348 results about "Articulated vehicle" patented technology

This invention relates to motor vehicles, and, more particularly, to a rear viewing system for tractor-trailer vehicles. An automated, universal trailer rear viewing system that is integrated in its entirety on the head or pulling portion of a pivotally connected articulated vehicle. The system includes: (a) at least one image capturing device mounted on the tractor designed to tilt, pan and focus on a target object or an area around the trailer; (b) a computer located inside the tractor coupled to the image capturing device; (c) an image capturing and comparative software program loaded into the memory of the computer capable of processing the image file of the target object transmitted from the image capturing device, and capable of generating control commands to the image capturing device so that an image of the target object is maintained as the system is activated; (d) at least one adjustable viewing camera also coupled to the computer that automatically adjusts the viewing camera tilting, panning and focusing according to the movement of the image capturing device; and, (e) at least one display monitor located near the driver that is coupled to the viewing camera so that the image seen thereby may be seen by the driver.

The invention provides a trailer for use as part of an articulated vehicle (15) with improved cornering characteristics. The trailer includes: a main chassis (18) connectable to a wheeled section (16) of the vehicle immediately ahead of the trailer so that the trailer is rotatable relative to the wheeled section (16) about a substantially upright first axis (19) in the main chassis (18); a sub-chassis (20) having ground-engaging wheels (21) mounted thereto, the sub-chassis (20) being connected to the main chassis (18) and pivotable about a substantially upright second axis (23) in the main chassis (18); and stop means arranged for limiting rotation of the sub-chassis (20) about the second axis (23) and away from a position of a longitudinal alignment with the main chassis (18). The stop means is movable responsively to relative rotation of the wheeled section (16) and the main chassis (18) about the first axis (19). In a preferred arrangement, some wheels on the sub-chassis (20) are steerable responsively to rotation of the sub-chassis (20) about the second axis (23).

An improved four-bar hinge assembly for attaching a trunk deck lid to a vehicle body in which the control link of the four-bar linkage has its usual vehicle-mounted pivot pin replaced by the rotatably driven output drive shaft of a power drive mechanism that is rigidly and directly coupled to the control link to swing to the same and thereby power actuate the four-bar linkage in order to pivot the deck lid between open and closed positions. The hinge elements are located on the weather side of the vehicle body components and the drive shaft extends through the vehicle sheet metal into the weather sealed trunk compartment so that the electro-mechanical drive components are mounted within the weather sealed trunk.

An articulated vehicle with a working device has a first frame having a prime mover mounted thereon and supporting a first transaxle apparatus. The first transaxle apparatus includes an input shalt receiving power from the prime mover, a pair of first axles, and a hydrostatic transmission. The hydrostatic transmission comprises a variable hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic motor fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump via a fluid passage, and a housing with a port fluidly connected to the fluid passage. The second transaxle apparatus includes a pair of second axles having different lengths and a second hydraulic motor. The second hydraulic motor is fluidly connected to the port. Proximal ends of the first and second frames with respect to the vehicle are coupled to each other so that the first and second flames are rotatable around a vertical axis relative to each other when steered.

A method of controlling stability of a vehicle having an articulated suspension includes determining at least one dynamic property of the vehicle and manipulating the articulated suspension based on the at least one dynamic property to affect the stability of the vehicle. A method of controlling stability of a vehicle having an articulated suspension includes determining a damping scenario and adjusting damping levels of a plurality of active dampers of the articulated suspension. A method of controlling stability of a vehicle having an articulated suspension includes determining a load on each of a plurality of wheel assemblies of the articulated suspension and manipulating at least one component of the vehicle to affect at least one of a center of gravity of the vehicle and the vehicle's stability limits.

An articulate vehicle comprises a first frame disposed at one of front and rear portions of the vehicle and a second frame disposed at the other of front and rear portions of the vehicle. The first frame supports a first transaxle apparatus supporting a first axle. The second frame supports a second transaxle apparatus supporting a second axle. Proximal ends of the frames with respect to the vehicle are coupled to each other through a coupling part so that the first and second frames are rotatable relative to each other around a vertical axis according to steering operation. An engine is mounted on the first frame. A first hydraulic motor is integrally assembled in the first transaxle apparatus so as to drive the first axle. A working vehicle is equipped at a distal side of the second frame with respect to the vehicle. A second hydraulic motor is integrally assembled in the second transaxle apparatus so as to drive the second axle. A hydraulic pump is mounted on either the first or second frame, drivingly connected to the engine, and fluidly connected to both the first and second hydraulic motors.

A stability detection system is provided for detecting the stability of an articulated vehicle. The stability detection system may include a weigh system configured to measure the weight distribution of the vehicle. A controller may provide a warning when the detected weight distribution exceeds a threshold.

The subdivided bellows of a connecting element is provided between two articulated vehicle components. The halves of the bellows are coupled at their ends to a vehicle component, and a middle frame (1) has a device for guiding supply lines (100), e.g. tubes, cables, etc., in a ceiling area of the connecting element which is movable relative to the middle frame (1).

A steering system for an articulated vehicle has a microprocessor connected to a proportional solenoid valve which controls the direction, amount and rate of flow of hydraulic fluid to and from hydraulic articulation cylinders, which provide articulation between the frames of the articulated vehicle. A positional feedback sensor measures the angle of articulation between the frames and communicates the angle of articulation to the processor. A gear sensor monitors the gear that the vehicle is in and communicates it to the processor. A user input device allows a user to select the desired level of steering sensitivity and also allows the user to input the size of the tires installed on the vehicle. A steering device allows the operator to provide steering input and communicates electrical steering signals to the processor based on the steering input from the operator. The processor controls the valve to provide the steering response selected by the operator, to emulate castoring so that the vehicle is returned to a straight ahead position in the center position of the steering device, to vary the stop angle based on the tire size and to gradually stop articulation at the stop angle, to gradually start and stop articulation so as to avoid hydraulic hammering. If the steering valve has a source of supply which is common to other valves of the hydraulic system, the processor can also control all of the valves to give priority to the steering valve. In addition, the interface between the steering device and the processor is the same for different types of steering devices, i.e., a steering wheel or a joystick, so that different types of steering devices may be easily provided, depending on a customer's request.

An articulate vehicle has first and second frames, which are coupled to each other at proximal ends thereof with respect to the vehicle through a coupling part so as to be relatively rotatable around a vertical axis according to steering operation. The first and second frames are distributed at front and rear portions of the vehicle. The first frame supports a first transaxle apparatus having first axles, and the second frame supports a second transaxle apparatus having a pair of second axles. A gearbox is disposed near the coupling part and provided with a pair of mutually drivingly connected horizontal shafts which are variable in relative angles thereof around the vertical axis according to steering operation. One of the horizontal shafts is drivingly connected to a power take-off shaft for extracting output power of a speed-changing arrangement in the first transaxle apparatus. The other of the horizontal shafts is drivingly connected to an input shaft of the second transaxle apparatus. The vehicle is provided with a rotor having a rotary axis disposed on the vertical axis so as to output power from a prime mover to a working device.

Systems and methods for generating an image of the surroundings of an articulated vehicle are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a processor determines a relative position between a first vehicle of an articulated vehicle and a second vehicle of the articulated vehicle; receives a first image from a first camera arranged on the first vehicle and a second image from a second camera arranged on the second vehicle; and combines the first image and the second image based on the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to generate a combined image of surroundings of the articulated vehicle.

An articulated vehicle suspension system shoulder joint is disclosed. A vehicle includes a plurality of wheel assemblies; a plurality of rotating shoulder joints, each wheel assembly being mounted to a respective one of the shoulder joints and rotatable in a plane by the respective shoulder joint; and a chassis to which the shoulder joints are mounted. The shoulder joint for use in a vehicle suspension system includes a housing to which a wheel assembly may be attached for in-plane rotation; a drive; and a transmission engaged with the housing and the drive to reduce the speed of the drive motor as it drives the housing.

The invention provides a differential assisted hydraulic steer-by-wire method of an all-wheel independent electrically driven articulated vehicle, and belongs to the technical field of engineering machinery. The articulated vehicle structurally and mainly comprises a front vehicle body, a rear vehicle body, an articulated body, independent electrically driven wheels, controllers, a drive-by-wire articulated hydraulic steering system, a main controller, a steering wheel system and the like, wherein the main controller is an upper controller of the complete vehicle and receives steering signals of the steering wheel system, and the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body rotate by controlling the articulated hydraulic steering system and all the electrically driven wheels to act so as to achieve steering. The method is based on the controllable articulated vehicle all-wheel independent drive, and the problems that the response speed is low, the steering angle is limited by a steering structure, tyres are seriously abraded and the steering energy consumption is high in existing articulated hydraulic steering modes are solved through the cooperation of differential steering and hydraulic steer-by-wire steering.

A stability detection system is provided for detecting the stability of an articulated vehicle. The stability detection system may include a weigh system configured to measure the weight distribution of the vehicle. A controller may provide a warning when the detected weight distribution exceeds a threshold.

An articulated vehicle with a working device has a first frame having a prime mover mounted thereon and supporting a first transaxle apparatus. The first transaxle apparatus includes an input shaft receiving power from the prime mover, a pair of first axles, and a hydrostatic transmission. The hydrostatic transmission comprises a variable hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic motor fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump via a fluid passage, and a housing with a flexible port fluidly connected to the fluid passage. The second transaxle apparatus includes a pair of second axles having different lengths and a second hydraulic motor. The second hydraulic motor is fluidly connected via piping to a directionally adjustable connection portion of the flexible port. Proximal ends of the first and second frames with respect to the vehicle are coupled to each other so that the first and second frames are rotatable around a vertical axis relative to each other when steered.

The invention discloses a multi-group-articulated-vehicle perimeter video panoramic-display system and method. The system includes: a plurality of image collection devices, which are configured on multi-group articulated vehicles, and collect image data covering a vehicle perimeter panoramic-area; a perimeter video panoramic-display central-processing-unit, which receives the image data from the plurality of image collection devices, obtains data information, which is superimposed in video streams, by decoding, and combines vehicle body steering and articulating-disk angles to obtain a perimeter video panoramic-view of the vehicle in real time by splicing; and display control units, which are configured at a front head vehicle and a rear head vehicle, and receives and displays the perimeter video panoramic-view from the perimeter video panoramic-display central-processing-unit. The system can display image information in a certain range of a vehicle perimeter, for example, the vehiclesare overlooked from above, all views are at a glance without missing, and zero blind corners are truly realized. Whole-vehicle image information can be displayed on displayers of driver rooms of twoends after image correction splicing.

The invention provides a reactive navigation control method for an underground mining vehicle. The reactive navigation control method comprises establishing a front axle pose state vector estimation value model of a next moment based on a vehicle hinge joint, a front axle midpoint, front axle velocity, front axle yaw angular velocity, front axle turning radius, a rear axle midpoint, rear axle velocity, rear axle yaw angular velocity and rear axle turning radius; establishing a course deviation angle model; establishing an articulated vehicle front axle center position deviation model; establishing a turning angle control model which comprises a safety prediction model and a fuzzy control algorithm; and establishing an articulated vehicle velocity control model, and controlling the underground mining vehicle based on the articulated vehicle velocity control model.

A hydraulic system for damping the motion of rotation of a swivel joint between two vehicle parts of an articulated vehicle, of an articulated bus for example, comprising a hydraulic damping device as well as an electrically triggerable proportional pressure control valve, whereas the proportional pressure control valve is arranged between the force side and the suction side of the damping device, a mechanical pressure control valve (103) being provided in addition to the proportional pressure control valve (104) in the conduit between the suction side and the force side of the damping device, and whereas a multiple-way valve is provided for the alternative drive of the pressure control valve (103) or of the proportional pressure control valve (104).

A fully fixed, non-articulating geometry vehicle that includes a number of virtual control surfaces operable to replicate a mechanical control surface's functionality. These virtual control surfaces further include a number of flow control devices on the non-articulating vehicle surface. The plurality of flow control surfaces is operable to induce secondary flow structure(s) within a boundary layer of a fluid flow over the non-articulating vehicle surface. A virtual control surface controller is operable to dynamically adjust a frequency and amplitude of the secondary flow structure(s) in order to reposition the virtual control surface. A vehicle control and stability system communicatively coupled to the plurality of virtual control surfaces is operable to direct positioning of the plurality of virtual control surfaces in response to vehicle control commands.

A ride control system for insuring safe operation of articulated vehicles by monitoring, detecting and suppressing erratic jackknifing, comprises a mechanism for monitoring among several inputs the driver's intentions, road conditions, the vehicle behavior, a microprocessor, and a means for commanding an anti-lock brake system to apply brakes on selected trailer wheels to suppress erratic jackknifing and restore vehicle stability. The microprocessor is used primarily for computing the probability of trailer and tractor roll-over due in part to erratic jackknifing when the vehicle is expected to move straight ahead. The probability of roll-over is converted to a time varying voltage signal for use by an electronic control module to proportionally apply brakes to those wheels whose angular velocity is greater than the average in order to drag the trailer on the side until erratic jackknifing is suppressed.

An articulated wheel loader provides a cushioned deceleration at the limits of its turning to the left and to the right by reducing fluid flow through a hydraulic steering cylinder as the articulated frames approach abutment. The throttled fluid flow causes a variable displacement pump to de-stroke, which further cushions the deceleration.

The invention relates to a joint (1) between two vehicle components (2,3) joined to each other with a hinge, such as of an articulated vehicle, comprising an articulated joint (10), wherein the articulated joint (10) comprises two joint segments (11, 12) that are rotatably connected to each other by a tensioning device (20) acting as a vertical axis, the one, first joint segment (11) having a U-shaped, jaw-like opening (13) for seizing the other, second joint segment (12) in the region of the vertical axis, sliding devices (16) being provided between the joint segments (11, 12) and acting in at least the axial direction, the tensioning device (20) having means for generating pretension on the joint segments (11, 12).

The present invention relates to an articulated chassis system of large articulated vehicle, which comprises a front beam, a spherical hinge connecting structure, a front frame, a turnplate bearing, a rear frame, a rear beam and a turning angle sensing means, the front beam is connected with the front frame through the spherical hinge connecting structure, the turnplate bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring, the front frame is connected fixedly with the outer ring / the inner ring, the rear frame is connected fixedly with the inner ring / the outer ring, the inner ring and the outer ring can rotate relatively, the rear frame is connected with the rear beam, the turning angle sensing means is arranged between the inner ring / the outer ring and the front frame / the rear frame. Preferably, the articulated chassis system of large articulated vehicle further comprises a hydraulic damping buffer system arranged between the front frame and the rear frame, the turning angle sensing means comprises an angle sensor, a first angle sensor and a second angle sensor, the spherical hinge connecting structure comprises a spherical hinge bracket structure and a spherical hinge. The present invention is designed uniquely and skillfully, has a simple and compact structure, is easy to install, so as to enhance the safety, stability and durability of the articulated chassis system of large articulated vehicle, and lower the cost, therefore the present invention is suitable for large-scale popularization.

The invention belongs to the field of traffic safety designs and lane designs. Aiming at the maximum sweeping path width and a difference of a radius between front inner wheels and a radius between rear inner wheels during right turning of a large vehicle, the invention provides a right-turning lane design method by considering a turning characteristic of the large vehicle. Compared with the conventional design method, the design method has the advantage that the safety, the efficiency and the land utilization are improved greatly. According to the technical scheme, the right-turning lane design method by considering the turning characteristic of the large vehicle comprises the following step of: calculating deflection of traces of a dragging articulated vehicle and a small coach, wherein (1) the width of a diversion lane is required to be equal to a sum of a wheel trace inner displacement, namely the maximum sweeping path width, and a lateral clearance, and (2) the right-turning trace of the large vehicle is fit by an asymmetric three-center composite curve with a relatively small curve radius of an entrance lane and a relatively large curve radius of an exit lane; and under the condition that the width of the diversion lane and an inner-arc radius are known, drawing the three-center composite curve of a right-turning lane. The method is mainly applied to lane design.

The invention provides a trailer for use as part of an articulated vehicle (15) with improved cornering characteristics. The trailer includes: a main chassis (18) connectable to a wheeled section (16) of the vehicle immediately ahead of the trailer so that the trailer is rotatable relative to the wheeled section (16) about a substantially upright first axis (19) in the main chassis (18); a sub-chassis (20) having ground-engaging wheels (21) mounted thereto, the sub-chassis (20) being connected to the main chassis (18) and pivotable about a substantially upright second axis (23) in the main chassis (18); and stop means arranged for limiting rotation of the sub-chassis (20) about the second axis (23) and away from a position of a longitudinal alignment with the main chassis (18). The stop means is movable responsively to relative rotation of the wheeled section (16) and the main chassis (18) about the first axis (19). In a preferred arrangement, some wheels on the sub-chassis (20) are steerable responsively to rotation of the sub-chassis (20) about the second axis (23).

An articulated pendulum steering system for an articulated vehicle having a front vehicle section and a rear vehicle section, the system including a vertical bearing pin supported by at least one movable joint support, and a movable joint pin supported by at least one movable joint support, wherein the vertical bearing pin and the movable joint pin sit in an articulated pendulum joint axle.

A magnetic wedge device for application on the fifth wheel of the tractor of articulated vehicles, by means of incorporated permanent magnets, to provide the angular position of the fifth wheel respect to the axis of a semitrailer to one or more functional systems dependent on this angular position and in particular to the piloting of semitrailer axle steering systems, consists of a wedge-shaped body (10) with a flat upper surface (12) equipped with permanent magnets (13) that maintain the body in contact with the flat surface of the semitrailer, close to the coupling pin (14) of the fifth wheel (11), and two flat side surfaces (15) equipped with permanent magnets (16) that maintain the body in contact with the two inner surfaces (17) of th “V” shaped opening in the fifth wheel in a fully wedged condition. The device presents a reference or coupling point (P) on which the end of a mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electronic device (D) is applied, providing mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electronic piloting corresponding to the position of the coupling point P on the wedge which is in turn proportional to the angular position of the fifth wheel with respect to the axis of the semitrailer. FIG. 1

The invention relates to a coupling portion (10, 100) between two articulated vehicle parts (2, 3), e.g. for an articulated vehicle, which comprises a curved hinge connecting with a vehicle part (2, 3) by a articulating device (50, 120, 220, 320) transmitting pitching and cycloidal motion.