Back to results
US 7,849,955 B2Granted
Materials handling vehicle having a steer system including a tactile feedback device
AssigneeCrown Equipment Corporation
InventorsMonty L. Crabill, Eric L. Jensen, Sultan Masoud Karimi, James F. Schloemer, George R. Wetterer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A materials handling vehicle is provided comprising: a frame comprising an operator's compartment; wheels supported on the frame, at least one of the wheels being a steerable wheel; a steer-by-wire system and control apparatus. The steer-by-wire system is associated with the steerable wheel to effect angular movement of the steerable wheel about a first axis.
Claims17
A materials handling vehicle comprising:
- a frame comprising an operator's compartment;
- wheels supported on said frame, at least one of said wheels being a steerable wheel;
- a steer-by-wire system associated with said steerable wheel to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about a first axis, said steer-by-wire system comprising:
- a control handle capable of being moved by an operator to generate a steer control signal corresponding to a desired angular position of said steerable wheel;
- a tactile feedback device associated with said control handle to generate a force counter to an operator applied force on said control handle which counter force varies based on a variable tactile feedback device signal;
- a steer motor coupled to said steerable wheel to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about the first axis;
- control apparatus coupled to said control handle to receive said steer control signal, coupled to said steer motor to generate a first drive signal to said steer motor in response to said steer control signal from said control handle to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about the first axis, and coupled to said tactile feedback device to generate said tactile feedback device signal;
- and
- wherein said control apparatus varies said tactile feedback device signal in a step-wise manner as a function of an error between a desired angular position of said steerable wheel defined by said steer control signal and a determined actual position of said steerable wheel.
6 more elements
A materials handling vehicle comprising:
- a frame comprising an operator's compartment;
- wheels supported on said frame, at least one of said wheels being a steerable wheel;
- a steer-by-wire system associated with said steerable wheel to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about a first axis, said steer-by-wire system comprising:
- a control handle capable of being moved by an operator to generate a steer control signal corresponding to a desired angular position of said steerable wheel;
- a steer motor coupled to said steerable wheel to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about the first axis;
- a traction motor coupled to said steerable wheel to effect rotation of said steerable wheel about a second axis substantially transverse to the first axis;
- control apparatus coupled to said control handle to receive said steer control signal, coupled to said steer motor to generate a first drive signal to said steer motor in response to said steer control signal from said control handle to effect angular movement of said steerable wheel about the first axis, and coupled to said traction motor, wherein said control apparatus limiting a speed of said traction motor in a step-wise manner as a function of an error between a desired angular position of said steerable wheel defined by said steer control signal and a determined actual position of said steerable wheel.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.