Control Lever Oscillation Damping for Large Manipulators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for controlling large manipulators, such as truck-mounted concrete pump distributor booms, struggle to maintain active oscillation damping when the control lever is not in the travel range, leading to inadequate damping of oscillations during abrupt stoppages and concrete pumping, which complicates operation and poses safety risks.
Innovation Solution
The control lever is designed to switch on active oscillation damping without moving the manipulator, allowing the operator to maintain damping without using a separate dead-man switch, by incorporating pivot axes orthogonal to the lever's longitudinal axis, visual and acoustic signals, and a push button for continuous activation, enabling operation in various modes and reducing the likelihood of inadvertent movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the active oscillation damping is switched on when the control lever is in the travel range, then the oscillations are damped during movement, but the damping cannot be maintained when the control lever returns to the zero-position range, leading to inadequate damping during stationary pumping operations
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever is made dynamically configurable with multiple operational modes (movement mode and stationary mode). The system automatically adapts the damping behavior based on the selected mode, allowing the damping to be maintained during stationary pumping operations by enabling a second pivot axis that allows lever deflection without triggering manipulator movement commands.
2Reliability
If a separate dead-man switch or additional button is provided to maintain damping during stationary operations, then the damping can be kept active, but the ease of operation is impeded requiring additional hand or control inputs
Solution Approach 1:
The control lever is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls manipulator movement in movement mode and controls oscillation damping in stationary mode. By enabling a second pivot axis (Y-axis) that allows lever deflection without causing manipulator movement, the same control element serves dual purposes, eliminating the need for separate dead-man switches or additional buttons.
Solution Approach 2:
The functionality of the control lever is merged to include both movement control and damping control in a single integrated interface. The deflection of the control lever in the second pivot axis direction triggers damping activation without causing manipulator movement, combining what were previously separate control functions into one unified control mechanism.
3Measurement precision
If the control lever is made sensitive to small deflections for precise control, then the positioning precision is improved, but the likelihood of inadvertent movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensitivity threshold based on the operational mode. In stationary mode, the system allows smaller lever deflections to activate damping without triggering manipulator movement, while in movement mode, the normal sensitivity thresholds apply. This dynamic threshold adjustment maintains precision control while reducing inadvertent movement risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system changes the activation parameters for the control lever based on the selected mode. When stationary mode is selected, the system modifies the threshold parameters so that deflections in the second pivot axis direction activate damping without causing manipulator movement, effectively changing the response characteristics to prevent inadvertent movements while maintaining control precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a remote control apparatus with a control lever that is pivotably mounted to the remote control apparatus. The control lever is pivotable within an inner zero-position range, an outer travel range, and an oscillation damping range located between the inner zero-position range and the outer travel range. The remote control apparatus is configured to cause movement of a large manipulator, which has an active oscillation damping mode, switch on the active oscillation damping mode and cause movement of the large manipulator when the control lever is within the outer travel range, switch off the active oscillation damping mode when the control lever is located in the zero-position range, and switch on the active oscillation damping mode without causing movement of the large manipulator when the control lever is located within the oscillation damping range.