US 12,344,202 B2 · Selectively implementing automated cleaning routines during unloading cycles for transport vehicles

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automated cleaning of a loading container of a transport vehicle (e.g., dump truck, ejector, scraper), wherein the loading container includes controllable elements (e.g., hydraulic lift cylinders for a truck bin, an ejector blade) for transitioning between loaded and unloaded states. Characteristics of carryback material remaining in the loading container are estimated during a detected unloaded state of the transport vehicle, wherein whether to initiate an automated cleaning stage is determined based on at least one of the estimated characteristics. Upon determining to initiate the automated cleaning stage, performance of a cleaning routine is automatically directed during or in association with an unloading stage for the loading container via the controllable elements. The elements are controlled during the cleaning routine in accordance with a severity level selected from among various progressively increasing severity levels based on at least one of the estimated characteristics.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for automated cleaning of a loading container of a transport vehicle, the loading container comprising one or more controllable elements for transitioning between a loaded state and an unloaded state, the method comprising:

estimating one or more characteristics of carryback material remaining in the loading container during a detected unloaded state of the transport vehicle, wherein the estimated one or more characteristics of the carryback material includes a weight and/or a volume of the carryback material remaining in the loading container;
determining whether to initiate an automated cleaning stage based at least in part on a calculated aggregation trend for the estimated weight and/or volume of the carryback material over a plurality of unloading cycles;
and
upon determining to initiate the automated cleaning stage, automatically directing performance of a cleaning routine during an unloading stage for the loading container, wherein the cleaning routine is performed by controlling via the one or more controllable elements in accordance with a severity level selected from among a plurality of progressively increasing severity levels based at least in part on at least one of the estimated one or more characteristics.

1 more element

A transport vehicle comprising:

a loading container having one or more controllable elements for transitioning between a loaded state and an unloaded state;
and
a controller configured to
estimate one or more characteristics of carryback material remaining in the loading container during a detected unloaded state of the transport vehicle, wherein
the estimated one or more characteristics of the carryback material includes a weight and/or a volume of the carryback material remaining in the loading container,
determine whether to initiate an automated cleaning stage based at least in part on a calculated aggregation trend for the estimated weight and/or volume of the carryback material over a plurality of unloading cycles, and
upon determining to initiate the automated cleaning stage, to automatically direct performance of a cleaning routine during an unloading stage for the loading container, wherein the cleaning routine is performed by controlling the one or more controllable elements in accordance with a severity level selected from among a plurality of progressively increasing severity levels based at least in part on at least one of the estimated one or more characteristics.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selectively implementing automated cleaning routines during unloading cycles for transport vehicles

Life of this patent

Selectively implementing automated cleaning routines during unloading cycles for transport vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18