US 12,716,204 B2Granted

Hydrovac with safe state

AssigneeBrandt Industries Canada Ltd.

InventorsEvrhetton Gold, Greg Thomson, John Peters, Daniel Bonnet

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A hydrovac is provided having, an engine, a transmission comprising a power take-off connected to a hydraulic pump, a debris tank, a vacuum hose connected to the debris tank, a boom carrying the vacuum hose, a blower operative to create a vacuum in the debris tank, a hydraulic motor connected to the blower to drive the blower, the hydraulic motor connected to the at least one hydraulic pump, an emergency shutoff valve connected in fluid communication with the debris tank, a boom isolation assembly which in a closed position fluidly isolates the debris tank from the vacuum hose, and a controller. A controller operative to, in response to the controller losing communication with a remote control, open the emergency shutoff valve, close the boom isolation assembly, disengage the power take-off, and after the power take-off is disengaged, slowing a speed of the engine to an idle speed.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A hydrovac comprising:

a frame;
a cab mounted near a front end of the frame;
an engine mounted on the frame;
a transmission connected to the engine, the transmission comprising:
at least one power take-off, the at least one power take-off connected to at least one hydraulic pump;
steering wheels operative to steer the hydrovac;
ground wheels connected to the frame and operative to be driven by the engine through the transmission;
a debris tank mounted on the frame behind the cab and proximate a rear end of the hydrovac;
a vacuum hose fluidly connected to the debris tank, the vacuum hose having a distal end;
a boom pivotally mounted at a first end, proximate a rear end of the hydrovac and carrying the vacuum hose;
a blower operatively connected to the debris tank and operative to create a vacuum in the debris tank;
a hydraulic motor connected to the blower to drive the blower, the hydraulic motor connected to the at least one hydraulic pump;
an emergency shutoff valve connected in fluid communication with the debris tank;
a boom isolation assembly which in an open position places the debris tank in fluid communication with the vacuum hose and in a closed position fluidly isolates the debris tank from the vacuum hose;
a remote control;
and
a controller, comprising:
at least one processing unit;
an output interface operatively connectable to the engine, the transmission, the emergency shutoff valve, and the boom isolation assembly;
a wireless interface;
and, at least one memory containing program instructions, wherein the controller is operative to:
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, open the emergency shutoff valve;
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, close the boom isolation assembly;
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, disengage the at least one power take-off;
and
after the at least one at least one power take-off is disengaged, slowing a speed of the engine to an idle speed.

23 more elements

A controller for controlling the operation of hydrovac comprising:

a frame;
a cab;
an engine mounted on the frame;
a transmission connected to the engine, the transmission having at least one power take-off, the at least one power take-off connected to at least one hydraulic pump;
steering wheels;
ground wheels;
a debris tank;
a vacuum hose fluidly connected to the debris tank;
a boom pivotally mounted at a first end and carrying the vacuum hose;
a blower operatively connected to the debris tank and operative to create a vacuum in the debris tank;
a hydraulic motor connected to the blower to drive the blower, the hydraulic motor connected to the at least one hydraulic pump;
an emergency shutoff valve connected in fluid communication with the debris tank;
a boom isolation assembly which in an open position places the debris tank in fluid communication with the vacuum hose and in a closed position fluidly isolates the debris tank from the vacuum hose;
and, a remote control, the controller comprising:
at least one processing unit;
at least one output interface operatively connectable to the engine, the transmission, the emergency shutoff valve, and the boom isolation assembly;
a wireless interface;
and
at least one memory containing program instructions, the at least one processing unit, responsive to the program instructions, operative to:
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, open the emergency shutoff valve;
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, close the boom isolation assembly;
in response to the controller losing communication with the remote control, disengage the at least one power take-off;
and
after the at least one power take-off is disengaged, slowing a speed of the engine to an idle speed.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/606,850Filed 15 Mar 2024
Published: US 2025/0290290 A118 Sep 2025
Granted: 25 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

E02F 9/24
Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00: safety devices ,…
E02F 3/8816
With arrangements acting by a sucking or forcing effect, e.g. suction dredgers: mobile land installations
E02F 3/8825
Mobile land installations: wherein at least a part of the soil-shifting equipment is mounted on a dipper-arm, backhoes or the like
E02F 3/907
Component parts , e.g. arrangement or adaptation of pumps: measuring or control devices, e.g. control units, detection means or sensors