target tilt (that is, target cross slope component) for the tool assembly 200 with various positions within the work site, as discussed further herein.

[0068] Also disclosed herein are examples of controllers suitable for use with the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 previously described. For example, a controller 300 according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 10.

[0069] The controller 300 includes or may be associated with a processor 302, a computer readable medium 304, a database 306, and an input / output module or control panel 308 having a display 310. The control panel 308 may be a part of the control station 110 in the operator cab 140. An input / output device 312, such as a keyboard, joystick or other user interface, can be provided so that a human vehicle operator may input instructions to the controller 300. It is understood that the controller 300 described herein may be a single controller having the described functionality, or it may include multiple controllers wherein the described functionality is distributed among the multiple controllers. Some or all of the controllers may be located at a location other than the work vehicle and be connected wirelessly.

[0070] Various operations, steps or algorithms as described in connection with the controller 300 can be embodied directly in hardware, in a computer program product 314 such as a software module executed by the processor 302, or in a combination of the two. The computer program product 314 can reside in RAM memory module, flash memory module, ROM memory module, EPROM memory module, EEPROM memory module, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, or any other form of computer-readable medium 304 known in the art. An exemplary computer-readable medium 304 can be coupled to the processor 302 such that the processor 302 can read information from, and write information to, the memory / storage medium. In the alternative, the medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0071] The term “processor” as used herein may refer to at least general-purpose or specific-purpose processing devices, and / or logic as may be understood by one of skill in the art, including but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a state machine, and the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0072] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 300 is configured to receive one or more input signals and to produce and transmit one or more output signals in response to or based in part on the input signals.

[0073] Particularly, a user interface 316 can be associated with the controller 300. The user interface 316 may be associated with the control station 110 of the work vehicle 100, previously described, or with a separate device, such as a mobile device, so that a user or a remote user can enter user input such as one or more signals to the controller 300 through the user interface 316.

[0074] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the controller 300 can receive signals from one or more of the instruments of the tool assembly 200 previously introduced. In particular, any or all of the elevation ICPS 230, the elevation IMU 232, the tilt ICPS 246, the tilt IMU, and the position tracking system 252 disclosed herein can communicate with the controller 300 and can send one or more signals to the controller 300 to communicate, for example, the elevation, tilt, and position of one or more of the components of the tool assembly 200 previously described.

[0075] For example, when the tool assembly 200 includes an instrument to determine the elevation of the tool assembly 200 or a component thereof such as the blade assembly 210, such instruments can communicate the elevation of the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof to the controller 300 through one or more signals. Thus, when the tool assembly 200 includes an ICPS 230 or an elevation IMU 232, the ICPS 230 or the elevation IMU 232 can transmit an ICPS elevation control signal 230S or an IMU elevation control signal 232S to the controller 300, which can according to some examples include elevation data for the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof.

[0076] Similarly, when the tool assembly 200 includes an instrument to determine the tilt of the tool assembly 200, or a component thereof such as the blade assembly 210, such instruments can communicate the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or component thereof to the controller 300 through one or more signals. Thus, when the tool assembly 200 includes a tilt cylinder ICPS 246, or a tilt cylinder IMU 270, the tilt cylinder ICPS 246 or the tilt cylinder IMU 270 can transmit an ICPS tilt control signal 246S or a IMU tilt control signal 270S, respectively, which according to some aspects of the present disclosure, can include tilt data for the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof.

[0077] Likewise, the GNSS 254 can be in communication with the controller 300, and configured to transmit a corresponding GNSS position control signal 254S to the controller 300, which contains data regarding the position of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or the components thereof to the 300.

[0078] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 can be configured to utilize any or all of these instrument signal inputs (the ICPS tilt control signal 246S, the IMU tilt control signal 270S, the ICPS elevation control signal 230S, or the IMU elevation control signal 232S as previously discussed) to generate one or more commands to drive one or more of the actuators previously described, such as the lift actuator 222 or any of the one or more tilt actuators 236. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the controller 300 can generate a lift actuator command signal 222C to control the position of the lift actuator 222 by driving a first hydraulic valve 318a. Likewise, the controller 300 can generate a tilt actuator command signal 236C to control the position of the one or more tilt actuators 236 by driving a second hydraulic valve 318b.

[0079] In some examples, the computer program product 314 will include a target blade assembly height at which to position the blade assembly 210 (or alternatively, a target mainfall slope component to be achieved by the angle and height of the blade assembly 210). The target blade assembly height can be a constant value, or a function of some other value, such as a position within a worksite. In such cases, the computer program product 314 can compare the target blade assembly height against a blade assembly height communicated in one of the received signals, such as the ICPS elevation control signal 230S or the IMU elevation control signal 232S, and can generate a lift actuator command signal 222C to drive the lift actuator 222 of the tool assembly 200 to move the blade assembly 210 towards the position indicated by the target blade assembly height. It will be further appreciated that, in some cases, the computer program product 314 can also be used to control the height of the entire tool assembly 200 in a similar fashion.

[0080] In some examples, the computer program product 314 will include a target tool assembly tilt (that is, a target cross slope component) for the tool assembly 200. The target tool assembly tilt can be constant value or a function of some other value, such as a position within a worksite. In such cases, the computer program product 314 can compare the target tool assembly tilt against the tool assembly tilt communicated in one of the received signals, such as the ICPS tilt control signal 246S or the IMU tilt control signal 270S, and can generate a tilt actuator command signal 236C to drive one or more tilt actuators 236 to move the tool assembly 200 towards the tilt position indicated by the target tool assembly tilt.

[0081] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 described herein can be generated remotely and / or ahead of time. For example, the computer program product 314 can be associated with an engineering plan for a work site that is prepared ahead of time and correlates desired positions for the components of the tool assembly 200, including the elevation of the tool assembly 200, the elevation of the blade assembly 210, or the tilt of the tool assembly 200 at one or more various positions within the work site. In some cases, this program can be communicated to the controller 300 and stored ahead of time. In other cases, it can be communicated to the controller 300 as the work operation is being performed. It will be appreciated that such a program 314 can be executed automatically or with the approval of a vehicle operator.

[0082] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 disclosed herein can also be generated ad hoc by the vehicle operator, based on observed conditions at the worksite. For example, the vehicle operator could input various target values for the elevation of the tool assembly 200 (indicated in FIG. 10 as operator control signal 110S) the elevation of the blade assembly 210, or the tilt of the tool assembly 200, for one or more positions at the worksite, and adjust them as necessary during the work operation. It will be further understood that any of the other control signals disclosed herein (such as the IMU elevation control signal 232S, the ICPS tilt control signal 246S, the GNSS position control signal 254S, or the IMU tilt control signal 270S) can be generated by the vehicle operator as a manual input, or may be generated as part of an engineering plan which may be determined in advance of the grading and / or compacting operation.

[0083] For example, FIG. 11 outlines a controlled grading operation 400 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the controlled grading operation 400 first comprises a program selection step 402, in which a program is provided to and associated with a controller, such as the controller 300 previously described to provide a computer program product, such as the computer program product 314 previously described. While FIG. 11 shows a grading operation 400 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that the grading operation 400 can additionally include elements of a compacting operation wherein the roller 204 is engaged with the granular material shortly after grading such that grading and compacting can be performed in the same pass, but that the grading and compacting of the granular material can be completed in separate passes (that is, a grading operation and a compacting operation may be performed jointly or separately).

[0084] After the program has been associated with the controller 300 (and thus the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200), the controlled grading operation 400 further comprises a position identification step 404, as indicated in FIG. 11. During the position identification step 404, the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the worksite is identified, for example through the GNSS 254, as previously described. It will be appreciated, however, that while the GNSS 254 previously described may be used to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 within the work site, any other suitable and sufficiently precise method for identifying the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the work site may also be used.

[0085] The controlled grading operation 400 also comprises identifying one or more target position parameters for the tool assembly 200, or the components thereof, such as the blade assembly 210. The target position parameters may be correlated to the identified position of the work vehicle 100 within the worksite, as established in the position identification step 404. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the controlled grading operation 400 includes identifying the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, in target elevation identification step 406. It will be appreciated that a target elevation value can be a function of some other parameter, such as the position of the work vehicle 100 and / or the tool assembly 200 as previously established in the position identification step 404 or can be constant through the entire method.

[0086] With the target blade elevation established in the target elevation identification step 406, the target blade elevation can be compared to a measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly 210, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as blade elevation comparison step 408. Based on the comparison between the measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly 210 and the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, the height of the blade assembly 210 can be adjusted, for example by driving the 222 as previously discussed such that the elevation of the blade assembly 210 approaches the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, as represented in FIG. 11 as blade elevation adjustment step 410.

[0087] The controlled grading operation 400 can also include identifying a target tilt for the tool assembly 200, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as target tilt identification step 412. It will be appreciated that a target tilt value can be a function of some other parameter, such as the position of the work vehicle 100 and / or the tool assembly 200 as previously established in the position identification step 404, or can be constant through the entire method.

[0088] With the target tilt for the tool assembly 200 or some components thereof established, the tool assembly tilt can be compared to a measured tool assembly tilt of the tool assembly 200 or of components thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as tool assembly tilt comparison step 414. Based on the comparison between the measured tool assembly tilt of the tool assembly 200 or of one or more specific components thereof, and the target tilt value for the tool assembly 200 or any such components thereof, the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof can be adjusted, for example by driving the one or more tilt actuators 236 as described previously herein, such that the tilt of the tool assembly 200, or a component thereof approaches the target tilt value for the tool assembly 200 or that component thereof, as indicated in FIG. 11 as tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416.

[0089] It will be appreciated that the portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the elevation of the blade assembly 210, the elevation of the tool assembly 200, or the elevation of any component thereof (that is, the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410) can be performed independently from those portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or any component thereof (that is, the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416), or can be dependent on the results thereof.

[0090] It will be further appreciated that the portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or any component thereof (that is, the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416), can be performed independently of from those portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the elevation of the blade assembly 210, the elevation of the tool assembly 200, or the elevation of any component thereof (that is, the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410), or can be dependent on the results thereof.

[0091] In this fashion, it will be appreciated any of the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416 may be performed before, after, or alongside any of the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410, notwithstanding that they are presented in parallel in FIG. 11 for clarity.

[0092] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the controlled grading operation 400 may also include a further step of advancing the work vehicle 100 from a first position at the worksite to a second position at the worksite, as indicated in FIG. 11 as vehicle advancement step 418, with the tilt and elevation of the tool assembly 200, the blade assembly 210, or any other component of the tool assembly 200 provided as previously discussed in relation to the controlled grading operation 400. In such examples, the controlled grading operation 400 can further include subsequent determination of the position of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or any component thereof, and adjustment of any such position according to the steps previously indicated; in effect repeating steps 404 through 416 of the previously described controlled grading operation 400. It will be further apparent that this may be done as many times as is necessary to fully execute the program provided in the program selection step 402.

[0093] It will be appreciated that, in the example described herein and illustrated in FIG. 11, the grading operation may happen concurrently with or in advance of a compacting operation in which the roller 204 is used to compact the granular material after it has been graded. The rolling operation may be subject to substantially the same control methods as described herein in relation to the controlled grading operation 400.

[0094] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful POSITIONABLE VIBRATORY ROLLER it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

General Terms

[0025]The following explanations of terms are provided to better describe the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. As used herein, “comprising” means “including” and the singular forms “a” or “an” or “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” refers to a single element of stated alternative elements or a combination of two or more elements, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026]As used herein, the terms proximal and distal refer to direction along an attached object having a free end, relative to the point of attachment. Particularly, when an object is attached at one end, the end of the attachment is the proximal end, and the free end is the distal end. The direction along the object towards the point of attachment is the proximal direction. The direction along the object towards the free end is the distal direction.

[0027]Unless expl...

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure concerns attachments for a working machine, the attachments having a tool assembly comprising a roller and a detachable and adjustable grading blade.BACKGROUND

[0003] To prepare a worksite for a compacting operation, it is frequently necessary to first prepare the worksite by grading the material to be compacted. This is frequently done using a work vehicle equipped with a blade suitable for redistributing a granular material to a desired height. Once the granular material is at a desired height, it can be compacted with a roller as desired.

[0004] To reduce the number of working vehicles and vehicle operations required to finish a compacting job, a roller can be combined with a grading blade that progresses over the ground in advance of the roller. In this way, the grading blade can be used to redistribute granular material to a desired height before it is compacted without the need for separate vehicles to grade and compact a worksite.

[0005] However, the required spacing between a grading blade and the ground, such as the ground and / or granular material to be compacted, will vary based on the specific details of any compacting job to be performed. As such, even when a vibratory roller is combined with a knockdown blade in a single tool package, this tool package may not be suitable for a broad range of jobs, and may not be adaptable to fit a variety of working conditions.

[0006] Furthermore, the specific details of any compacting job to be performed may include various three-dimensional requirements, including location specific adjustments to surface elevation, mainfall slope, and cross slope. Existing tool assemblies combining a vibratory roller with a knockdown blade may additionally be unsuitable for such location specific adjustments.

[0007] Therefore, there is a continuing need for improvements on such tool assemblies for a work vehicle.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0008] Disclosed herein are examples of attachments for a work vehicle, particularly adjustable tool assemblies for use with a work vehicle. The tool assemblies disclosed herein generally include a roller and a blade removably mounted to a work vehicle by a common frame. The roller may be rotatably attached to the common frame, and the blade may be vertically adjustable relative to the common frame. In some examples, the tool assembly may further include one or more actuators configured to raise or lower the blade, and / or one or more actuators positioned between the common frame and the work vehicle and configured to rotate the tool assembly relative to the work vehicle.

[0009] Also disclosed herein are controllers configured to communicate with and control the operation of the tool assemblies disclosed herein. The controllers disclosed herein may control the positioning (that is, the elevation and / or the tilt) of the tool assembly or various components thereof relative to the work vehicle or the ground. Such controllers may operate in response to inputs from a vehicle operator, in response to inputs from a predetermined operational program, or in response to a combination of such inputs.

[0010] Certain examples concern a tool assembly for a work vehicle. The assembly comprises a tool frame, a roller rotatably mounted to the tool frame, a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame, and an actuator extending between the tool frame and the blade assembly and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame. The tool assembly also includes a controller configured to receive a control signal and transmit a command signal to drive the actuator to raise, lower, or maintain the blade assembly relative to the tool frame.

[0011] Certain examples concern a method for a controlled grading operation of a vehicle within a work site, the vehicle having a tool assembly movable relative to the vehicle, a controller configured to control the tool assembly, and a position tracking system, the tool assembly including a roller and a blade assembly movable relative to the roller. The method comprises receiving, by the controller, an engineering plan associated with the work site identifying, by the position tracking system, a first position of the work vehicle within the work site using a position signal received from a global navigation satellite system. The method also comprises identifying, by the controller, a target blade elevation for the blade based on the engineering plan and the identified position of the work vehicle within the work site, transmitting a lift actuator control signal from the controller to adjust the blade elevation, and adjusting the elevation of the blade assembly relative to the roller so that a measured blade assembly position approaches the target blade assembly position.

[0012] Certain examples concern a work vehicle comprising a tool frame. The work vehicle also comprises a compactor mounted to the tool frame, a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame, a lift actuator extending between the blade assembly and the tool frame and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame, and a tilt actuator extending between the tool frame and the vehicle and configured to tilt the tool frame relative to the vehicle. The work vehicle also comprises a controller configured to receive a control signal and to transmit a command signal to control the lift actuator and the tilt actuator in response to the command signal and a position sensor configured to measure the position of the work vehicle within a work site. The control signal is generated according to the position of the work vehicle within the work site and a program correlating a target blade elevation and a target tool assembly tilt to the position of the work vehicle within the work site, and the command signal drives the lift actuator and the tilt actuator such that a measured blade assembly elevation and a measured tool assembly tilt approach the target blade elevation and the target tool assembly tilt correlated to the position of the work vehicle within the work site.

[0013] Numerous objects, features, and advantages of the embodiments set forth herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a work vehicle including a work tool attachment according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a side view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a first position.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a side view of the tool assembly of FIG. 2 in a second position.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an exploded rear perspective view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a first position.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the tool assembly of FIG. 1 in a second position.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of additional sensor assemblies for use with the tool attachment of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a satellite positioning system for the work vehicle of FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a controller for use with the tool assembly of FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a work operation utilizing the tool assembly of FIG. 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONGeneral Terms

[0025] The following explanations of terms are provided to better describe the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. As used herein, “comprising” means “including” and the singular forms “a” or “an” or “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” refers to a single element of stated alternative elements or a combination of two or more elements, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026] As used herein, the terms proximal and distal refer to direction along an attached object having a free end, relative to the point of attachment. Particularly, when an object is attached at one end, the end of the attachment is the proximal end, and the free end is the distal end. The direction along the object towards the point of attachment is the proximal direction. The direction along the object towards the free end is the distal direction.

[0027] Unless explained otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Although methods and compounds similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, suitable methods and compounds are described below. The compounds, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting, unless otherwise indicated. Other features of the disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description and the claims.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, percentages, temperatures, times, and so forth, as used in the specification or claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated, implicitly or explicitly, the numerical parameters set forth are approximations that can depend on the desired properties sought and / or limits of detection under standard test conditions / methods. When directly and explicitly distinguishing embodiments from discussed prior art, the embodiment numbers are not approximates unless the word “about” is recited. Furthermore, not all alternatives recited herein are equivalents.Introduction to the Disclosed Technology

[0029] The present disclosure concerns tool assemblies, and particularly tool assemblies comprising an adjustable knockdown blade for use with work vehicles in grading operations. Generally, the tool assemblies disclosed herein are configured to releasably attach to a work vehicle. The tool assemblies disclosed herein are also generally configured to operate under tilt and elevation control and provided with one or more actuators to change the tilt and / or the elevation of the tool assembly.

[0030] The tool assemblies disclosed herein generally comprise a tool frame that connects to the work vehicle and a roller rotatably attached to the structural member. The roller may be a smooth drum roller or a padfoot drum roller. The tool assemblies disclosed herein also generally include a blade assembly, such as a knockdown blade, attached to the tool frame. In some examples, the blade assembly may also be removable from the tool frame. In some examples, the blade assembly may be adjustably positionable such that the spacing between the blade assembly and the ground can be altered, preferably without fully detaching the blade assembly from the tool frame.

[0031] The tool assemblies disclosed herein may also include one or more features configured to lock the tilt (that is, the vertical rotation) of the roller relative to the working vehicle with which the tool assembly is used.

[0032] In some examples, a controller is also provided to control the tilt and / or the elevation of the disclosed tool assemblies. The controller can control the tilt and / or the elevation of the tool assemblies under a predetermined program, or under ad hoc inputs from an operator of the work vehicle with which the tool assembly is associated.

[0033] Advantageously, the tool assemblies disclose herein allow for a grading operation and a compacting operation to be combined, and for both operations to adhere to tilt and elevation control parameters.Aspects of the Disclosed Technology

[0034] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts an example work vehicle 100. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the work vehicle 100 can be a vehicle such as the skid steer shown in FIG. 1, but it will be appreciated that the tool assemblies disclosed herein can be used with other work vehicles.

[0035] The work vehicle 100 includes an undercarriage 102 having first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106 (for example, crawler tracks) including first and second hydraulic travel motors 108 for driving the first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106, respectively. As seen in FIG. 1, a main frame 112 is supported by the undercarriage 102. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the first and second ground engaging units 104 and 106 may be left and right crawler tracks, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the work vehicle 100 includes a working assembly 122 extending alongside and forward from the main frame 112. The working assembly 122 includes one or more actuators 124 extending between the main frame 112 and a working tool, such as the tool assembly described in greater detail below.

[0037] An operator cab 140 may be located on the main frame 112, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The operator cab 140 and the working assembly 122 may both be mounted on the main frame so that the operator cab 140 faces in a working direction of the work vehicle 100, such as in the direction of the working tool described in greater detail below. A control station 110 may be located in the operator cab 140.

[0038] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a working tool, such as tool assembly 200 can be mounted to work vehicle 100, for example at a distal end portion of the one or more actuators 124, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] Turning now to FIG. 2, the tool assembly 200 can include a tool frame 202, which is configured to be releasably attached to the work vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The tool assembly 200 can also include a roller 204 (sometimes called a compactor) mounted to the tool frame 202. The roller 204 can be rotatably connected to the tool frame 202. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the roller 204 can be rotatably attached to the tool frame 202 at a first end portion 206 and a second end portion 208. The first end portion 206 and the second end portion 208 can each comprise an axle that is received by the tool frame 202 such that the roller 204 is rotatably movable relative to and within the tool frame 202.

[0040] The roller 204 can be used in work operations involving the grading or compacting of granular materials, such as soil or gravel. It will be appreciated that the roller 204 can have a surface geometry tailored for a specific grading or compacting operation. For example, in some operations, a comparatively greater degree of grading or compacting is required, but a comparatively rougher finish can be tolerated. In such operations, the roller 204 can be a textured roller, sometimes referred to as a “padfoot” roller. In other operations, a comparatively lesser degree of grading or compacting is required, but a comparatively finer finish is also required. In such operations, the roller 204 can be can have a smooth rolling surface. According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the roller 204 may be removably mounted to the tool frame 202, such that a roller 204 of one surface geometry may be replaced by a roller 204 of an alternate surface geometry, depending on the requirements of a given work operation, such as a grading or compacting job.

[0041] It will be appreciated that, in some aspects of the present disclosure, a grading jobs and compacting jobs may be completed separately from one another, for example, on different passes of a work vehicle 100. It will also be appreciated that in other aspects of the present disclosure, a grading job and compacting job may be combined so that granular material can be graded and compacted in the same pass of the work vehicle 100.

[0042] The tool assembly 200 can also include a blade assembly 210, which is adjustably mounted to the tool frame 202, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The blade assembly 210 comprises a blade 212 with a blade edge 214 configured to selectively engage the ground, such as the ground at a working site. Advantageously, because the tool assembly 200 includes a blade assembly 210 positioned ahead of the roller 204 in the driving direction of the work vehicle 100, the blade assembly 210 can be used to prepare the ground for a work operation, such as a roller compacting. Specifically, the blade assembly 210 can be used to grade a granular material (for example, soil or gravel) in preparation for rolling.

[0043] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the blade assembly 210 also includes one or more mounting arms 216, such as a first mounting arm 216a and a second mounting arm 216b, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The mounting arms 216 can include mounting features 218 that attach the blade assembly 210 to the tool frame 202, as shown in FIG. 3. In some examples, the one or more mounting arms can be releasably attached to the tool frame 202 such that the blade assembly 210 is releasably attached to the tool frame 202 as well.

[0044] In some examples, such as that illustrated in FIG. 2, the mounting features 218 comprise a bolt 220 extending through a corresponding pair of aligned apertures in a mounting arm 216 and the tool frame 202. The one or more mounting arms 216 are in this fashion pivotally attached to the frame 202, such that they can pivotally move around the bolt 220 when the blade assembly 210 is raised or lowered, as described in greater detail below.

[0045] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include an lift actuator 222 disposed between the tool frame 202 and the blade assembly 210, as shown in FIGS. 2 through 4, with a piston 224 of the lift actuator 222 connected to the blade assembly 210 and a cylinder 226 of the lift actuator 222 connected to the tool frame 202, for example at the bracket 228 shown in FIGS. 2 through 4. The actuator 222 can retract to raise the blade assembly 210 (as shown in FIG. 3) and can extend to lower the blade assembly 210 (as shown in FIG. 4) respectively. It will be further appreciated that the lift actuator 222 can be retained in a position to maintain the height of the blade assembly 210 relative to the ground.

[0046] In some examples, the lift actuator 222 can be a hydraulic cylinder, and in such examples may be connected to the hydraulic systems of the work vehicle 100. It will be appreciated, however, that other actuators may be used, such as pneumatic actuators or mechanically driven actuators, or any other actuator suitable for raising or lowering the blade assembly 210.

[0047] The tool assembly 200 disclosed herein can also, according to some aspects of the present disclosure, include one or more tool assembly position sensors coupled to one or more corresponding movable components of the tool assembly 200 and configured to detect the position of one or more components of the tool assembly 200, and most particularly, the elevation of the blade assembly 210 with respect to the ground. While detailed discussion is given herein primarily to the In-Cylinder Position System (ICPS) and to the Internal Measurement Unit (IMU), it will be appreciated that other systems appropriate for determining the elevation of the blade assembly 210 relative to the ground may also be applicable to the present disclosure and used alongside or in lieu of either the ICPS or IMU systems disclosed herein.

[0048] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can include an ICPS 230. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ICPS 230 can be associated with the lift actuator 222. The ICPS 230 can be positioned alongside or within the lift actuator 222 and configured to measure the position of the piston 224 relative to the cylinder 226 along the range of motion of the lift actuator 222. Accordingly, the ICPS 230 can determine the elevation of the blade assembly 210 based on the position of the piston 224 relative to the cylinder 226 of the lift actuator 222. The uses of the ICPS 230 disclosed herein, including the installation and operation thereof in relation to the lift actuator 222, will be readily understood to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The ICPS 230 will determine and record the actuator position of the lift actuator 222.

[0049] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can include an elevation IMU 232, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The elevation IMU 232 can, in some examples, be associated with the one or more mounting arms 216. The elevation IMU 232 can include one or more gravity reference sensors and / or one or more gyroscopes that are configured to track changes in position of the elevation IMU 232, and therefore also of the one or more mounting arms 216 (such as the first mounting arm 216a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the second mounting arm 216b, not visible in FIGS. 3 and 4) to which the elevation IMU 232 is attached. The elevation IMU 232 can determine the position of the blade assembly 210 by measuring the change in position of the one or more mounting arms 216 by which the blade assembly 210 is attached to the tool frame 202. The uses of the elevation IMU 232 disclosed herein, including the installation and operation thereof in relation to the one or more mounting arms 216, will be readily understood to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0050] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, as shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. The tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 can be disposed between the tool frame 202 and the work vehicle 100 and configured to rotate the tool assembly 200 in a vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 can include one or more tilt actuators 236. The one or more tilt actuators 236 can extend between a first end 238, which can in some examples be attached to a fixed structure of the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 or of the work vehicle 100, and a second end 240, which is attached to a traversable post 242 of the tool assembly 200, which may in some examples, be fixedly attached to the tool frame 202. In some examples, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can be one or more hydraulic cylinders, as shown in FIGS. 5-7, but it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that other actuators, such as mechanically driven, electrical, or pneumatic actuators may be used in lieu of the hydraulic cylinders shown.

[0052] The one or more tilt actuators 236 can be moved between an extended position and a retracted position. Because the one or more tilt actuators 236 are fixed at the first end 238, when they extend or retract, the traversable posts 242 to which they are attached at the second end 240 move accordingly. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the traversable posts 242 can be contained in one or more corresponding tilt tracks 244. Thus, as the one or more tilt actuators 236 attached to the traversable posts 242 extend or retract, the traversable posts 242 traverse within the one or more corresponding tilt tracks 244. Because the traversable posts 242 are fixedly attached to the tool frame 202, this causes the tool frame 202 to rotate in a vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100.

[0053] The tool assembly 200 can also include one or more sensors configured to detect the tilt of the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100. Particularly, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can include one or more corresponding ICPS 246, associated with the one or more tilt actuators 236 in a fashion substantially the same as that described in relation to the ICPS 230 associated with the lift actuator 222. More specifically, the one or more tilt actuators 236 can each comprise a piston 248 and a cylinder 250, and the one or more corresponding ICPS 246 can identify the position of the piston 248 relative to the cylinder 250. In turn, this allows the one or more corresponding ICPS 246 to determine the tilt of the tool assembly 200 in the vertical plane relative to the work vehicle 100 to which it is attached.

[0054] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a tilt cylinder IMU 270, associated with the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tilt cylinder IMU 270 can include substantially the same components, such as one or more gravity reference sensors and / or one or more gyroscopes, as the elevation IMU 232 previously introduced and discussed, and can function in substantially the same way, except that, as the tilt cylinder IMU 270 is associated with the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234, it is instead configured to detect and communicate changes in the tilt of the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 (and accordingly of the tool assembly 200).

[0055] In this way, sensors may be provided that identify the height of the blade assembly 210 relative to other components of the tool assembly 200 and / or to the work vehicle 100 and sensors may also be provided that identify the tilt of the tool assembly 200 relative to other components of the tool assembly 200 and / or to the work vehicle 100. Because the position of the work vehicle 100 relative to the ground can be measured or may be otherwise known, and because the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100 may be otherwise known from one or more additional sensors (for example, a vehicle IMU 280 as illustrated in FIG. 1 and / or a tool frame IMU 282 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) this may in turn be used to determine the appropriate position of the blade assembly 210 and / or the tool assembly 200 relative to the work vehicle 100 in order to conduct a grading operation and / or a compacting operation respectively)

[0056] It will be appreciated that, while the example described above and shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 uses a sensor system that includes at least one of an ICPS or an IMU for determining the relative positions of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, the blade assembly 210 and components thereof, other systems may be suitable for determining the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground at a worksite.

[0057] For example, in addition to the ICPS or IMU systems described herein, the tool assembly 200 can include an optical position measurement system 262. This system can include one or more light emitters 264 (for example, laser emitters) configured to project light (for example a laser) at a known light height and a known light slope relative to the ground at a work site.

[0058] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more light emitters 264 can be remote from the work vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 8, and positioned at a height, H, relative to the ground that is known. The system can further include one or more light receptors 266 associated with the tool assembly 200, or with the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached, wherein the relative position of the one or more light receptors 266 and the tool assembly 200, the work vehicle 100, and / or the ground are known (that is, the height of the receptors relative to the ground as well as the position of the receptors relative to the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or components thereof may be known). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the optical position measurement system 262 includes two light receptors one or more light receptors 266 mounted to the tool assembly 200 on two corresponding masts 268 at a known height.

[0059] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more light receptors 266 include one or more sensor portions 267 capable of detecting the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264, and a light target 269. In a general example, the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 can be detected by the one or more sensor portions 267. If the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 does not intersect the light target 269, the position of the one or more light receptors 266 can be adjusted up or down by moving the tool assembly 200 to which it is mounted correspondingly up or down until the light emitted from the one or more light emitters 264 intersects the light target 269.

[0060] Because the height and angle of light projected by the one or more light emitters 264 relative to the ground is known, and because the position of the one or more light receptors 266 relative to the tool assembly 200 is also known, the position and angle of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground can be determined by the position at which the light impinges on the light receptors 266. In turn, this information can be used to adjust the tool assembly 200 (and particularly the blade assembly 210) to a desired height and angle relative to the ground.

[0061] Similarly, the tool assembly 200 can, in addition to or in lieu of the ICPS or IMU systems described herein, include a sonic position measurement system 272, as illustrated in FIG. 8. This system can include one or more sonic emitters 274 configured to project a sonic emission 276 at the ground and one or more sonic receptors 278 configured to receive a sonic return signal (that is, the sonic emission as reflected off the ground). Where the position of the sonic receptors 278 and sonic emitters 274 relative to the other components of the tool assembly 200 are known, this can be used to calculate the position of the tool assembly 200 relative to the ground. In turn, this information can be used to adjust the tool assembly 200 (and particularly the blade assembly 210) to a desired height relative to the ground. It will be appreciated that, while FIG. 8 shows a tool assembly 200 including both an optical position measurement system 262 and a sonic position measurement system 272, these systems may be used independently of one another in a tool assembly 200 comprising only one system or the other.

[0062] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various systems described herein for measuring the elevation and tilt of the tool assembly 200, or of portions thereof such as the work vehicle 100, can be used to control the position and orientation (for example, the cross slope and / or the mainfall slope) of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof in various work operations, as will be discussed in greater detail herein. In some examples, one or more of the elevation, the cross slope, or the mainfall slope of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof will be adjusted as a function of position within the worksite. In some examples, one or more of the elevation, the cross slope, or the mainfall slope of the tool assembly 200 will be kept at a constant value for the work operation.

[0063] It will therefore be appreciated that the systems disclosed herein for detecting and controlling the elevation and orientation of the tool assembly 200 and / or components thereof may be advantageously coupled with one or more systems to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 and / or the work vehicle 100 within a work site.

[0064] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the tool assembly 200 can also include a position tracking system to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 (and therefore of the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached) within a work site.

[0065] For example, the position tracking system can be a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as GNSS 254, as shown in FIG. 9. The GNSS 254 can comprise a receiver 256 configured to receive signals transmitted by one or more satellites 258. The data received by the receiver 256 can be used to triangulate the position of the tool assembly 200 (and therefore of the work vehicle 100 to which the tool assembly 200 is attached) within the work site. The signals from the one or more satellites 258 can be used to triangulate the position of the receiver 256 (and thus the tool assembly 200 or the work vehicle 100 which includes the receiver 256), and more particularly, the position of the receiver 256 within the work site.

[0066] The GNSS 254 can be accompanied by or used in tandem with a ground based communication unit 260 (sometimes called a base station), such as the radio transmitter illustrated in FIG. 9. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, signals from the one or more satellites 258 can be subject to atmospheric interference, and advantageously, the ground based communication unit 260 can provide corrections to such signals, or to preliminary position information based on such signals. Particularly, the ground based communication unit 260 can be simultaneously in communication with the one or more satellites 258 and with the receiver 256 to provide a “real time kinematic correction” (“RTK correction”) to the preliminary positioning information based on the signal from the one or more satellites 258. More specifically, as is understood to those skilled in the art, the ground based communication unit 260 can correct for errors resulting from the atmospheric transmission of signals from the one or more satellites 258 to the receiver 256. In some specific examples, the GNSS 254 working in tandem with the one or more satellites 258 as discussed herein can position the work vehicle 100, or more particularly, the tool assembly 200 within the work site to an accuracy of less than 1 inch.

[0067] It will be appreciated, because information is available from the ICPS 230 and / or the elevation IMU 232 associated with the blade assembly 210 on the elevation of the blade assembly 210 and on the angle of the blade in a longitudinal direction with respect to the work vehicle 100 (sometimes called the mainfall), information is available from the tool assembly tilt mechanism 234 on the tilt of the tool assembly 200 (sometimes called the cross slope) within the vertical plane in relation to the work vehicle 100, and information is available from the position tracking system 252 on the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the work site, the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 can be configured to execute a controlled grading and / or compacting operation that associates coordinates within the worksite with a target elevation value (that is, target mainfall slope component) for the blade assembly 210 and / or a target tilt (that is, target cross slope component) for the tool assembly 200 with various positions within the work site, as discussed further herein.

[0068] Also disclosed herein are examples of controllers suitable for use with the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 previously described. For example, a controller 300 according to one aspect of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 10.

[0069] The controller 300 includes or may be associated with a processor 302, a computer readable medium 304, a database 306, and an input / output module or control panel 308 having a display 310. The control panel 308 may be a part of the control station 110 in the operator cab 140. An input / output device 312, such as a keyboard, joystick or other user interface, can be provided so that a human vehicle operator may input instructions to the controller 300. It is understood that the controller 300 described herein may be a single controller having the described functionality, or it may include multiple controllers wherein the described functionality is distributed among the multiple controllers. Some or all of the controllers may be located at a location other than the work vehicle and be connected wirelessly.

[0070] Various operations, steps or algorithms as described in connection with the controller 300 can be embodied directly in hardware, in a computer program product 314 such as a software module executed by the processor 302, or in a combination of the two. The computer program product 314 can reside in RAM memory module, flash memory module, ROM memory module, EPROM memory module, EEPROM memory module, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, or any other form of computer-readable medium 304 known in the art. An exemplary computer-readable medium 304 can be coupled to the processor 302 such that the processor 302 can read information from, and write information to, the memory / storage medium. In the alternative, the medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the medium can reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the medium can reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0071] The term “processor” as used herein may refer to at least general-purpose or specific-purpose processing devices, and / or logic as may be understood by one of skill in the art, including but not limited to a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a state machine, and the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0072] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 300 is configured to receive one or more input signals and to produce and transmit one or more output signals in response to or based in part on the input signals.

[0073] Particularly, a user interface 316 can be associated with the controller 300. The user interface 316 may be associated with the control station 110 of the work vehicle 100, previously described, or with a separate device, such as a mobile device, so that a user or a remote user can enter user input such as one or more signals to the controller 300 through the user interface 316.

[0074] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the controller 300 can receive signals from one or more of the instruments of the tool assembly 200 previously introduced. In particular, any or all of the elevation ICPS 230, the elevation IMU 232, the tilt ICPS 246, the tilt IMU, and the position tracking system 252 disclosed herein can communicate with the controller 300 and can send one or more signals to the controller 300 to communicate, for example, the elevation, tilt, and position of one or more of the components of the tool assembly 200 previously described.

[0075] For example, when the tool assembly 200 includes an instrument to determine the elevation of the tool assembly 200 or a component thereof such as the blade assembly 210, such instruments can communicate the elevation of the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof to the controller 300 through one or more signals. Thus, when the tool assembly 200 includes an ICPS 230 or an elevation IMU 232, the ICPS 230 or the elevation IMU 232 can transmit an ICPS elevation control signal 230S or an IMU elevation control signal 232S to the controller 300, which can according to some examples include elevation data for the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof.

[0076] Similarly, when the tool assembly 200 includes an instrument to determine the tilt of the tool assembly 200, or a component thereof such as the blade assembly 210, such instruments can communicate the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or component thereof to the controller 300 through one or more signals. Thus, when the tool assembly 200 includes a tilt cylinder ICPS 246, or a tilt cylinder IMU 270, the tilt cylinder ICPS 246 or the tilt cylinder IMU 270 can transmit an ICPS tilt control signal 246S or a IMU tilt control signal 270S, respectively, which according to some aspects of the present disclosure, can include tilt data for the tool assembly 200 or the components thereof.

[0077] Likewise, the GNSS 254 can be in communication with the controller 300, and configured to transmit a corresponding GNSS position control signal 254S to the controller 300, which contains data regarding the position of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or the components thereof to the 300.

[0078] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 can be configured to utilize any or all of these instrument signal inputs (the ICPS tilt control signal 246S, the IMU tilt control signal 270S, the ICPS elevation control signal 230S, or the IMU elevation control signal 232S as previously discussed) to generate one or more commands to drive one or more of the actuators previously described, such as the lift actuator 222 or any of the one or more tilt actuators 236. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the controller 300 can generate a lift actuator command signal 222C to control the position of the lift actuator 222 by driving a first hydraulic valve 318a. Likewise, the controller 300 can generate a tilt actuator command signal 236C to control the position of the one or more tilt actuators 236 by driving a second hydraulic valve 318b.

[0079] In some examples, the computer program product 314 will include a target blade assembly height at which to position the blade assembly 210 (or alternatively, a target mainfall slope component to be achieved by the angle and height of the blade assembly 210). The target blade assembly height can be a constant value, or a function of some other value, such as a position within a worksite. In such cases, the computer program product 314 can compare the target blade assembly height against a blade assembly height communicated in one of the received signals, such as the ICPS elevation control signal 230S or the IMU elevation control signal 232S, and can generate a lift actuator command signal 222C to drive the lift actuator 222 of the tool assembly 200 to move the blade assembly 210 towards the position indicated by the target blade assembly height. It will be further appreciated that, in some cases, the computer program product 314 can also be used to control the height of the entire tool assembly 200 in a similar fashion.

[0080] In some examples, the computer program product 314 will include a target tool assembly tilt (that is, a target cross slope component) for the tool assembly 200. The target tool assembly tilt can be constant value or a function of some other value, such as a position within a worksite. In such cases, the computer program product 314 can compare the target tool assembly tilt against the tool assembly tilt communicated in one of the received signals, such as the ICPS tilt control signal 246S or the IMU tilt control signal 270S, and can generate a tilt actuator command signal 236C to drive one or more tilt actuators 236 to move the tool assembly 200 towards the tilt position indicated by the target tool assembly tilt.

[0081] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 described herein can be generated remotely and / or ahead of time. For example, the computer program product 314 can be associated with an engineering plan for a work site that is prepared ahead of time and correlates desired positions for the components of the tool assembly 200, including the elevation of the tool assembly 200, the elevation of the blade assembly 210, or the tilt of the tool assembly 200 at one or more various positions within the work site. In some cases, this program can be communicated to the controller 300 and stored ahead of time. In other cases, it can be communicated to the controller 300 as the work operation is being performed. It will be appreciated that such a program 314 can be executed automatically or with the approval of a vehicle operator.

[0082] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the computer program product 314 disclosed herein can also be generated ad hoc by the vehicle operator, based on observed conditions at the worksite. For example, the vehicle operator could input various target values for the elevation of the tool assembly 200 (indicated in FIG. 10 as operator control signal 110S) the elevation of the blade assembly 210, or the tilt of the tool assembly 200, for one or more positions at the worksite, and adjust them as necessary during the work operation. It will be further understood that any of the other control signals disclosed herein (such as the IMU elevation control signal 232S, the ICPS tilt control signal 246S, the GNSS position control signal 254S, or the IMU tilt control signal 270S) can be generated by the vehicle operator as a manual input, or may be generated as part of an engineering plan which may be determined in advance of the grading and / or compacting operation.

[0083] For example, FIG. 11 outlines a controlled grading operation 400 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the controlled grading operation 400 first comprises a program selection step 402, in which a program is provided to and associated with a controller, such as the controller 300 previously described to provide a computer program product, such as the computer program product 314 previously described. While FIG. 11 shows a grading operation 400 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, it will be appreciated that the grading operation 400 can additionally include elements of a compacting operation wherein the roller 204 is engaged with the granular material shortly after grading such that grading and compacting can be performed in the same pass, but that the grading and compacting of the granular material can be completed in separate passes (that is, a grading operation and a compacting operation may be performed jointly or separately).

[0084] After the program has been associated with the controller 300 (and thus the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200), the controlled grading operation 400 further comprises a position identification step 404, as indicated in FIG. 11. During the position identification step 404, the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the worksite is identified, for example through the GNSS 254, as previously described. It will be appreciated, however, that while the GNSS 254 previously described may be used to identify the position of the tool assembly 200 and the work vehicle 100 within the work site, any other suitable and sufficiently precise method for identifying the position of the work vehicle 100 and the tool assembly 200 within the work site may also be used.

[0085] The controlled grading operation 400 also comprises identifying one or more target position parameters for the tool assembly 200, or the components thereof, such as the blade assembly 210. The target position parameters may be correlated to the identified position of the work vehicle 100 within the worksite, as established in the position identification step 404. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the controlled grading operation 400 includes identifying the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, in target elevation identification step 406. It will be appreciated that a target elevation value can be a function of some other parameter, such as the position of the work vehicle 100 and / or the tool assembly 200 as previously established in the position identification step 404 or can be constant through the entire method.

[0086] With the target blade elevation established in the target elevation identification step 406, the target blade elevation can be compared to a measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly 210, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as blade elevation comparison step 408. Based on the comparison between the measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly 210 and the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, the height of the blade assembly 210 can be adjusted, for example by driving the 222 as previously discussed such that the elevation of the blade assembly 210 approaches the target elevation of the blade assembly 210, as represented in FIG. 11 as blade elevation adjustment step 410.

[0087] The controlled grading operation 400 can also include identifying a target tilt for the tool assembly 200, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as target tilt identification step 412. It will be appreciated that a target tilt value can be a function of some other parameter, such as the position of the work vehicle 100 and / or the tool assembly 200 as previously established in the position identification step 404, or can be constant through the entire method.

[0088] With the target tilt for the tool assembly 200 or some components thereof established, the tool assembly tilt can be compared to a measured tool assembly tilt of the tool assembly 200 or of components thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 11 as tool assembly tilt comparison step 414. Based on the comparison between the measured tool assembly tilt of the tool assembly 200 or of one or more specific components thereof, and the target tilt value for the tool assembly 200 or any such components thereof, the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or components thereof can be adjusted, for example by driving the one or more tilt actuators 236 as described previously herein, such that the tilt of the tool assembly 200, or a component thereof approaches the target tilt value for the tool assembly 200 or that component thereof, as indicated in FIG. 11 as tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416.

[0089] It will be appreciated that the portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the elevation of the blade assembly 210, the elevation of the tool assembly 200, or the elevation of any component thereof (that is, the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410) can be performed independently from those portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or any component thereof (that is, the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416), or can be dependent on the results thereof.

[0090] It will be further appreciated that the portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the tilt of the tool assembly 200 or any component thereof (that is, the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416), can be performed independently of from those portions of the controlled grading operation 400 concerned with the elevation of the blade assembly 210, the elevation of the tool assembly 200, or the elevation of any component thereof (that is, the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410), or can be dependent on the results thereof.

[0091] In this fashion, it will be appreciated any of the target tilt identification step 412, the tool assembly tilt comparison step 414, or the tool assembly tilt adjustment step 416 may be performed before, after, or alongside any of the target elevation identification step 406, the blade elevation comparison step 408, and the blade elevation adjustment step 410, notwithstanding that they are presented in parallel in FIG. 11 for clarity.

[0092] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the controlled grading operation 400 may also include a further step of advancing the work vehicle 100 from a first position at the worksite to a second position at the worksite, as indicated in FIG. 11 as vehicle advancement step 418, with the tilt and elevation of the tool assembly 200, the blade assembly 210, or any other component of the tool assembly 200 provided as previously discussed in relation to the controlled grading operation 400. In such examples, the controlled grading operation 400 can further include subsequent determination of the position of the work vehicle 100, the tool assembly 200, or any component thereof, and adjustment of any such position according to the steps previously indicated; in effect repeating steps 404 through 416 of the previously described controlled grading operation 400. It will be further apparent that this may be done as many times as is necessary to fully execute the program provided in the program selection step 402.

[0093] It will be appreciated that, in the example described herein and illustrated in FIG. 11, the grading operation may happen concurrently with or in advance of a compacting operation in which the roller 204 is used to compact the granular material after it has been graded. The rolling operation may be subject to substantially the same control methods as described herein in relation to the controlled grading operation 400.

[0094] Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful POSITIONABLE VIBRATORY ROLLER it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

General Terms

[0025]The following explanations of terms are provided to better describe the present disclosure and to guide those of ordinary skill in the art in the practice of the present disclosure. As used herein, “comprising” means “including” and the singular forms “a” or “an” or “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” refers to a single element of stated alternative elements or a combination of two or more elements, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0026]As used herein, the terms proximal and distal refer to direction along an attached object having a free end, relative to the point of attachment. Particularly, when an object is attached at one end, the end of the attachment is the proximal end, and the free end is the distal end. The direction along the object towards the point of attachment is the proximal direction. The direction along the object towards the free end is the distal direction.

[0027]Unless expl...

Claims

1. A tool assembly for a work vehicle, the assembly comprising:a tool frame;a roller rotatably mounted to the tool frame;a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame; andan actuator extending between the tool frame and the blade assembly and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame; anda controller configured to receive a control signal and transmit a command signal to drive the actuator to raise, lower, or maintain the blade assembly relative to the tool frame.

2. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising a position tracking system configured to identify a position of the work vehicle at a work site,wherein the control signal is associated with a program for a grading operation that correlates the position of the work vehicle at the work site with a target blade assembly height, and the command signal drives the actuator to raise, lower, or maintain a height of the blade assembly so that the height of the blade assembly approaches the target blade assembly height.

3. The tool assembly of claim 2, wherein the controller is associated with a memory module, the program for the grading operation is a predetermined program for the grading operation, and the predetermined program for the grading operation is associated with the memory module.

4. The tool assembly of claim 2, wherein the controller is associated with a user interface configured to receive a user input from a vehicle operator, and the program for the grading operation is at least partially determined by the user input.

5. The tool assembly of claim 2, wherein the position tracking system comprises a global navigation satellite system configured to provide preliminary positioning information and a base station configured to provide real time kinematic correction to the preliminary positioning information.

6. The tool assembly of claim 2, wherein the position tracking system comprises:a light emitter that emits a light having a known light height and a known light slope; anda light receptor mounted to the blade and configured to receive the light;wherein the target blade assembly height is based on a position of the light receptor relative to the light and the command signal drives the actuator to raise, lower, or maintain the position of the light receptor relative to the light.

7. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising a tilt mechanism comprising one or more tilt actuators extending between the tool assembly and the work vehicle and configured to tilt the tool assembly relative to the work vehicle.

8. The tool assembly of claim 7, wherein the one or more tilt actuators are one or more hydraulic cylinders, and wherein the tilt mechanism comprises an in-cylinder position system configured to determine the tilt of the tool assembly based on a position value for the one or more hydraulic cylinders.

9. The tool assembly of claim 7, wherein the tilt mechanism comprises an internal measurement unit including a gyroscope and a gravity reference sensor, the internal measurement unit configured to determine the tilt of the tool assembly based on one or more measurements from the gyroscope and one or more measurements from the gravity reference sensor.

10. The tool assembly of claim 7, wherein the control signal is associated with a program for a compacting operation comprising a target mainfall slope component and the command signal includes a lift actuator command signal component that drives the lift actuator to raise, lower, or maintain a height of the blade assembly so that the blade assembly approaches a target mainfall slope position. and drives the tilt mechanism to change or maintain the tilt of the tool assembly so that the tool assembly approaches a target mainfall slope position.

11. The tool assembly of claim 10, wherein the compacting operation further comprises a target cross slope component and the command signal includes a tilt mechanism command signal component that drives the tilt mechanism to change or maintain the tilt of the tool assembly so that the tool assembly approaches a target cross slope position.

12. The tool assembly of claim 1, further comprising one or more tool assembly position sensors configured to measure an elevation of the blade assembly relative to the ground at a work site.

13. The tool assembly of claim 12, wherein the controller compares the measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly against a target blade assembly height and drives the actuators to raise, lower, or maintain the measured blade assembly elevation of the blade assembly so that it approaches the target blade assembly height.

14. The tool assembly of claim 12, wherein the blade position sensor comprises:a sonic emitter mounted to the blade assembly and configured to direct a sonic emission at the ground, anda sonic receptor configured to receive a sonic return signal from the ground and to calculate the elevation of the blade assembly based on the sonic return signal.

15. A work vehicle including the tool assembly of claim 1.

16. A method for a controlled grading operation of a vehicle within a work site, the vehicle having a tool assembly movable relative to the vehicle, a controller configured to control the tool assembly, and a position tracking system, the tool assembly including a roller and a blade assembly movable relative to the roller, the method comprising:receiving, by the controller, an engineering plan associated with the work site;identifying, by the position tracking system, a first position of the work vehicle within the work site using a position signal received from a global navigation satellite system;identifying, by the controller, a target blade elevation for the blade based on the engineering plan and the identified position of the work vehicle within the work site;transmitting a lift actuator control signal from the controller to adjust the blade elevation; andadjusting the elevation of the blade assembly relative to the roller so that a measured blade assembly position approaches the target blade assembly position.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tool assembly is additionally tilt controlled, the method further comprising:identifying, by the controller, a target tool assembly tilt for the tool assembly based on the engineering plan and the position of the work vehicle within the work site;transmitting a tilt actuator control signal from the controller to adjust the tool assembly tilt; andadjusting the tool assembly tilt so that a measured tool assembly tilt approaches the target tool assembly tilt.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the position of the work vehicle is a first position of the work vehicle, the target blade elevation is a first target blade elevation and the method further comprising:advancing the work vehicle from the first position of the work vehicle to a second position of the work vehicle;identifying a second target blade elevation for the blade based on the second position of the work vehicle within the work site; andadjusting the elevation of the blade so that the measured blade assembly elevation approaches the second target blade elevation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is performed independent of input from a vehicle operator.

20. A work vehicle comprising:a tool frame;a compactor mounted to the tool frame;a blade assembly mounted to the tool frame;a lift actuator extending between the blade assembly and the tool frame and configured to raise and lower the blade assembly relative to the tool frame;a tilt actuator extending between the tool frame and the vehicle and configured to tilt the tool frame relative to the vehicle;a controller configured to receive a control signal and to transmit a command signal to control the lift actuator and the tilt actuator in response to the command signal; anda position sensor configured to measure the position of the work vehicle within a work site,wherein the control signal is generated according to the position of the work vehicle within the work site and a program correlating a target blade elevation and a target tool assembly tilt to the position of the work vehicle within the work site, and the command signal drives the lift actuator and the tilt actuator such that a measured blade assembly elevation and a measured tool assembly tilt approach the target blade elevation and the target tool assembly tilt correlated to the position of the work vehicle within the work site.

Images