Dump Truck Stress Estimation Using Force and Acceleration Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing stress calculation systems for dump trucks lack the accuracy in estimating stress, particularly in directly estimating stress from sensor output values, limiting their effectiveness in managing fatigue and ensuring safety.

Innovation Solution

A stress estimation device that includes a storage section for force and stress calculation formulas, utilizing force and acceleration sensors to calculate forces and stresses on a dump truck, and a calculation section to derive accurate stress estimates using these formulas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If stress is directly estimated from sensor output values, then the calculation process is simplified, but the estimation accuracy is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalculation processVSAvoidstress estimation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary calculation process that converts sensor output values to forces first, then to stresses. This two-stage conversion process acts as a mediator between the raw sensor data and the final stress estimation, improving accuracy while maintaining reasonable computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces direct stress estimation with a physics-based mechanical calculation approach. By using force calculations based on sensor data and then applying stress formulas, the system substitutes a more accurate physics-based model for the simpler direct estimation method.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If more sensors are used to improve stress estimation accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestress estimation accuracyVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the need for multiple stress sensors with a combination of force sensors and acceleration sensors coupled with physics-based calculations. This substitution uses mechanical principles and mathematical models to derive stress information from more accessible sensor data, reducing sensor system complexity while maintaining or improving accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses force and acceleration as intermediary physical quantities that can be measured with simpler sensors. These intermediaries serve as bridge measurements that, when processed through physics-based formulas, yield accurate stress estimates without requiring direct stress sensing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4600621A1Stress estimation device
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
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AI summary

The disclosure provides a stress estimation device that allows estimating a stress acting on a dump truck with higher accuracy. The stress estimation device 100 includes a storage section 110 and a calculation section 120, and estimates the stress acting on a dump truck 200. The storage section 110 stores a force calculation formula 111 and a stress calculation formula 112. The calculation section 120 includes a force calculation section 121 and a stress calculation section 122. The force calculation section 121 calculates a force acting on a predetermined part of the dump truck 200 using an output value of a force sensor 230 or an output value of an acceleration sensor 240, an output value of the force sensor 230, and the force calculation formula 111 stored in the storage section 110. The stress calculation section 122 calculates the stress acting on the dump truck 200 using the force calculated by the force calculation section 121 and the stress calculation formula 112 stored in the storage section 110.