JP2008036404A - Zero turn radius lane maintenance machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lane maintenance machine which automatically indexes over to the next lane from one lane when maintenance operation of a bowling lane is completed. <P>SOLUTION: A bowling lane maintenance machine, after completing a maintenance operation on one lane, moves onto the approach behind the foul line, turns and indexes over to the next lane, then turns again and moves up to the foul line of the next lane. Preferably, the machine is self-indexing so that all operations are carried out without operator intervention. Left and right wheels that drive the machine on the approach can be driven at relatively different speeds and in opposite directions to enable the machine to turn about a zero radius. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

(Related application)
This application claims the benefit of priority of US Provisional Application No. 60 / 865,306, filed Nov. 10, 2006. This provisional application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention relates to the field of bowling lane maintenance machines, and in particular, to a method for controlling a machine while moving up and down the lane and moving from lane to lane on the approach.

  A typical prior art lane maintenance machine must be manually moved from one lane to the next when the lane maintenance operation is complete. Exceptions can be found in the prior US Pat. No. 5,185,901, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. This machine automatically indexes from lane to lane (instructs to move on its own) without operator intervention. The present invention provides many improvements to the concept disclosed in this US Pat. No. 5,185,901, particularly with respect to the behavior of the machine as it moves between lanes on the approach. It should be noted that in the most preferred form, the machine of the present invention is completely self-indexing from one lane to the next, but in some forms of the present invention it is not necessarily limited to self-index.

(Detailed explanation)
(Non-zero turning radius machine)
The present invention can implement many different types of embodiments. While several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, it will be understood that the disclosure is provided by way of example only. The principles of the invention are not limited to the specific disclosed embodiments.

  The illustrated machine 10 is similar in many respects to the machines disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,729,855 and US Pat. No. 6,939,404. Accordingly, US Pat. No. 5,729,855 and US Pat. No. 6,939,404 are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In view of all disclosures in US Pat. No. 5,729,855 and US Pat. No. 6,939,404 of the structure and operation of a lane machine, the structure and operation of the machine 10 will now be outlined only. Describe.

  The machine 10 has a cleaning system, which is generally designated by reference numeral 12 and is generally located at the front of the machine. The finish (preferably oil) application system is generally designated 14 and is generally located at the rear of the machine. These two systems perform their functions as the machine goes down the lane and returns. The machine is propelled by drive wheels 16 and 18 in contact with the lanes, which are fixed to a transverse shaft 20, which is driven by a drive motor 22 (Baldor 24VDC model 24A531Z019G1) and a chain and sprocket assembly 24. And powered by. A conventional proximity sensor speed tachometer 25 (FIG. 9) is coupled to the end of the drive shaft 20.

  The oil application system 14 includes an applicator roll 26 (hereinafter also referred to as a “buffer”) arranged to contact the lane surface, and a reciprocating oil discharge that reciprocates in the width direction of the lane above the buffer 26. The head 28 includes a brush assembly 30 that is located between the buffer 26 and the discharge head 28, receives oil from the head 28, and supplies the oil to the buffer 26. The buffer 26 is rotatably driven by a buffer motor 31 (Baldor 24VDC model 24A532Z046G1) (FIG. 10). The buffer 26 rotates up and down and abuts and separates from the bowling lane surface by a connection 27 actuated by a buffer up / down motor 29 (Merkle Korff31 RPM 24VDC model S-3727-87D) (FIG. 12). The buffer 26 operates the buffer down limit switch 21 at the lowered position and the buffer up limit switch 23 at the raised position.

  Details of the construction and use of the brush assembly 30 are described in US Pat. No. 7,056,384, entitled “Strip Brush Bowling Lane Dressing Application Mechanism”. This US patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The oil application system 14 is a positive displacement pump (not shown) (FMI model RHOCKC Lab Pump) having a motor 32 (FIG. 10) (Dayton 24VDC model 3XE19) for supplying oil from the tank 32 to the discharge head 28. Jr.) and a three-way valve 35 (FIG. 9) for controlling the flow of oil. In the recirculation position, the valve 35 recirculates oil and returns it to the tank 32, and in the supply position, the valve 35 supplies oil from the pump 33 to the discharge head 28.

  The oil discharge head 28 is mounted to reciprocate along a lateral guide runway 34 that extends between the side walls of the machine. An endless drive belt 36 is attached to the discharge head 28 and its opposite end is looped around a pair of pulleys 38 and 40, the pulley 40 being operable to a reversible motor 42 (Crouzet 24VDC model 808050Y07.66Z). Coupled to provide drive power to the belt 36, thereby causing the discharge head 28 to travel along the runway 34. The pair of left and right sensors is in the form of proximity switches 44 and 46, which are close to the opposite ends of the travel path of the discharge head 28 and are present when the discharge head 28 approaches the limit of the travel path. Detect and send a signal to the motor 42 to reverse the direction and drive the ejection head 28 in the opposite direction along the track 34.

  The pulley 38 is secured to a long front and rear extending shaft 48 disposed just outside the right side wall of the machine. Near the rear end, just in front of the pulley 38, the shaft 48 is provided with a notched wheel 50 whose rotation is detected by a sensor 52. The output from the sensor 52 is sent to a machine control system (described in detail below), thereby determining the exact position of the oil dispensing head 28 across the width of the machine and bowling lane. By associating these positions with specific lane oil patterns programmed in the machine control system, the discharge head 28 is operated to accurately discharge oil to a predetermined position along its reciprocating path. be able to.

  The distance down the lane is determined by a pair of lane contact wheels 53 (FIGS. 3, 4, and 5) located just in front of the machine's rear wall. The wheel 53 is secured to a common transverse shaft 54 that rotates a notched wheel 55 (FIG. 4) via a chain drive 56 (FIG. 3). The number of revolutions of the notched wheel 55 is detected by a sensor 57 (FIG. 4) that sends a signal to the machine control system.

  The cleaning system 12 includes one or more cleaning liquid ejection heads 58 that reciprocate across the machine travel path as the machine moves along the lane. Also, like a conventional machine, the system 12 may include one or more pressurized spray nozzles, but in a preferred embodiment such conventional spray nozzles are not used. In the particular embodiment disclosed herein, only one discharge head 58 that travels substantially the full width of the machine in the same direction as the oil discharge head 28 is used.

  A discharge pipe 60 is vertically suspended from the discharge head 58, and a tip 62 thereof is provided near the lane surface. In one form of the invention, the tip 62 does not have the characteristics of a spray nozzle, but rather is constructed and arranged so that the liquid is ejected as a substantially agglomerated flow and the droplets of cleaning liquid are deposited on the lane surface. Is done. One suitable tip 62 for performing such a specific non-spray function is commercially available as part number VPS5401001N from Value Plastics, Fort Collins, Colorado. As another type of tip (not shown), a type that sprays, disperses, or diffuses the liquid supplied to the tip can be used, which is suitable when the cleaning liquid is applied over a wide surface area. In any case, the tip 62 preferably includes an internal check valve (not shown).

  The cleaning system 12 further includes a guide runway 64 attached to the front side wall of the machine 10, thereby slidably supporting the discharge head 58 for reciprocal movement. The runway 64 extends across the entire width of the machine 10 to the same extent as the lateral guide runway 34 coupled to the oil discharge head 28. An endless drive belt 66 is attached to the discharge head 58 for reciprocating the discharge head 58, and opposite ends of the belt 66 are looped around a pair of pulley wheels 68, 70, respectively.

  Although the pulley 68 can be driven by various different methods such as using a dedicated drive motor separately, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pulley 68 is fixed to the frontmost side of the shaft 48 when viewed from the pulley 38. Thereby, both ejection heads 28 and 58 are driven by the same reversible motor 42. As a result, both the oil discharge head 28 and the cleaning liquid discharge head 58 reciprocate simultaneously by the motor 42 when the latter is activated. At this time, the oil discharge head 28 is attached to the upper path 36 a of the drive belt 36, while the cleaning liquid discharge head 58 is attached to the lower path 66 b of the drive belt 66. And the cleaning liquid discharge head 58 reciprocate in opposite directions.

  The cleaning system 12 further includes a cleaning liquid tank 72 at the rear of the machine 10. A supply line 74 extending from the tank 72 is connected in fluid communication with a reversible peristaltic pump 76 (Barnant 24VDC model D-3138-0009). A discharge line 80 from the pump 76 leads to a discharge pipe 60 of the discharge head 58 and supplies cleaning liquid to the discharge head 58. The cleaning liquid controller 82 (FIGS. 10 and 11) is electrically connected to the cleaning liquid pump 76 and adjusts the speed of the pump 76, thereby adjusting the amount of cleaning liquid discharged by the head 58.

  Since the pump 76 is preferably a peristaltic pump, the liquid is supplied to the discharge head 58 as a certain amount of lump or jet, thereby measuring the amount of cleaning liquid very accurately and precisely and discharging it to the lane surface. be able to. Furthermore, the supply of the cleaning liquid to the discharge head 58 can be stopped and started essentially instantaneously, whereby the pattern of the cleaning liquid applied to the lane surface by the discharge head 58 in conjunction with the control valve 82 can be changed. It becomes possible to control accurately and uniformly.

  The cleaning system 12 further includes a wiping assembly 88 immediately behind the cleaning liquid ejection head 58. The assembly 88 includes a soft cloth cloth 90, such as a duster cloth, that loops around the lower compressible backup member 92 due to the properties of the rollers extending across the entire width of the machine. The cloth 90 is stored on the roll 94, is fed out at intervals selected by the operator, and is taken up by the take-up roll 96. The wiping assembly 88 is similar to the corresponding wiping assembly disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,615,434. This US patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Duster feed motor 95 (FIG. 12) (Merkle Korff9 RPM 24VDC S-3828-87D), incorporated herein by reference, is connected to roll 94 and, when activated, rotates roll 94 and has a loose cross. The backup member 92 is caused to reach the lane surface by gravity. The duster take-up motor 97 (FIG. 12) (Merkle Korff9 RPM 24VDC S-3828-87D) is connected to the take-up roll 96 and, when activated, rotates the roll 96 and lifts the backup member 92 from the lane surface.

  Another component of the cleaning system 12 is a vacuum pickup head 98 disposed after the wiping assembly 88. The vacuum pick-up head 98 extends across substantially the entire width of the machine 10 and includes a squeegee assembly 99. The squeegee assembly 99 includes a pair of resilient squeegee type blades 100 and 102 to help pick up a thin film of cleaning liquid remaining on the lane surface after the wiping assembly 88 passes over the cleaning liquid. The lift coupling 101 is connected to a squeegee lift motor 103 (FIG. 12) (Merkle Korff31 RPM 24VDC S-3727-87D), and is operably coupled to a vacuum pickup head (vacuum suction head) 98 and a squeegee assembly 99. FIG. , 6 and 7 are simultaneously moved between the operating position in contact with the lane and the raised position in which contact with the lane is released as shown in FIG. A large vacuum hose 104 leads from the pickup head 98 to the holding tank 106 and stores the liquid captured by the head 98. The vacuum pressure in the holding tank 106 is obtained by a vacuum motor 107 (Ametek 24VDC model 116155-00) (FIG. 10) connected to the tank 106.

  9 to 12 are block diagrams showing parts of the control system 108 of the machine 10. In addition to the electrical components described above, the control system 108 includes a controller 110 (programmable logic controller OMRON model CPM2A), a drive motor controller 112, a printed circuit board 114, and control relays CR1, CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5. , CR6, CR7, CR8, CR9, CR10, CR11, and CR12. The control system 108 further includes a start switch 116 (FIG. 9) and an emergency stop switch 117 (FIG. 13).

The power supply system 120 of the machine 10 is illustrated in FIG. 13, and a portion of the system 120 is also illustrated in FIGS. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heart of the power system 120 comprises a pair of serially connected 12V DC rechargeable batteries 122 (EnnerS Energy Products Model Odyssey PC 925), which jointly supply DC power up to 24V. To each operating part of the machine. The battery 122 is connected to a 40 amp charger 124 (Iota charger model DLS-27-40 with IQ Smart Charge Controller), and then the 40 amp charger 124 is connected to an outlet 126 (FIG. 1) on the left side wall of the machine. Connected. The outlet 126 may be connected to a 120 VAC outlet in the bowling center using a power supply cord (not shown) to charge the battery 122 appropriately or to drive the machine with a 120 VAC power source. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the charger 124 converts 120 VAC power from the power cord to 24 VDC power, recharges the battery 122, and / or is used in the machine. It is used to drive the operating parts and control parts of the 24VDC. A constant voltage regulator 128 (Solar Converters, model CVP 12) is connected between one battery 122 and the other discharge head motor 42, oil pump motor 33, buffer motor 31, three-way valve 35, and drive motor 22. / 24-15) to maintain a constant voltage to these components.
(Operation)

  The operation of the machine 10 is controlled by a programmed operation controller 110. If only lane cleaning or lane oiling is required, the machine 10 can be selectively operated via appropriate switches, but in the following example both lane cleaning and oiling are performed. The machine 10 is operated.

  In the initial state, the machine 10 is placed just after the foul line on the bowling lane approach. The operator presses the start switch 116 once. As a result, a series of maintenance operations are started. As in the prior art, various lane oil patterns can be selected using the keypad and the display device 130 (FIG. 1). The duster feed motor 95 is turned on at this point and feeds out a new part of the cross. If the contact of the duster up switch 134 that is normally open is not opened, an error “Duster empty” is displayed. The When the squeegee assembly 99 is lowered and the contact of the normally open down switch 132 is closed, the squeegee assembly 99 stops. If the contact of this switch is not closed, the error “Squeegee did not go down” is displayed. The oil pump 33 is also turned on.

  Next, the machine 10 is pushed and placed on the lane, and placed at a predetermined position. When the start switch 116 is pressed again, the discharge head motor 42 starts to operate, whereby the operations of both the discharge heads 28 and 58 are started. When the lane is viewed from the foul line toward the pin deck, the oil discharge head 28 moves from left to right, and the cleaning liquid head 58 moves from right to left.

  The cleaning liquid pump motor 76 operates simultaneously with the head motor 42. Therefore, as soon as the cleaning liquid head 58 starts to move, the application of the cleaning liquid to the lane is started and does not stop until the last “spout distance” of the programmed lane is reached. When the oil head 28 reaches the right board edge proximity switch 46, the moving heads 28, 58 reverse direction and the oil head 28 begins to apply the first flow of oil.

  At this point, the oil head 28 moves from the right to the left, while the cleaning liquid head 58 moves from the left to the right. When the oil head 28 reaches the left board edge approach switch 44, the head motor 42 reverses, and at this point, the buffer motor 31 is activated, the drive motor 22 operates, and the machine 10 begins to descend the lane. At this initial start-up stage, the vacuum motor 107 remains off, but after the machine 10 travels about 2 feet down the lane, the vacuum motor 107 is turned on. Note that after the start switch 116 is pressed for the second time, the machine 10 starts a clock (not shown) and displays the total traveling time on the display device 130. The total time for which the three-way valve 35 discharges oil to each lane is also displayed on the display device 130.

  As the machine 10 moves down the lane, the oil discharge head 28 and the cleaning liquid discharge head 58 continue to apply oil and cleaning liquid. The board counting sensor 52 monitors the position of the moving ejection heads 28 and 58. If the move is interrupted, an error message is displayed.

  While the machine 10 descends the lane, the lane distance sensor 57 counts the inches traveled and monitors the movement of the machine. When driving is interrupted, an error message is displayed. The speed of the machine 10 is also monitored by the speed tachometer 25 and displayed continuously. As the machine continues to move forward, the speed changes (via drive motor speed control (KB model KBBC-24)) and oil and cleaning fluid are continuously dispensed into the lane as programmed. When the machine approaches the applied oil distance according to the program selected, the oil pump motor 33 will turn off, but the buffer motor 31 will remain on and the buffer 26 will buff the oil on the lane. continue.

  When the predetermined oil distance is reached, the buffer 26 stops and the buffer lift motor 29 operates to raise the buffer 26 away from the lane until the buffer up limit switch 23 is activated. If the contacts for raising the buffer 26 are not closed, an error message is displayed. If the up switch 23 has to be opened and does not move in the closed state, a “brush down” message is displayed.

  When the predetermined oil distance is reached, the machine 10 shifts at a high speed and continues to travel in the pin deck direction. As the machine approaches the pin deck, when the programmed distance for cleaning liquid application is reached, the cleaning liquid pump motor 76 is turned off, the head motor 42 stops, and the movement of the ejection heads 28, 58 stops. At the same time, the machine decelerates and shifts to a lower speed, reducing its momentum and moving inside the pin deck.

  When the machine 10 enters the pin deck, the duster take-up motor 97 is turned on, starts to take up the cloth, and raises the backup member 92. The contact of the duster up switch 134 that is normally open is closed, and the duster take-up motor 97 is turned off. If this contact is not closed, an error message “Duster was not wound” is displayed.

  The machine 10 then continues running the rest of the squeegee assembly 99 in contact with the lane as shown in FIG. 6, and the front of the machine containing the squeegee assembly 99 is shown in FIG. It stops at the position where the end 136 of the pin deck 138 protrudes. The drive motor 50 is stopped. As a result, when the machine travels forward down the lane, the elastic blades 100 and 102 of the squeegee assembly 99 flexing backward may be elastically reversed forward by an instantaneous snap action, and may be fixed to the blade if left untreated. Shake off the water in the cleaning solution. Next, the squeegee lift motor 103 is activated to raise the squeegee assembly 99 and the pickup head 98 to the raised position as shown in FIG. The squeegee lift motor 103 stops when the contact of the normally open squeegee up limit switch 136 is closed. If this contact is not closed, an error message is displayed.

  Next, the drive motor 50 is driven in the reverse direction for a short time, moving the machine 10 in the reverse direction toward the foul line, moving 4 inches, and then stopping. Next, the squeegee assembly 99 and the pickup head 98 are lowered to bring the blades 100 and 102 into contact with the pin deck 138 again. The drive motor 50 is then driven forward to advance the machine forward 4 inches where it stops and causes the squeegee assembly 99 to re-extend to the end 136 of the pin deck 138. The blades 100, 102 snap forward and shake off excess moisture. The squeegee assembly 99 is then raised.

  Here, the drive motor 50 reverses and moves the machine 10 in a reverse direction toward the foul line at high speed. At the same time, the vacuum motor 107 is turned off and the cleaning liquid pump motor 76 operates in the reverse direction for 1 second to help reduce the possibility of cleaning liquid dripping from the tip 62 of the cleaning liquid head 58.

  When the machine 10 travels in the reverse direction, the lane distance sensor 57 counts the number of inches traveled and continuously monitors the movement of the machine. When driving is interrupted, an error message is displayed. When the machine reaches a predetermined oil distance, the buffer 26 starts to descend, and when the normally open contact of the buffer down switch 21 is closed, the buffer 26 stops at the lowered position. If the contact is not closed, an error message is displayed. If the down switch 21 remains closed when it must be open, a “brush up” error message is displayed.

  Next, when the buffer motor 31 is operated and the machine continues to run in the reverse direction, the buffer 26 is started to buff. When the machine reaches the first “reverse amount” distance, the oil head 28 resumes discharging oil onto the lane according to the selected oil pattern program. As the machine continues to run towards the foul line, it gradually shifts down to a lower speed. When the reverse amount of the last oil is applied, the oil head 28 stops and parks. Once the machine reaches the foul line, the drive motor 50 stops, thereby stopping the machine and waiting for the operator to give instructions to move the machine to the next lane approach.

  While traveling up and down the lane, the machine 10 may stop at any time and a “LOW BATTERY OR E-STOP PRESSED” warning may be displayed. This warning means that either the battery voltage has dropped below 17 volts or the emergency stop switch 117 (FIG. 13) has been pressed. In either case, the machine needs to go back to the foul line and connect to a 120 VAC household power source for recharging or to operate using household current through a power cord.

If the machine 10 is battery-powered (it is not necessary that the functions of the machine described above be incorporated into a battery-powered machine, but in that case there is a significant advantage of ease of use), the constant voltage regulator 128 is It plays an important role in the machine 10. Even if the battery drops to 20V or 21V, the constant voltage regulator 128 can maintain a constant voltage of 24V for the main functions of the machine, so that the performance is not gradually reduced. The machine will not show any signs of battery power off until the voltage is very low (eg, 17V, etc.), the controller 110 is completely shut down, the machine is stopped, and a warning is displayed. The discharge head motor 42, the oil pump motor 33, the buffer motor 31, the three-way valve 35, and the drive motor 22 are all operated by a power source from the constant voltage regulator 128.
(Zero turning radius machine)

  The machine 210 shown in FIGS. 14-29 has many components in common with the machine 10 of FIGS. Accordingly, much of the above description of the machine 10 applies to this zero turning radius machine 210 as well. Only the function of the zero turning radius machine 210, which is different from the machine 10, will be described in detail. For convenience, components of the zero-turn radius machine 210 that are the same as those of the machine 10 are identified with the same reference numerals, but otherwise are labeled with different numerals for clarity.

  In general, where the zero-turn radius machine 210 differs from the machine 10, the zero-turn radius machine 210 can automatically self-index from lane to lane so that the machine 210 can move from one lane to the next lane. No operator intervention is required to move to. In addition, the machine 210 can turn on a vertical axis located at the center of the machine on the approach behind the foul line, thus providing a zero turning radius. The concept of self-index is disclosed in earlier US Pat. No. 5,185,901 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, where many of the principles of prior art machines are utilized in machine 210. Thus, by this, US Pat. No. 5,185,901 is incorporated herein by reference.

  The machine 210 has two approach drive wheel assemblies 212 and 214 that are located on the outer sidewalls on both sides near the rear of the machine. In the following description, the left approach wheel assembly 212 and its components may be referred to as “seven pins”, while the right approach wheel drive assembly 214 and its components as “ten pins”.

  Each of the approach wheel assemblies 212 and 214 includes a pair of front and rear spaced apart front and rear approach drive wheels 216 and 218 that are drivably interconnected by the chain 220. Approach wheels 216 and 218 are positioned somewhat below lane drive wheels 16 and 18 and are accessible to the surface of the approach, but drive wheels 16 and 18 are not. On the other hand, when the machine 210 travels up and down the lane, the approach wheels 216, 218 are arranged to suspend in the lane gutter, and the lane drive wheels 16, 18 allow them to contact the surface of the lane. Driven.

  With respect to the seven pin approach wheel assembly 212, the forward approach wheel 216 has a shaft 222 that operates on the output shaft of a reversible drive motor 226 (FIG. 18) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a “seven pin drive motor”). Driven by a chain 224 that is operatively coupled. As such, both wheels 216, 218 of the seven pin approach assembly 212 receive driving force from the motor 226. Tenpin approach assembly 214, on the other hand, includes a forward approach drive wheel 216 that is driven by shaft 228. Shaft 228 is operatively connected to the output shaft of main drive motor 22 via chain 230. The main drive motor 22 drives the lane drive wheels 16 and 18 (FIG. 19). Thus, both the wheel 216 and the wheel 218 of the tenpin approach assembly 214 receive driving force from the lane drive motor 22 and rotate as the lane drive wheels 16, 18 rotate.

  The seven pin approach assembly 212 includes a sprocket 232 on the rear wheel 218 around which the chain 234 is wound, and the chain 234 drives the multi-rotation sensor wheel 236. The rotation of the sensor wheel 236 is detected by the sensor 238. Similarly, the tenpin approach assembly 214 includes a sprocket 240 on the rear wheel 218 around which the chain 242 is wound, which drives the multi-rotation sensor wheel 244 whose rotation is detected by the sensor 246.

  The center of gravity of the machine 210 is placed in front of the front approach drive wheel 216. Therefore, when the machine 210 is stopped on the approach, the front end of the machine 210 swings about the front approach wheel 216 due to gravity, and lifts the rear approach wheel 218 away from the approach (see FIG. 21). ). This disables the rear approach wheel 218 when the machine 210 is on the approach. When a pair of caster wheels 248 and 250 are aligned with the forward approach wheel 216 in the anteroposterior direction and are located near the front of the machine so that the machine 210 tilts forward, the caster wheels 248, 250 To come into contact. Thus, when machine 210 is on the approach, the only wheels in contact with the approach are caster wheels 248, 250 and forward approach wheel 216. This makes it possible to drive the front approach wheel 216 in the reverse direction and to drive the wheels at different speeds, and on the approach, the machine is centered on a vertical axis located in the middle between the front approach wheels 216. 210 can be swiveled or guided. At that time, the caster wheels 248 and 250 adapt to the direction change by simply following or turning as necessary.

  The front of the machine 210 includes a vertical bumper plate 252 that is hingedly attached to the machine frame along its upper edge. A kill switch 254 after the bumper plate 252 is arranged to be activated by the bumper plate 252 if the machine 210 hits an obstacle in an accident while moving forward. When the bumper plate 252 activates the kill switch 254, the machine stops completely. A pair of anti-friction wheels 256, 258 behind the bumper plate 252 momentarily contact the lane when the machine enters and exits the lane and the front of the machine rubs the lane, or Arranged to prevent injury.

  Also, at the front of the machine 210, a pair of left and right “whisker” detection assemblies 260 and 262 are provided to assist in steering and positioning the machine as it moves from approach to lane. Hereinafter, the left whisker assembly 260 and its parts may be described using a description of “seven pins”, and the right whisker assembly 262 and its parts shall be described using a description of “ten pins”. There is. Each whisker assembly 260, 262 comprises an elongated resilient whisker 264, preferably consisting of a length of coil spring. Whisker 264 is axially adjustable in pivot block 266 and can adjust the length of whisker 264 projecting laterally from block 266. Meanwhile, the block 266 is attached by a pivot screw 268 and rotates about the vertical axis through the screw 268. A torsion spring 270 (FIG. 23) wound around the pivot screw 268 moves the inner end of the block 266 backwards toward the activation lever 272 (FIG. 24) of the switch 274, thereby causing the activation lever 272. Is usually pressed. An adjustment screw 276 on the back surface of the block 266 contacts the lever 272. Switch 274 is electrically connected to controller 110, provides input signals to controller 110, and steers machine 210 as described below.

  25 to 29 are block diagrams showing parts of the control system 108 a of the machine 210. In addition to the electrical components described above, the control system 108a includes a control device 110 (programmable logic controller OMRON model CPM2A), a drive motor control device 112, an analog expansion module 278 (OMRON model MAD01), and control relays CR1, CR2, CR3, CR4, CR5, CR6, CR7, CR8, CR9, CR10, CR11, CR12, CR13, CR14, CR15, and CR16. The control system 108a further includes a start switch 116 (FIG. 9), an “on lane” switch 280, a “right to left” manual start switch 282, a “left to right” manual start switch 284, a bottom duster switch 286, A cleaning compartment switch 288 (for manually operating the duster motor when the duster screen is displayed or for manually testing the amount of cleaning liquid when the oil and cleaning liquid screen is displayed), and an emergency stop switch 117 ( FIG. 13).

  Controller 110 has an analog output of 0-5V for analog expansion module 278. This voltage supplied to the controller of each motor of the machine 210 can be varied by the controller 110 to preset the machine speed to 7 levels on the lane and 3 levels on the approach. For example, when a 5V output is supplied to the motor control device, the motor rotates at high speed. On the other hand, when an output of 0 V is supplied to the control device, the motor rotates by inertia and heads for control stop. In this application, one analog output controls two motors, each motor receiving the same voltage.

  The analog voltage from the expansion module 278 is supplied via the seven pin whisker steering relay CR15 and the ten pin whisker steering relay CR16. When these relays are operated, a high analog voltage is supplied to each unique steering motor to increase the speed, and the analog signal to the other steering motor is turned off to decrease the speed. In this way, the machine 210 is operated.

  Machine 210 needs to be programmed with a start lane and an end lane that operate. The start lane and end lane specify which direction to rotate 90 degrees after leaving the lane. The following is an example of the left-to-right travel direction starting from lane 1 and ending at lane 2.

  While in the approach, when the machine 210 is programmed and started with a start lane and an end lane, the controller 110 turns on both the seven pin motor forward relay CR11 and the ten pin / main motor forward relay CR13. As a result, both the ten pin / main motor 22 and the seven pin motor 226 are turned on, driving the machine forward at a preset low speed. As the machine moves into the lane, the duster, wash pump, squeegee, and oil functions start operating at a predetermined distance from the starting point on the approach. Each of these functions can be individually adjusted.

  When the machine moves forward, the tempin whisker 264 may hit the foul light if the machine is not perfectly aligned with the lane. Due to this impact, the block 266 rotates, leaves the ten pin whisker switch 274, releases the start lever 272, and closes the normally closed contact of the ten pin whisker switch 274. By this signal, the input 110 of the control device 110 is turned on, and the tenpin steering relay CR16 is also turned on.

  When the input 110 is turned on, the controller 110 supplies a higher analog voltage to the tempin / main motor control and raises the tempin / main motor 22 to a preset rotational speed. At the same time, the analog voltage to the seven pin motor controller is turned off and the speed of the seven pin motor 226 is reduced. This causes the machine to turn left.

  When the tempin whisker 264 returns to the normal position, the controller input 110 and the temper steering relay CR16 are turned off and the two motors 22 and 226 return to the set speed when the machine enters the lane.

  After making a left turn, if the machine is properly aligned with the lane, continue on the lane. On the other hand, if the vehicle goes too far to the left and proceeds forward in that state, the seven pin whisker 264 may hit the left partition rail along the outside of the left gutter. In that case, the normally closed contact of the seven pin whisker switch 274 is closed due to the impact. The normally closed contact of the seven pin whisker switch 274 is connected to the controller input 109 and turns on both the input 109 and the coil of the seven pin whisker relay CR15.

  When the input 109 is turned on, the controller 110 sends a higher analog voltage to the seven pin motor controller, causing the seven pin motor 226 to increase to a preset rotational speed. At the same time, when the normally closed contact of the seven pin steering relay CR15 is opened, the analog voltage to control the ten pin / main motor is turned off, and the speed of the ten pin / main motor 22 decreases. This turns the machine to the right.

  When the seven pin whisker 264 returns to its normal position, the input 109 and the seven pin whisker relay CR15 are turned off and the two motors 22 and 226 return to the set speed when the machine enters the lane. If the machine is aligned with the lane, go down the lane. If not, the tenpin whisker 264 is impacted again, and the seven pin whisker 264 turns as necessary to center the machine.

  If the seven pin whisker 264 hits the lane partition for the second time and does not immediately return to the normal position, the machine has an override function. This failure to return may indicate that for some reason the approach wheel 216 cannot steer the machine away from the partition. In such a case, the lane spacing wheel 53 generally cannot rotate even if the machine is completely in the lane. To solve this problem, when a whisker is activated, a timer in the system counts, and after a certain amount of time has elapsed, the machine switches from the approach drive function to the lane drive function so that the machine goes down the lane. To.

  If the machine is over- or under-traveled when going to the next lane, it will be programmed to self-adjust so that over- or under-travel does not occur the next time it is used. The content of the adjustment is instructed by the first contact of the whisker, and the adjustment is performed only at the first contact. All subsequent contacts on each lane are ignored. No adjustments are made on the very first lane. Each adjustment is made in units of 0.310 inches.

  Once the machine is properly aligned in this way, the machine continues to move forward on the lane. When the machine is on the lane, the approach wheels 216, 218 are placed in the gutter and do not contact the floor. As a result, the lane drive wheels 16, 18 function instead. The lane spacing wheel 53 is also in contact with the lane and starts rotating from the forward movement of the machine. When the lane spacing wheel 53 is rotated 1/2, the normally open contact of the on lane switch 280 is closed and the input 000 is turned on. At that moment, the controller 110 switches from the approach drive function to the lane drive function, and the seven pin approach drive motor 226 is turned off to save power. The machine continues down the lane and returns in the manner described with respect to the machine 10 of FIGS.

  When the machine approaches the foul line when returning, the return mileage counter under the control of the lane distance sensor 57 reaches its limit, turns on the seven-pin approach drive motor 226 and uses the “stop-on-approach” counter Enable (as well as counting the number of lanes traveled to know when the machine will finish operation). The lane distance sensor 57 is a part of the reset function of the stop-on approach counter and prevents the stop-on approach counter from counting down until the lane distance sensor 57 stops transmitting the reset pulse. This means that the machine knows exactly where the lane ends and the approach begins.

  The machine then travels over the approach using all six drive wheels 16, 18, 216, and 218 and stops at a predetermined position. The predetermined position is a position sufficiently away from the foul line so as not to contact the foul light when turning. The seven pin motor reverse relay CR12 and the ten pin / main motor reverse relay CR14 are turned off to stop the machine. Once the machine is fully on the approach, the front of the machine tilts downward about the front approach wheel 216 due to gravity and the caster wheels 248, 250 contact the floor. This raises the rear approach wheel 218 and moves slightly up from the approach. Thus, the machine is now driven only by the forward approach wheel 216. Of course, the main drive wheels 16, 18 are also above the approach and are not functioning.

  There is a 0.5 second delay after the machine stops on approach. When this delay ends, the controller 110 turns on the seven pin forward motor relay CR11 and the tenpin / main motor reverse relay CR14 to turn the machine 90 degrees clockwise, thereby turning the machine in the lane 2 direction. Since the machine's pivot axis is located midway between the forward approach wheels 216, the machine has a zero pivot radius.

  The controller 110 turns on the seven pin motor forward relay CR11 and the ten pin / main motor forward relay CR13 and uses the forward approach wheel 216 to move the machine to the next lane. When the machine arrives on the next lane, relays CR11 and CR13 are turned off, stopping the machine. There is a 0.5 second delay after the machine stops.

  When the delay ends, the control device 110 turns on the seven pin motor reverse relay CR12 and the ten pin / main motor forward relay CR13 to turn the machine 90 degrees counterclockwise, thereby moving the machine in the downward direction of lane 2. Turn. At the moment the machine stops, the controller 110 resets all functions in the program. After a 0.5 second delay, the machine starts running forward and starts the entire sequence again.

  When the machine completes the last lane, it exits the lane, stops on the approach, turns 90 degrees and stops to allow easy access to the cleaning compartment. The machine has a deceleration function for all of these approach stop functions. When the machine becomes 40 counts or less from the stop, the control device 110 sends a deceleration analog signal to the motors 22 and 226 so that the machine can stop smoothly instead of suddenly stopping. This also prevents an excessive burden on the drive system when the machine stops.

  In the preferred embodiment, the machine 210 is also provided with a pair of universal bumper wheels 290, 292, located on opposite sides near the rear of the machine. The bumper wheels 290, 292 are rotatable about a vertical axis and are located at a short distance outside and behind the rear approach wheel 218. Bumper wheels 290, 292 are arranged in this way to contact both outer edges of the gutter, kicking the rear end of the machine as needed when the machine leaves the approach and enters the lane, Align with the center.

  The inventor has determined that all devices that do not substantially depart from the scope of the invention described in the following claims are regarded as a fair scope of the present invention based on the doctrine of equivalents, even if they are out of scope. And is intended to be evaluated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the left front of a non-zero turning radius maintenance machine embodying the principles of the present invention, with the top cover removed to reveal internal details of the configuration. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the right rear portion of the machine. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front right side of the components inside the machine with structures such as walls removed for clarity. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the left rear portion of the components inside the machine with structures such as walls removed for clarity. FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the machine, with neighboring side walls removed to reveal internal details of the configuration. FIG. 6 is a right-side elevational view of the partially enlarged machine showing the operation when the squeegee blade contacts the lane while the machine moves forward. FIG. 7 is a right-side elevational view of the partially enlarged machine, similar to FIG. 6, with the machine stopping at the end of forward movement and the squeegee assembly protruding past the edge of the pin deck. It is a figure which shows the place which drains the water | moisture content of a squeegee assembly. FIG. 8 is a right side elevational view, partially enlarged of the machine, similar to FIG. 6, showing the squeegee assembly in the raised position. 9 to 13 are block diagrams of parts of the electrical system of the machine. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the left front of a zero turning radius maintenance machine embodying the principles of the present invention with the top cover removed to reveal the internal details of the configuration. 15 is a right rear perspective view of the machine of FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the right front of the zero-turn radius machine with the walls and some other parts removed for clarity of internal details. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the left rear of the zero-turn radius machine with the walls and some other parts removed for clarity of the interior. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the right rear bottom surface of the zero-turn radius machine with the walls and some other parts removed for clarity of internal details. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the left rear bottom surface of the zero-turn radius machine with the walls and some other parts removed to reveal internal details. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the upper right rear surface of the enlarged zero-turn radius machine with the walls and some other parts removed for clarity of internal details. FIG. 21 is a left-side elevational view of a zero turning radius machine showing the machine tilted forward by gravity on the approach and supported by a zero turning radius drive wheel and caster wheel. FIG. 22 is a left front perspective view of a partially enlarged zero-turn radius machine with the front bumper partially removed to show the configuration behind it in detail. FIG. 23 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the left front corner of the zero turning radius machine with the front bumper removed to show details of the seven pin whisker assembly. FIG. 24 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a seven pin whisker assembly, substantially taken along line 24-24 of FIG. 25-29 are block diagrams of portions of the electrical system of the zero turning radius machine.

Claims (26)

Run up and down a series of generally parallel and elongated bowling lanes, perform maintenance work on each lane, and between the lanes on a common approach that spans the lane behind the foul line at one end of the lane. In a lane maintenance machine that can operate to index,
A set of approach drive wheels that propel the machine when the machine is on the approach;
Operatively connected to the approach drive wheel, propelling the machine over the approach to leave the foul line of one lane, and moving the machine over the approach until the machine is generally facing the next lane To turn the machine laterally on the approach to the next lane, turn the machine on the approach until the machine is aligned with the next lane, and travel down the lane And a control mechanism for operating the approach drive wheel to propel the machine in the foul line direction of the next lane on the approach.   The lane maintenance machine according to claim 1, wherein the approach drive wheel is arranged to be suspended in a gutter on both sides of each lane when the machine travels up and down the lane. A lane drive wheel arranged to contact the surface of the lane when the machine is placed on the lane to propel the machine up and down on the lane;
The approach drive wheel protrudes below the lane drive wheel, keeps the lane drive wheel away from the approach and keeps the approach drive wheel in contact with the approach when the machine is on the approach The lane maintenance machine according to claim 2. The approach drive wheel includes a left approach drive wheel and a right approach drive wheel laterally spaced from each other;
The control mechanism drives the left and right approach drive wheels at mutually different speeds in opposite directions and rotates the machine about a vertical axis located between the left and right approach drive wheels The lane maintenance machine according to claim 3, wherein the lane maintenance machine is operable to operate.   The lane maintenance machine of claim 4, further comprising at least one swivel caster arranged to assist the approach drive wheel to support the machine when the machine is on the approach.   The control mechanism includes spaced left and right sensors, wherein the spaced left and right sensors are arranged to detect contact between the machine and an obstacle and, if detected, correspond to it. The lane maintenance machine of claim 4, wherein the lane maintenance machine is operable to provide an output for driving the left and right approach wheels. Each of the sensors includes an elongated element that projects outward from the machine and is mounted for movement upon contact with an obstacle;
The moving movement of the element generates an electrical output signal;
The lane maintenance machine according to claim 6, wherein the control mechanism further includes a controller that operates the approach wheel to steer the machine in response to an electrical output signal from a sensor. The control mechanism is operable to self-index the machine from lane to lane on the approach;
The lane maintenance machine according to claim 4, wherein the control mechanism includes a controller programmed to respond to inputs related to a distance traveled on the approach to operate the approach drive wheel. The control mechanism is operable to self-index the machine from lane to lane on the approach;
The lane maintenance machine of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism includes a controller programmed to respond to inputs related to a distance traveled on the approach for operating the approach drive wheel. The approach drive wheel includes a left approach drive wheel and a right approach drive wheel laterally spaced from each other;
The control mechanism drives the left and right approach drive wheels at mutually different speeds in opposite directions and rotates the machine about a vertical axis located between the left and right approach drive wheels The lane maintenance machine of claim 9, wherein the lane maintenance machine is operable to operate. The approach drive wheel includes a left approach drive wheel and a right approach drive wheel laterally spaced from each other;
The control mechanism drives the left and right approach drive wheels at mutually different speeds in opposite directions and rotates the machine about a vertical axis located between the left and right approach drive wheels The lane maintenance machine of claim 1, wherein the lane maintenance machine is operable to operate.   The lane maintenance machine according to claim 1, wherein the machine is battery operated. A self-propelled and self-piloted machine adapted to travel along a support surface,
A movable chassis,
A drive wheel that supports the chassis for movement along a support surface;
Left and right steering sensors mounted on the chassis in positions for detecting the presence of obstacles;
When operably coupled to the drive wheel and in response to the sensor, the sensor does not detect an obstacle, the drive wheel is driven at the same speed to propel the machine linearly along the travel path. And a control mechanism for driving the drive wheels at different speeds relative to each other and turning the machine away from the obstacle when an obstacle is detected by the sensor. The drive wheel comprises a pair of left and right drive wheels spaced apart from each other;
14. The control mechanism is operable to drive the drive wheels in opposite directions and to turn the machine about a vertical axis located between the left and right drive wheels. Machine of.   15. A machine according to claim 14, wherein the control mechanism includes a controller programmed to operate the drive wheel in response to an input relating to a distance traveled on the surface. Each of the sensors includes an elongated element that protrudes outward from the chassis and is mounted for movement upon contact with an obstacle;
The moving movement of the element generates an electrical output signal;
14. The machine of claim 13, wherein the control mechanism further includes a controller that operates the drive wheel to steer the machine in response to an electrical output signal from a sensor.   The machine of claim 13, wherein the machine is battery powered. In a bowling lane maintenance machine adapted to travel forward from the foul line to the pin deck along the bowling lane and then travel from the pin deck to the foul line in the reverse direction,
A vacuum suction head that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position as the machine travels along the lane, wherein the head is spaced above the lane at the raised position; Wherein the head is in operative contact with the lane and includes a cleaning system for removing cleaning liquid from the lane;
The suction head is connected to a vacuum motor, and the motor performs suction in the head when in an operating state;
The bowling lane maintenance machine is characterized in that the vacuum motor is in an operating state at least most of the traveling forward of the machine and at least a majority of traveling in the reverse direction of the machine. The vacuum motor is inactive when the machine is in the foul line before starting to move forward;
The bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 18, wherein the vacuum motor operates only after the machine has traveled a predetermined distance forward. The suction head has an associated squeegee blade assembly;
A drive motor operable to cause the machine to travel forward and backward;
A lane distance sensor that operates to determine the distance traveled by the machine along the lane;
A control system operably connected to the lane distance sensor and the drive motor and operable to control the operation of the drive motor in response to an input signal from the lane distance sensor;
The control system is operable to stop the operation of the drive motor when the lane distance sensor determines that the machine has traveled a certain distance forward from a foul line. 19. A bowling lane maintenance machine as claimed in claim 18, wherein the distance is the distance that the squeegee blade assembly passes beyond the edge of the lane pin deck and protrudes onto the edge of the pin deck.   The control system moves the suction head to the raised position after the machine stops at a position protruding from the end of the pin deck of the lane, and then moves the machine a predetermined distance in the reverse direction. Keeps the suction head in the raised position, then moves the suction head to the lowered position, then keeps the suction head in the lowered position as the machine moves forward, then When the squeegee assembly passes over the end of the pin deck of the lane for the second time and protrudes over the end of the pin deck, the squeegee assembly is operable to deactivate the drive motor. 21. A bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 20.   The control system further moves the suction head to its raised position after the machine protrudes over the end of the pin deck for the second time, and when the machine returns to the foul line in the reverse direction. The bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 21, wherein the bowling lane maintenance machine operates to maintain a suction head in a raised position and maintain the vacuum motor in a de-energized state. In a bowling lane maintenance machine adapted to travel forward from the foul line to the pin deck along the bowling lane and then travel from the pin deck to the foul line in the reverse direction,
A cleaning system including a vacuum suction head that is movable between a raised position and a lowered position as the machine travels along the lane, wherein the head is above the lane in the raised position. A cleaning system, spaced apart and in the lowered position, wherein the head is in operative contact with the lane and removes cleaning liquid from the lane,
The suction head has an associated squeegee blade assembly; and
A drive motor operable to run the machine forward and reverse;
A lane distance sensor that operates to determine the distance traveled by the machine along the lane;
A control system operatively connected to the lane distance sensor and the drive motor and operative to control the operation of the drive motor in response to an input signal from the lane distance sensor;
The control system is operable to stop the operation of the drive motor when the lane distance sensor determines that the machine has traveled a certain distance forward from a foul line. A bowling lane maintenance machine, wherein the distance is a distance that the squeegee blade assembly passes over the edge of the pin deck of the lane and protrudes onto the edge of the pin deck.   The control system moves the suction head to a raised position after the machine stops at a position protruding from the end of the pin deck of the lane, and then moves the machine a predetermined distance in the reverse direction. Keeps the suction head raised, then moves the suction head to the lowered position, then keeps the suction head lowered as the machine moves forward, When the squeegee assembly passes over the end of the pin deck of the lane for the second time and protrudes over the end of the pin deck, the squeegee assembly is operable to deactivate the drive motor. The bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 23. The suction head is connected to a vacuum motor, and the motor performs suction in the head when in an operating state;
The control system further moves the suction head to its raised position after the machine protrudes over the end of the pin deck for the second time, and when the machine returns to the foul line in the reverse direction. 25. A bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 24, wherein the suction head is kept raised and the vacuum motor is kept inactive. The vacuum motor is in a de-energized state when it is in the foul line before the machine begins to move forward;
26. The bowling lane maintenance machine according to claim 25, wherein the vacuum motor operates only after the machine has traveled a predetermined distance forward.

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