RU2783320C1 - Method for operating the electric steering of an industrial loader and an industrial loader for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: inventions group relates to mechanical engineering and can be used in electric steering of industrial loaders, including pallet transporters. The method for operating the electric steering of an industrial loader does not require constant measurement of the angle of rotation of the steered wheel with an expensive sensor. There is enough information about the position at the beginning of the loader operation the steered wheel is located, as well as about the moments during the loader operation at which the steered wheel occupies a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the steered wheel. This information enters the control element by moving a metal plate with magnetic properties through the axis of the inductive switch. In this way, the performance of the electric steering is monitored and a correspondence is achieved between the angle of rotation of the steering body and the value of the actual position of the steered wheel. The industrial loader contains an inductive switch as a non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel, and as an object of influence of the non-contact sensor, a plate in the form of an annular segment made of metal with magnetic properties, mounted for rotation together with the loader gearbox.

EFFECT: simplified management while reducing the cost of the loader.

14 cl, 4 dwg

Description

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to the field of mechanical engineering and can be used in electric steering of industrial loaders, including pallet transporters, having a steering body, for example, in the form of a steering wheel or a leash, a steering motor with an encoder, a control element, for example, in the form of a controller , and at least one steerable wheel.

In industrial trucks with a steering body, a steering motor and a steered wheel, there is no direct mechanical connection between the steering body and the steered wheel. In this regard, the electric steering systems being developed for them are aimed at providing a fixed correspondence between the angle of rotation of the steering body and the value of the actual position of the steered wheel.

Usually, the steering angle value and the actual steering wheel position value are determined by the respective sensors, and the difference between them is compared. For example, there is known a method for adjusting the range of rotation of the steering wheel of an industrial loader (China patent CN 101104417, publ. 16.01.2008). To implement the method, the loader has a steering wheel, a steering electric motor, at least one steered wheel, a sensor for measuring the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, a sensor for the actual position of the steered wheel, and a control element. Hall sensors are used as sensors. According to the method, the steered wheel is moved by means of the steering electric motor in one direction until the value of its position measured by the corresponding sensor stops changing. The encoder value determined in this position is stored in the control element as "angle stop in the first direction". Next, the steered wheel is moved in the opposite direction until the value of its actual position measured by the sensor stops changing. The encoder value determined in this position is stored as "angle stop in the second direction". The control takes the average between the first and second stops stored in the steering for straight-line movement. The known method, according to the description of the patent, allows for a short time to compare the signal of the steering wheel angle sensor with the actual position of the steered wheel.

The disadvantage of the known method is the inability to adjust the range of rotation of the steering wheel of an industrial loader during operation - the adjustment is carried out after transporting the loader, after repair and maintenance work, that is, before using the loader.

A known method for testing the electrical steering system of an industrial loader (German application DE 102006041254, publ. 13.03.2008), which has a differential sensor that determines the difference between the values of sensors that measure the angle of rotation of the steering wheel and the angle of rotation of the steered wheel, and on the basis of this generates a differential signal . The differential signal is applied to the control element, which accumulates the current differential signals to control the electric steering, in particular, integrates them over time, compares the accumulated value with a predetermined reference value, and triggers an error signal when the reference value is exceeded.

The disadvantage of the known method is the complexity due to the large number of signals from sensors simultaneously processed by the control element.

Also known is an industrial loader with electric steering and a method for controlling it (German application DE 102006039549, publ.06.03.2008). The electric steering device sets the position of the steered wheel using the steering motor, and the control element disables the steering device in certain operating modes, and activates it when the position of the steered wheel changes by more than a given angle of change from the home position, while the control element sets the value for the home position when the steering device is disengaged such that the home position is the actual position of the wheel at the time of disengagement plus the adjustment angle that occurs after the steering motor is deactivated.

The disadvantage of the known method is its complexity, due to the regular measurement of the angle of rotation of the steered wheel, associated with periodic deactivation of the steering device.

Closest to the claimed group of inventions (prototypes) are a method of operating the electric steering system of an industrial loader and an industrial loader (US application US 2013204494, publ. 08/08/2013).

The method of operating the electric steering system of an industrial loader according to the prototype includes:

- determination of the position of the loader steering body by means of the appropriate sensor;

- the action of the steering motor through the gearbox on the steered wheel of the loader in accordance with the specified gear ratio (i) so that the position of the steered wheel corresponds to the position of the steering control;

- determination of the absolute value of the angle of rotation of the steering body during the movement of the loader by means of an encoder sensor;

- determination of the absolute value of the angle of rotation of the steered wheel during the movement of the loader by means of a Hall sensor;

- checking whether the detected absolute values are related to each other in accordance with the purpose, and if a deviation is detected,

- determination of the gear ratio (i+, i-), which differs from the given gear ratio (i), to determine the deviation that automatically counteracts the steering body during further movement.

In this case, the given gain is the value set by default by the control element as a result of matching the absolute values determined by the sensors with the assignment stored in the control element. The assignment sets a target value for the steering angle corresponding to each steering wheel angle, and may be in the form of a mathematical function, for example, containing the steering angles corresponding to a certain position of the steered wheel, and the gear ratio.

The loader according to the prototype includes a steering body and a sensor structurally combined with it for determining the position of the steering body and the absolute values of its angles of rotation, connected through the control element with a steering motor having an encoder and a drive gear mounted with the possibility of interacting with the driven gear on the reducer mounted with the possibility of rotation on the bracket, the steered wheel mounted on the reducer, as well as the contactless sensor associated with the control element for determining the absolute values of the angles of rotation of the steered wheel during the movement of the loader, and the object of influence of the contactless sensor installed with the possibility of rotation together with reducer. As a non-contact sensor to determine the absolute values of the angles of rotation of the steered wheel during the movement of the loader, a non-contact analog distance sensor - a Hall sensor, is used, which is triggered by changing the position of the object of influence of the non-contact sensor - a cam with a spiral surface, rotating together with the gearbox.

The disadvantage of the method according to the prototype is the continuous registration by the control element of the absolute values of the angles of rotation of the steering wheel and the steered wheel, and the constant check whether these values are related to each other in accordance with the purpose, which complicates the electric steering system. The disadvantage of the prototype loader is the constant operation of expensive sensors, which increases the cost of the industrial loader.

The task of the claimed group of inventions is to simplify the method of electric steering of an industrial loader while reducing the cost of an industrial loader.

The problem is solved by the fact that the method of electric steering of an industrial loader includes determining the angle of rotation of the steering body by the corresponding sensor, determining the position of the steered wheel by means of a non-contact sensor and the object of action of the non-contact sensor mounted for rotation together with the loader gearbox, on which the steered wheel is installed, the control's matching of the values determined by the sensors with the assignment stored in the control, and differs in that:

- an inductive switch is used as a non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel of a loader, and a plate in the form of an annular segment made of metal with magnetic properties is used as an object of action of the non-contact sensor;

- the position of the steered wheel is determined at the beginning of the operation of the loader, for which it is checked whether this position corresponds to the predetermined position of the steered wheel, at which the side boundary of the plate in the form of an annular segment coincides with the center of the zone of influence of the inductive switch;

- in this case, if the position of the steered wheel does not correspond to the predetermined position of the steered wheel, the steering motor acts through the gearbox on the steered wheel until it takes a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the steered wheel;

- after that, and further during the operation of the loader, the angle of rotation of the steering body is determined by means of the corresponding sensor, and the current position of the steered wheel is determined by the control element, taking into account the effect performed;

- after that, the steering motor acts through the gearbox on the steered wheel of the loader in such a way that the position of the steered wheel corresponds to the position of the steering body.

The position of the steered wheel, which is set structurally, is preferably set to such a position of the steered wheel that is necessary for the rectilinear movement of the loader.

The assignment is software and serves to set the angles of rotation of the steered wheel, by which it must be turned in accordance with the set angles of rotation of the steering body. It is formed when the control element coordinates the signals received from the sensor for determining the steering angle, the non-contact inductive switch, the steering motor encoder, which transmits information about the number of revolutions of the steering motor to the control element, and the gear ratio - the ratio of the speed of rotation of the drive gear of the steering motor with the encoder and frequency of rotation of the driven gear of the gearbox.

For the effect of the steering motor through the gearbox on the steered wheel until it takes a position corresponding to the predetermined structural position of the steered wheel, it is determined in which direction the steered wheel must be rotated. To this end, the inductive switch at the beginning of the operation of the loader determines the initial direction of rotation of the steered wheel by detecting the presence or absence of the plate in its zone of influence, which informs the control element that the wheel is initially turned to the left or right. The direction to the right and to the left is defined as a deviation from the predetermined position of the steered wheel.

In the inventive method, as well as in the method according to the prototype, the angles of rotation of the steering body are constantly determined by means of an encoder sensor. However, unlike the method according to the prototype, where the angles of rotation of the steered wheel are constantly determined by means of a Hall sensor, the inventive method does not require constant measurement of the angle of rotation of the steered wheel with an expensive sensor. There is enough information about the position at the beginning of the loader operation the steered wheel is located, as well as about the moments during the loader operation at which the steered wheel occupies a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the steered wheel. The specified information enters the control element with the movement of the metal plate through the axis of the inductive switch. In this way, the performance of the electric steering is monitored and a correspondence is achieved between the angle of rotation of the steering body and the value of the actual position of the steered wheel. Thus, in the method according to the prototype, there is a constant processing of signals from sensors for determining the angle of rotation of the steering body and a non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel, while in the inventive method, after determining the position of the steered wheel, only the signal from the sensor for determining the angle of rotation of the steering body is constantly processed , which leads to a decrease in the number of signals simultaneously processed by the control element from the sensors involved in the steering system.

The problem is also solved by the fact that the industrial loader includes a steering control and a sensor for determining the position of the steering control, which is structurally combined with it, connected through the control element with a steering motor having an encoder and a drive gear mounted with the possibility of interacting with the driven gear on the reducer rotatably mounted on the bracket, the steered wheel mounted on the reducer, as well as the contactless sensor associated with the control element for determining the position of the steered wheel and the object of contact of the proximity sensor mounted rotatably together with the reducer, and is characterized in that in an inductive switch is used as a non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel, and a plate in the form of an annular segment made of metal with magnetic properties is used as the object of action of the non-contact sensor. you.

The inductive switch is preferably mounted on the bracket for the gearbox so that a plate in the form of an annular segment, made of metal with magnetic properties, passes through its zone of action when the steered wheel rotates around its axis.

The object of action of the contactless sensor in the form of a metal plate is preferably mounted on the end part of the driven gear of the reducer.

The plate in the form of an annular segment may preferably be made of steel, brass, aluminium, copper.

The steering wheel or leash is preferably used as the steering control.

The controller is preferably used as the control element.

An encoder is preferably used as a steering angle sensor.

In contrast to the loader according to the prototype, in which a cam with a spiral surface is used as the object of action of the contactless sensor, and an analog distance sensor that determines the variable distance to the helical surface of the Cam - the Hall sensor is used as the contactless sensor, in the inventive loader as the object of action of the contactless The sensor uses a metal plate with magnetic properties, and an inductive switch is used as a non-contact sensor. Compared to a cam with a spiral surface, a metal plate has technological simplicity and low cost, and an inductive switch, compared to a distance sensor, only determines the presence and absence of an object in front of the sensor, without measuring the distance to it, which also simplifies and reduces the cost of the loader as a whole.

The technical result of the claimed group of inventions is to reduce the number of signals simultaneously processed by the control element from the sensors involved in the steering system of an industrial loader, due to the use in the loader of a technologically simpler non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel and the object of influence of the non-contact sensor.

The group of inventions is illustrated by the following figures.

On FIG. 1 shows the inventive industrial loader, namely a pallet transporter, which has a steering wheel as a steering element, and a controller as a control element.

On FIG. 2 shows a part of the steering system of the inventive industrial loader.

On FIG. 3 shows the end part of the driven gear of the reducer, on which a plate in the form of an annular segment is mounted, made of metal with magnetic properties.

On FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the proposed method.

The claimed industrial loader includes:

1 - steering wheel

2 - steered wheel

3 - steering motor with encoder

4 - reducer

5 - bracket for gearbox

6 - drive gear

7 - driven gear

8 - steering wheel angle sensor

9 - inductive switch

10 - plate in the form of an annular segment, made of metal with magnetic properties

11 - lateral boundary of the plate in the form of an annular segment

12 - controller

The steering wheel 1 with the sensor 8 for determining the angle of rotation of the steering wheel 1 are structurally aligned with each other and connected through the control element - the controller 12 with the steering motor 3, which has an encoder (not shown) and a drive gear 6. The gearbox 4 is mounted rotatably on the bracket 5, and has a driven gear wheel 7. The driving gear wheel 6 is mounted with the possibility of interaction with the driven gear wheel 7. The driven wheel 2 is mounted on the gearbox 4.

To implement the proposed method, a plate 10 in the form of an annular segment, made of metal with magnetic properties, for example, steel, stainless steel, brass, aluminum, copper, is installed on the end part of the driven gear 7 of the gearbox 4 of the inventive loader. On the bracket 5, on which the gearbox 4 is rotatably fixed, the inductive switch 9 is installed with its active surface to the surface of the end part of the driven gear wheel 7 of the gearbox 4 so that when the gearbox 4 is rotated, the plate 10 passes through the zone of influence of the sensor when the driven wheel 2 is rotated around its axis. The inductive switch 9 is connected to the controller 12.

In addition, the value of the predetermined position of the controlled wheel 2 is entered into the assignment stored in the controller 12, at which the side boundary 11 of the plate 10 coincides with the center of the zone of influence of the inductive switch 9. In the preferred embodiment, this value corresponds to the position of the controlled wheel 2 for rectilinear movement of the loader. Also introduced, among other things, is a mathematical formula for the correspondence of the angles of rotation of the steering wheel 1 and the gear ratio, depending on the number of teeth on the drive gear wheel 6 of the steering motor 3 and the driven gear wheel 7 of the gearbox 4.

After turning on the loader, the controller 12 is activated. The inductive switch 9 determines the direction of rotation of the steered wheel 2. If the plate 10 is in the zone of influence of the inductive switch 9, then the direction of rotation is determined as clockwise / counterclockwise rotation and the controller 12 acts on the steering motor 3 in such a way that in order to rotate gearbox 4 with a given gear ratio until plate 10 disappears from the zone of action of inductive switch 9. Establishing the correspondence between the position of the controlled wheel 2 and the given structurally established position takes no more than 3 seconds. After that, the angle of rotation of the steering wheel 1 is determined by means of the corresponding sensor 8. The value of the angle of rotation of the steering wheel 1, obtained from the sensor 8, is converted into rotational movement of the gearbox 4 by means of the steering motor 3 with a built-in encoder using the controller program 12, containing a mathematical formula that matches the angles steering wheel 1 and gear ratio.

The use of the claimed group of inventions makes it possible to reduce the cost of an industrial loader and optimize the process of its electric steering.

Claims (14)

1. A method for operating the electric steering of an industrial loader, including determining the angle of rotation of the steering body with the appropriate sensor, determining the position of the steered wheel by means of a proximity sensor and the object of action of the proximity sensor mounted for rotation together with the loader gearbox on which the steered wheel is installed, matching the element control of the values determined by the sensors with the purpose stored in the control element, characterized in that an inductive switch is used as a contactless sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel of the loader, and a plate in the form of an annular segment made of metal with magnetic properties, the position of the steered wheel is determined at the beginning of the work of the loader, for which it is checked whether this position corresponds to the specified position steered wheel, in which the lateral boundary of the plate in the form of an annular segment coincides with the center of the zone of influence of the inductive switch, while if the position of the steered wheel does not correspond to the predetermined position of the steered wheel, the steering motor acts through the gearbox on the steered wheel until the moment when it takes a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the steered wheel, after which, and then during the operation of the loader, the angle of rotation of the steering body is determined by means of the appropriate sensor, and the current position of the steered wheel is determined by the control element, taking into account the effect performed, after which the steering motor acts through reducer to the steered wheel of the loader so that the position of the steered wheel corresponds to the position of the steering control. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the position of the steered wheel, which is set structurally, is set to such a position of the steered wheel, which is necessary for the rectilinear movement of the loader. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the assignment is formed when the control element coordinates the signals received from the sensor for determining the angle of rotation of the steering body, the non-contact inductive switch, the steering motor encoder and the gear ratio - the ratio of the rotational speed of the drive gear of the steering motor and frequency of rotation of the driven gear of the reducer. 4. An industrial loader for implementing the method according to claim 1, including a steering body and a sensor for determining the position of the steering body, structurally combined with it, connected through the control element with a steering motor having an encoder and a drive gear mounted with the possibility of interacting with a driven gear on a gearbox rotatably mounted on a bracket, a steered wheel mounted on the gearbox, as well as a proximity sensor associated with the control element for determining the position of the steered wheel and an object of action of the proximity sensor mounted rotatably together with the gearbox, characterized in that that an inductive switch is used as a non-contact sensor for determining the position of the steered wheel, and a plate in the form of an annular segment made of metal with magnetic properties is used as the object of influence of the non-contact sensor . 5. Industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the inductive switch is mounted on the bracket for the gearbox so that the plate in the form of an annular segment, made of metal with magnetic properties, passes through the zone of its influence when the steered wheel rotates around its axis. 6. Industrial loader according to claim. 4, characterized in that the object of influence of the contactless sensor in the form of a plate in the form of an annular segment is installed on the end part of the driven gear of the reducer. 7. Industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the plate in the form of an annular segment is made of steel. 8. Industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the plate in the form of an annular segment is made of brass. 9. Industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the plate in the form of an annular segment is made of aluminum. 10. Industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that the plate in the form of an annular segment is made of copper. 11. An industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that a steering wheel is used as a steering control. 12. An industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that a leash is used as a steering body. 13. An industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that a controller is used as a control element. 14. An industrial loader according to claim 4, characterized in that an encoder is used as a sensor for determining the steering angle.

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