Load Sensor Bucket for Real-Time Material Weight Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heavy equipment with buckets faces inefficiencies in material handling due to difficulty in judging the amount of material loaded, leading to excessive trips, fuel consumption, labor costs, and equipment wear, as operators struggle to determine if the bucket is filled to capacity.
Innovation Solution
A load sensor bucket system that operates in both loading and metering modes, using load sensors to measure the material's load and display the data to the operator in real time, ensuring precise loading and reducing unnecessary trips by determining if the bucket is filled to a target amount.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the bucket is filled without load sensors, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision of material amount is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual estimation with automated load sensors that electronically measure the weight of material in the bucket. This substitution of mechanical/manual measurement with electronic sensing systems directly improves measurement precision while accepting increased device complexity through the integration of sensors and control systems.
2Productivity
If the bucket is not filled to capacity, then the ease of operation is high, but the productivity decreases due to extra trips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where load sensors continuously monitor the weight of material in the bucket and provide real-time information to the operator through displays or alarms. This feedback enables operators to accurately determine when the bucket is filled to capacity, optimizing productivity by preventing underloading and reducing unnecessary trips, while maintaining ease of operation through simple visual or audible cues.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple trips are made to transport material, then the loss of substance is reduced, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by measuring and confirming the material load in the bucket before each transport cycle using load sensors. This preliminary verification ensures that the bucket is properly filled to capacity before departure, preventing the need for return trips to add more material. By performing this check in advance, the system reduces the loss of time associated with multiple trips while maintaining the quantity of substance transported.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The load sensor bucket system enhances efficiency by minimizing trips, reducing fuel consumption and equipment wear, and optimizing material transport by allowing operators to adjust the load accurately, thereby maximizing the use of heavy equipment.
Implementation Method 1
The load sensors measure the load of material in the bucket while the center of mass is in the vertical metering column
Data Source
AI summary
A load sensor bucket for equipment is operable in a loading mode and a metering mode. In the loading mode, the bucket is disposed to load material. In the metering mode, the bucket is tilted upward with the load sensors oriented to form a vertical metering column that is substantially perpendicular to a ground surface. In the metering mode, the bucket orients a center of mass of the material within the vertical metering column so that the load sensors can measure the bucket load. The measurement can be conveyed to an operator of the machine, who can then determine real time whether the bucket is loaded to a target amount of material. A related method can include detecting a load parameter, such as stress/strain, via the load sensors and displaying output in a cab.