Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F41—WEAPONS
  • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
  • F41H11/00—Defence installations; Defence devices
  • F41H11/12—Means for clearing land minefields; Systems specially adapted for detection of landmines
  • F41H11/16—Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles
  • F41H11/18—Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles with ground-impacting means for activating mines by the use of mechanical impulses, e.g. flails or stamping elements

Definitions

• the subject of the present invention is a method of automatically moving over a ground, a tool mounted at the end of an articulated arm, and a device for its implementation.
• the articulated arm equipped with the tool can be, for example, the arm of a hydraulic shovel, pivotally mounted about a vertical axis on the chassis of the vehicle.
• the object of the invention is to provide a method which makes it possible to systematize the work of a site, in order to avoid leaving unworked areas.
• the process of automatically moving a tool mounted on the end of an articulated arm, over which it relates consists of defining and calculating a surface called the work surface from several keys. of the tool on the ground, then move the tool over the work surface.
• this process consists, after defining the working surface, in defining a working diagram of the tool which can be superimposed on the working surface, in order to allow it to cover, by discontinuous or continuous movements, the entire surface. of work.
• this method is characterized in that it consists in bringing the tool to a first point on the surface and in calculating the coordinates of this point which is considered to be the point origin of the work diagram, to bring the tool to a second point allowing to orient a first axis of coordinates of the work diagram and to determine the most distant point to reach on this axis, to bring the tool to a third point close to the second coordinate axis and used to define the position of the coordinate system of the work diagram, then at a fourth point delimiting the area of the plane inside which the work will be carried out.
• this process consists in defining a working diagram the points of which, subsequently reached by the tool, are arranged in two perpendicular directions according to a sequence such that at a pitch characteristic of the shape of the head of the tool in one direction follows a step characteristic of the dimension of the head of the tool in said direction.
• the method according to the invention consists in controlling the various movements and displacements of the tool using a computer. This relieves the operator of his task, and reaches areas that are not always directly visible to the operator.
• this method consists in supplying the computer with the coordinates of the four points, from which the computer defines a process for moving the tool over the entire working surface and controls the members ensuring the movement of the latter.
• the operator can, at any time, interrupt the cycle of operation and movement of the tool to control it manually.
• the computer memorizes the different points reached by the tool, as well as the points on the surface which would not have been reached, with a view to achieving there further work.
• the operator can select a work area which is reached directly and automatically independently of the implementation of the work schedule controlled by the computer.
• a device for implementing this method comprises a carrier on the chassis of which a turret is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis, this turret being equipped with an arm consisting of several elements articulated around horizontal axes, and at the end of which is mounted a tool, the turret comprising an angular sensor determining the angle which it forms with the chassis and each element of the arm comprising an angular sensor providing its inclination relative to the horizontal.
• this device comprises a computer equipped with a program for controlling the movement of the tool to cover the surface to be secured, this computer receiving the values provided by the various angular sensors and delivering at the output electrical signals controlling solenoid valves hydraulically supplying the turret drive motor and the various actuating cylinders of the arm elements, until the angular values are equal to the calculated values.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device for securing land
• Figure 2 is a top view
• Figure 3 is a view of a control diagram of the tool
• Figure 4 is a view of a diagram of movement of the tool on the ground
• Figure 5 is a view of a second tool, consisting of a vibrating device with one foot
• Figure 6 is a view of a movement diagram of this tool on the ground;
• Figure 7 is a view of the end of the arm of a device, equipped with a metal detector;
• Figure 8 is a view of a movement diagram of this metal detector vis-à-vis the ground.
• FIG. 1 represents a carrying machine 2 comprising a chassis 3 mounted on wheels and capable of being stabilized horizontally by stabilizing jacks 4.
• a turret 5 On the chassis 3 is mounted a turret 5, pivoting about a vertical axis A1.
• the turret comprising an angular sensor C1 which makes it possible to determine the angle that the turret forms with respect to the chassis.
• an arm 6 consisting of three elements 6a, 6b and 6c, the element 6b being articulated on the element 6a around a horizontal axis A3 and the element 6c being articulated at the end of the element 6b around an axis A4.
• the elements 6a, 6b and 6c are respectively equipped with angular sensors C2, C3 and C4 making it possible to determine the angle that each element makes with the horizontal.
• the tool 7 which comprises parallel bars 8 each equipped, at its lower end, with a foot 9 bearing on the ground.
• the tool 7 is also equipped with a device for vibrating the bars 8 and the feet 9, known per se and not shown.
• the device according to the invention is, as shown in FIG. 3, equipped with a computer 10 receiving the signals representative of the angular values of the sensors C1, C2, C3 and C4.
• the computer delivers at the output electrical signals controlling solenoid valves E1, E2, E3 and E4 respectively supplying the motor 12 for rotating the turret 5, as well as jacks 13, 14 and 15 driving the elements respectively 6a, 6b and 6c.
• the operator controls the movement of the tool until the end point of the tool coincides with a point he has chosen on the surface of the ground to be worked. Using the angular values measured in this position, the coordinates of the point are calculated in the machine origin reference and stored. This operation is carried out successively four times.
• the first point thus determined is the point of origin of the work diagram.
• the second point is used to orient the first coordinate axis of the work diagram and to determine the maximum point to be reached on this axis.
• the third determined point, and close to the second coordinate axis, makes it possible to define the position of the reference point of the working diagram, and the fourth point delimits the zone of the plane inside which the security work will be carried out.
• the computer will, from software taking into account parameters such as the number of feet, the size of the feet in two rectangular directions as well as the space between two feet, pilot a work diagram.
• the feet are square and are six in number.
• the six feet are placed at an angle to the work surface by command from the computer. This is the position centered on point 0.
• they are moved along the axis X by a first step P1 corresponding to half the size of a foot.
• the feet occupy the position, defined by mixed lines, and the feet are centered on point 1.
• the feet cover the spaces which were delimited between the feet, in position 0, which spaces were oriented parallel to the Y axis.
• the next step is to move all the feet in a step P2, always along the X axis, by a value equal to 2.5 times the dimension of all the feet in the direction X.
• the feet are centered on point 2.
• step P1 After setting in vibration, they are moved by the value of the first step P1, that is to say half the size of a foot to be brought into the position 3 and so on along the X axis.
• the procedure is the same along the Y axis, the assembly of the surface that can thus be covered, without leaving unexplored areas, by successive displacements following two different steps.
• This movement is preferably automated, and controlled by the computer, as indicated above.
• the computer memorizes the zones which have been reached by the tool, and possibly the zones which could not be reached, in particular due to the fact that the displacement of the tool cannot be perfectly linear in the two directions, taking into account of the turret rotation.
• the computer would be possible to consider an additional degree of freedom of the tool, allowing the rotation of the latter around a vertical axis around the element 6c, to keep it parallel to itself, when the turret turns on the chassis.
• FIG. 5 shows a second device, of which only the end of the arm is shown in the drawing and which differs from the previous device by the tool.
• the tool 17, also intended for securing land comprises a foot 19 mounted at the end of a bar 18.
• This foot 19, after having rested on the ground, is capable of be vibrated in a manner known per se.
• Figure 6 shows the working diagram of the tool on the ground.
• the computer defines, in two directions X and Y, points on which the tool must come to rest successively during its movement on the ground.
• the step whose foot is moved in both the X and Y directions corresponds to a length less than the dimension of the foot in the direction considered. It can be noted that in FIG. 6, a slight pivoting of the foot is shown, taking account of the rotation of the turret on which the arm is mounted. However, the computer modifies the angular position of the arm so that, despite the pivoting of the turret, the points defined by the working diagram remain aligned.
• FIG. 7 represents a device, in which the same elements are designated by the same references as above.
• a tool 27 is equipped with a metal detector 29 carried by a bar 28.
• the lower end of the bar 28 protrudes from the metal detector to allow support on the ground, in particular to carry out the delimitation of the work surface.
• the surface taken into consideration is the square 30 inscribed inside the circular detector 29.
• the movement of the detector takes place in one or more steps. another of the two directions X and Y, which is smaller than the dimension of the side of the square 30, so that there is an overlap zone between one position and the next. If the movement of the detector can be carried out in steps, it is also possible to carry out a continuous movement, which is all the more possible since the metal detector does not rest on the ground, but follows the surface of the latter to distance.
• the invention brings a great improvement to the existing technique by allowing automation of the surface of a ground using a tool, by systematizing the work of all this surface.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)
• Operation Control Of Excavators (AREA)
• Numerical Control (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8850682

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2000
  • 2000-05-26 FR FR0006794A patent/FR2809339B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-05-22 US US10/296,179 patent/US20040020084A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-05-22 EP EP01938307A patent/EP1297395A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-05-22 WO PCT/FR2001/001584 patent/WO2001092976A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-05-22 JP JP2002501123A patent/JP2003534932A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-05-22 AU AU2001264003A patent/AU2001264003A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-05-22 CA CA002410282A patent/CA2410282A1/fr not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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