Tilt Rotator Position Guidance for Safe Tool Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work machines face challenges in safely and efficiently attaching and detaching tools due to the difficulty in manually controlling the tilt rotator to the correct position, which can lead to unsafe conditions such as tool detachment or misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a tilt rotator, quick coupler, display, operator interface, and processing circuitry to guide and automatically control the rotation and tilt operations of tools, providing real-time feedback and ensuring the tilt rotator is in the correct position before attachment or detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual control of tilt rotator is used during tool attachment/detachment, then operator flexibility is maintained, but positioning accuracy and safety are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors the tilt rotator's position and provides real-time feedback to the operator through the display device. The system detects the current position of the tilt rotator and compares it with the target position, then guides the operator's manual control operations to achieve accurate positioning without requiring complex automated control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the tilt rotator. It receives operator input, processes the desired position information, and provides guidance signals to assist the operator in achieving the correct tilt rotator position, thereby improving positioning accuracy while maintaining manual control flexibility.
2Measurement precision
If automated control is implemented for tilt rotator positioning, then positioning accuracy improves, but operator flexibility and control freedom are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control system provides self-service guidance by automatically detecting the tilt rotator's current position, calculating the required adjustment, and presenting guidance information to the operator. This allows the system to assist itself in achieving accurate positioning while leaving the final control decision and execution to the operator, maintaining operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback about the tilt rotator's position and the required adjustments, enabling the operator to make informed manual control decisions. This feedback mechanism achieves accurate positioning without requiring the operator to relinquish control, thus maintaining ease of operation.
3Measurement precision
If real-time position monitoring is added to guide operator control, then positioning accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to perform multiple functions: it monitors the tilt rotator position, calculates the required adjustment, provides guidance information to the operator, and can also control other aspects of the work machine. By making the control system multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated monitoring equipment, thereby improving positioning accuracy without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
4Measurement precision
If the control system provides continuous guidance instructions, then positioning accuracy improves, but information overload may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control system provides guidance information selectively rather than continuously displaying all possible parameters. It presents only the essential information needed for positioning, such as current position status and required adjustment direction, avoiding information overload while maintaining positioning accuracy through targeted feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
A work machine comprises a tilt rotator to control rotation of a tool, a coupler to couple and decouple the tool to/from the tilt rotator, a display to output information to an operator of the work machine, an operator interface to receive input from the operator, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to output, on the display, a rotation instruction for the operator to initiate a rotation operation of the tilt rotator, in a case that the tilt rotator is determined to be in an incorrect position, stop the rotation operation of the tilt rotator under a condition that the tilt rotator is determined to be in a correct position based on a rotation angle of the tilt rotator about a rotational axis, the rotation operation being initiated by a rotation input via the operator interface.