Dump Truck Control Panel Positioning for Width Constraints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned dump trucks without an operator's cab face challenges in displaying status information, as components like displays and meters cannot be placed inside, and external placement increases vehicle width, affecting mobility.
Innovation Solution
A remotely controllable dump truck with a vehicle-status-output device positioned between the fenders, offset inward from the tires, allowing operators to access and operate the control panel from outside, preventing interference and maintaining vehicle width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If status-information-displaying components are provided on the exterior of the vehicle, then inspection and check for operator becomes easy, but the outermost width of the vehicle increases, deteriorating mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is positioned at an angle relative to the vehicle body, specifically angled toward the rear side, rather than being placed perpendicular to the vehicle width. This angular positioning allows the display surface to be accessible to operators standing behind or beside the vehicle without increasing the vehicle's outermost width, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to resolve the contradiction between accessibility and compact dimensions.
2Length of moving object
If status-information-displaying components are disposed in a cab, then vehicle width can be maintained, but unmanned dump trucks without an operator's cab cannot accommodate such components
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is extracted from the traditional cab location and repositioned to the exterior of the vehicle body, specifically on the rear side. This extraction allows the display components to be accessible to operators while maintaining the unmanned design without requiring a cab structure, thereby preserving vehicle width while enabling inspection functionality.
3Length of moving object
If the control panel faces the inside of the tires, then vehicle width is maintained, but operator access during inspection becomes difficult and may cause interference with tires
Solution Approach 1:
The control panel is positioned at an angle relative to the vehicle body, specifically angled toward the rear side, rather than being placed perpendicular to the vehicle width. This angular positioning allows the display surface to be accessible to operators standing behind or beside the vehicle without increasing the vehicle's outermost width, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to resolve the contradiction between accessibility and compact dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A remotely controllable dump truck includes: a chassis; pairs of tires each provided at a front side and a rear side in a travel direction of the chassis; fenders for the tires; and a vehicle-status-output device disposed between a front one of the fenders and a rear one of the fenders, the vehicle-status-output device including a control panel for outputting status information of the vehicle. The vehicle-status-output device is positioned, in a width direction of the chassis orthogonal to the travel direction, to be offset from ends of the front and rear one of the fenders in the width direction, and the control panel faces an outside of the tires in the width direction.