Attachment Status Monitoring for Locating Detached Machine Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies for construction equipment fail to efficiently locate misplaced attachment devices, leading to time-consuming searches across vast construction sites, and existing locator systems can be damaged or require electricity, exacerbating the issue.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sensor configuration and a control unit that monitors the attachment status of the attachment device, stores location data upon de-attachment, and uses GPS or local coordinates to facilitate easy localization of the device, eliminating the need for a locator on the attachment device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locator (GPS module) is arranged on the attachment device to enable localization, then the attachment device can be located, but the locator can be damaged and/or may require electricity to function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the localization function from the attachment device itself and places it on the attachment device carrying equipment instead. The control unit on the carrying equipment stores location data when the attachment device is detached, eliminating the need for a locator on the attachment device. This resolves the contradiction by removing the vulnerable component while maintaining the localization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of the control unit and sensor configuration on the attachment device carrying equipment. This intermediary monitors attachment status and stores location data, serving as a mediator between the attachment device and the localization function. This eliminates the need for power-dependent locators on the attachment device itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the construction site extends over several acres, then the working machine can perform various works, but misplacement of the attachment device leads to time-consuming searching and localization
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary action by storing the location data of the attachment device at the moment of detachment. This advance recording of position information eliminates the need for subsequent searching, allowing rapid retrieval of the attachment device regardless of the large site area. The location is captured before the search would need to begin.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor configuration provides feedback about the attachment status to the control unit, which then stores location information. This feedback mechanism ensures that whenever the attachment device is detached, its location is automatically recorded, enabling quick recovery without manual searching across the extensive construction site.
3Loss of time
If a sensor configuration and control unit are used to monitor attachment status and store location data, then the location data can be stored for easy localization, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it monitors attachment status through the sensor configuration, stores location data when detachment occurs, and manages the overall attachment device management system. By making the control unit multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby managing system complexity while achieving rapid localization.
4Reliability
If an electromagnetic transducer is used to detect relative motion between metal parts, then dislocation can be detected, but the system requires electromagnetic detection infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electromagnetic detection systems with a simpler sensor configuration that detects attachment status. Instead of using electromagnetic transducers to detect relative motion, the system uses sensors to monitor whether the attachment device is attached or detached, storing location data based on this status. This substitutes a complex physical detection system with a simpler status-monitoring approach.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a working machine (1) having an attachment device (28, 28'), and an attachment device carrying equipment (26, 26') enabling detachment and attachment of the attachment device. The working machine further comprises a system (100, 100', 100'') for monitoring attachment status of the attachment device, the system comprising: sensor configuration (101, 101', 101'') arranged and configured to indicate the attachment status of the attachment device, and a control unit (110) configured to monitor the sensor configuration in order to establish the attachment status of the attachment device, and configured to store location data of the attachment device based on the attachment status of the attachment device, wherein an indication that the attachment device is de-attached from the attachment device carrying equipment determines that the location data of the attachment device is stored.