Freely Suspended Tool Oscillation Control With Counter-Movements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing working machines with freely suspended tools, such as clamshell buckets and timber grapples, experience oscillations that skilled operators must manually counter, leading to operator fatigue and training costs, with no effective damping systems available for these machines.
Innovation Solution
An operator assist system with sensors measuring angle, velocity, and acceleration, fast-reacting drives, and a control unit to calculate and execute counter or amplifier movements to stabilize the tool, utilizing hydraulic, electric rotary, and electric linear drives for enhanced agility and precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If skilled operators manually counter oscillations, then oscillation control is achieved, but operator fatigue increases and training costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service oscillation control through automated sensor detection and counter-movement execution. Sensors mounted on the tool detect oscillations, and the control system automatically generates and executes counter-movements without operator intervention, allowing the system to stabilize itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical oscillation control with an automated electromechanical system. Sensors, control units, and actuators form an automated control loop that substitutes human operators in detecting and counteracting oscillations through calculated movements
2Reliability
If dampening systems are used for stationary cranes, then oscillation damping is achieved, but applicability to freely movable working machines is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static dampening to dynamic counter-movement. Instead of passive dampening elements, the patent uses active actuators that generate real-time counter-movements based on detected oscillation characteristics, enabling adaptation to mobile working conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The control system serves multiple functions: it detects oscillations, calculates appropriate counter-movements, and executes stabilization through various actuators. This multi-functional approach enables the same system to handle different oscillation scenarios across mobile working machines
3Speed
If fast reacting drives are implemented, then response speed to oscillations improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs hydraulic actuators for fast-acting oscillation counter-movements. Hydraulic systems provide rapid response times and high force output, enabling effective stabilization of heavy tools while maintaining a relatively compact actuator design
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary between sensor detection and actuator execution. It processes sensor signals, calculates optimal counter-movements, and generates control commands for actuators, thereby coordinating the fast-reacting components without requiring direct complex interconnections
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed subject matter relates to an operator assist system for a working machine having a boom and an arm and with a freely suspended tool comprising at least one sensor arrangeable at the freely suspended tool or at the arm, which is able to measure angle, velocity and/or acceleration, fast reacting drives for boom and arm and as swing drive, and a control unit, which is able to calculate a needed counter or amplifier movement based on information on angle, velocity and/or acceleration received from the at least one sensor and control the fast reacting drives to carry out the counter or amplifier movement accordingly or to initiate a deceleration or acceleration of the working machine according to the calculated needed counter movement, if the working machine is moving along.