CN103770689B - The method of the cantilever of mine vehicle and mobile mine vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The method that the present invention relates to the cantilever of a kind of mine vehicle and mobile mine vehicle.Described cantilever is provided with several cantilever tab and there is mining device at the distal end of described cantilever.One or more cantilever tab positions are determined and are stored in storage medium.Described cantilever automatically can be moved to predetermined transporting position by the control unit of described mine vehicle.

Description

Mining vehicle and method of moving a boom of a mining vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a mining vehicle, and in particular to a system for moving a boom of a mining vehicle.

The invention also relates to a method for moving a boom of a mining vehicle and to a computer program for performing control of moving the boom.

Background

In mines and other work sites, various mining vehicles, i.e. mobile mining machines, are used. The mining vehicle is provided with a boom and a mining work machine located on the boom. The boom moves between different work positions during use. Controlling the cantilever is often a demanding and time consuming task, since the cantilever structure is complex. The boom usually comprises a plurality of boom actuators and joints and it is not always intuitive to set it to the desired position using manual control. Furthermore, operator worksite visibility may be poor and available free space limited.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved mining vehicle and a method for moving a boom of a mining vehicle.

According to an aspect of the invention, a mining vehicle is provided, wherein at least one position of the boom, such as a position of the boom joint, is predetermined; and the control unit of the mining apparatus is configured to move the at least one boom to a predetermined position in response to the received control instructions. The transport position of the cantilever relative to the mine vehicle is predefined and the control unit is arranged to take stored data about the transport position of the cantilever and automatically move the cantilever from any current position to the defined transport position.

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a method comprising: predefining a transport position for the boom relative to the mine vehicle; and employing the stored data regarding the transport position of the boom and automatically moving the boom from any current position to the defined transport position. The advantage of the disclosed solution is that the work of the operator becomes simpler and less laborious. The boom can be accurately moved to the transport position and also collision of the boom can be avoided.

According to an embodiment, one or more predetermined positions of the boom joint are defined and performed in relation to the rock drilling rig. Thus, the predefined position is not according to e.g. a drilling plan.

According to an embodiment, one or more target positions of the boom are taught for the boom control system. The boom can be moved under manual control in a desired position, and the position can be stored in a storage medium. The current position of one single boom joint, the positions of several selected boom joints or all joints of the boom can be stored. The implementation of the teaching process is rather simple. Another benefit is that the teaching process is visible, whereby the operator has a general understanding of the situation. To perform this embodiment, the mining vehicle comprises means for teaching the position of one or more boom joints and means for storing the taught positions. Furthermore, the control unit of the mining vehicle may be arranged to assist in teaching and storing the process.

According to an embodiment, one or more target positions of the boom are input for the boom control system. The position data may be fed by means of a device such as a keyboard or a touch screen. Alternatively, the position data can be retrieved from a storage device or can be transmitted to the control unit from an external control unit or server.

According to an embodiment, at least one position of the mining work device is predetermined and the position of the jib joint realizing the position is stored in a storage medium. The control unit can read stored data about the boom joint and automatically move the mining work device to a predetermined position based on the data.

According to an embodiment, the mining vehicle is a rock drilling rig comprising at least one drilling boom and a drilling unit at a distal end of the drilling boom. The drilling unit comprises an elongate feed beam and a drilling machine supported longitudinally movably on said feed beam. One or more predetermined positions are defined for the drilling boom joint.

According to an embodiment, the control unit is provided with one or more boom movement sequences (moving sequences) for controlling the boom to move the mining work device and the boom part to the target position via one or more predetermined intermediate positions. The cantilever can be positioned at successive predetermined positions. In this way, the cantilever can be moved toward the target position through the collision-free path. The movement path is not always the shortest path, but collisions with the control cabin of the mining vehicle, the carrier, other booms or components and the ground can be avoided. Furthermore, the hydraulic hoses, cables and sensors may require that the boom must be moved according to predetermined steps to avoid damaging them.

According to an embodiment, the reverse teaching process is employed when defining a movement sequence for the cantilever control system. In case a cantilever movement sequence is required for moving the cantilever in a certain way and via a specific position towards a target position, the reverse teaching can be employed. First, the boom is moved to a desired target position, the position is stored in a memory, and then the boom is moved under manual control to one or more intermediate positions, which are stored. The resulting movement sequence is stored. When the sequence is run, the cantilever is moved from its current position to the defined target position via the defined intermediate position.

According to an embodiment, the carrier is provided with one or more transport supports for the cantilever. The transport support is a physical support element against which the cantilever or the mining work device can be placed when the carrier is moved. When the boom is placed on the transport support, the center of mass of the boom system is lowered relative to the normal operating position. In this way, the stability of the mining vehicle is improved for the transport drive.

According to embodiments, the transport location may not have any physical transport supports. The transport position can be designed such that the centre of mass of the cantilever system is at a low level and the cantilever system requires less space than in normal operation. In this way, the stability and operational characteristics of the mine vehicle are improved to facilitate transport drive. A further advantage is that since the boom can be moved automatically and relatively quickly to the transport position under the control of the control unit, it is possible to avoid that the operator tries to drive the mining vehicle without moving the boom to the transport position. The control unit may prevent driving of the carrier or may limit the driving speed in response to detecting that the boom is not driven to the transport position. Furthermore, the control unit may give an alarm if the carrier is driven for a set time interval or distance limit without placing the cantilever into the transport position.

According to an embodiment, a transport position is taught for a boom control system. During teaching, the boom may first be manually moved to a desired transport position, in which the boom rests, for example, against a transport support. The position of the cantilever and the cantilever joint is then stored. If desired, a reverse teaching process may be employed when defining a sequence of transport movements for the boom control system.

According to an embodiment, the taught locations are automatically deleted from the storage medium in response to a predetermined action, such as shutting down the device or completing a particular phase or cycle of operation. This feature ensures that the old teach position does not cause problems for control. Thus, an update of the desired position is ensured.

According to an embodiment, the calibration step is performed on the measurement unit of the cantilever when the cantilever is in the transport position and supported against the at least one transport support. When the boom rests on the transport support, the position of the boom is precise and stable, so that calibration is easy to perform.

According to an embodiment, the predetermined position of the cantilever joint is stored as a measured value in a storage medium. A predetermined position can be taught for the boom control system by manually moving the boom and collecting measurements from the sensors, measurement devices and corresponding measurement devices. The stored measurements are used by the boom control system when moving the boom to a predetermined position. The advantage of using stored measurement values is that possible calibration inaccuracies of the measuring device do not affect the actual positioning accuracy of the cantilever. This is because the values are collected and reproduced by the same measuring device. This is a relatively precise problem and not absolutely precise.

According to an embodiment, one or more intermediate positions between the operating position and the predetermined target position are determined for the boom. The position data of the intermediate positions may be stored in a storage device and the control unit may read the stored data about the target position and one or more intermediate positions of the boom and automatically move the boom from the operating position to the target position via the defined intermediate positions. The intermediate position is determined such that the boom system and the mining work device on the boom do not collide with any other components of the mining vehicle or the ground. Intermediate positions and movement sequences can also be used for reasons of operation and measurement technology.

According to an embodiment, one or more intermediate positions between the operating position and the predetermined transport position are determined for the boom. The position data about the intermediate positions may be stored in a storage device and the control unit may read the stored data about the transport position and one or more intermediate positions of the boom and automatically move the boom from the operating position to the transport position via the defined intermediate positions.

According to an embodiment, the cantilever can be driven automatically to a predetermined neutral position. The neutral position may be defined by a teaching process or an input device. The cantilever has a range and a predetermined neutral position within the range. The neutral position may be a position of the geometrical centre of the working area of the boom, or alternatively may be a position substantially in the centre of the working area of the boom, such that the working area can be easily and fully utilised. The neutral position may also comprise a pre-alignment of the boom and the feed according to the direction of the hole to be drilled. Furthermore, the neutral position may comprise a pre-alignment of the boom and the feed to compensate for alignment errors caused by driving the feed against the ground. The control unit may automatically move the cantilever to the neutral position. The automatic control may be initiated by control commands from an operator. For example, the reach of the cantilever can be well utilized when the cantilever is in a geometrically centered position. The starting position of such a cantilever may also be referred to as initial position. This feature of a predetermined neutral or initial position facilitates positioning of the boom at the work site.

According to an embodiment, the mining work device is provided with one or more inclinometers for measuring orientation with respect to gravity. For example, fastening the inclinometer to the side surface of the feed beam is fairly simple. A mining work device, such as a rock drilling unit, may have a substantially vertical operating position and a substantially horizontal transport position. The control unit receives measurement data from the inclinometers and utilizes the measurement data when moving the boom. The control unit may also utilize the measurement data when moving the boom to the transport position, thereby determining at least a lateral swing and a fore-aft tilt of the mining work device. The control unit may be arranged to move the boom joint affecting at least the lateral swinging to a predetermined transport position and to keep the swinging joint unchanged when moving the boom to the transport position. The predetermined position of the pivot joint is therefore an intermediate position, by means of which the boom is moved towards the target position. The swing joint is moved to its predetermined position while the mining work apparatus is still in the vertical position and measurements can be made using the inclinometer. When the mining work device is turned to the horizontal position, it is no longer possible to measure with an inclinometer. The use of the disclosed steps eliminates the need for any additional sensors and instrumentation. It should be mentioned that the tilt joint of the cantilever can be driven against the physical transport support in the transport position, whereby no accurate positioning measurement in the tilt direction is required when moving the cantilever to the transport position. In addition to inclinometers, some other types of sensors may also have a limited operating range, which can be taken into account in the control unit when determining the movement sequence of the boom.

According to an embodiment, the mining work device is provided with one or more sensors or measuring devices having an operating range, wherein the measurements can be performed accurately. The control unit takes into account the operating range of the sensor and controls the boom to the target position via at least one intermediate position. In the intermediate position, the control unit moves the at least one boom joint to a predefined position required in the target position. The pre-adjusted joint is kept constant while moving the boom from the intermediate position towards the target position. The sequence of movements of the cantilever joint is thus influenced by the operating range of the sensor and the measuring device.

According to an embodiment, the control unit starts the moving step towards the predetermined position after receiving a control instruction from the operator. The control unit may require that further confirmation from the operator is received before starting the moving step. The manual control instruction may be performed, for example, by pressing a key in the control unit or a corresponding physical instruction means, or by using a pointing device on the display unit. This embodiment shows a very simple step for starting the moving step.

According to an embodiment, the control unit may monitor control commands entered by the operator and prompt when the boom is moved in a direction that is exceptional and not belonging to the currently planned operational step. The control unit detects this disengaging movement of the boom and takes it into account as a need to start moving the boom to the transport position or any other predetermined position. The control unit may automatically start the transport movement step or, alternatively, may start the step after receiving confirmation from the operator. By this feature, further automation and convenient operation are possible.

According to an embodiment, the control unit monitors the movement of the control device and detects when the control device moves to a predetermined extreme position. The control unit identifies the extreme positions of the control device and interprets this as a request to start moving the boom from the operating position to a predetermined position or vice versa. The predetermined location may be a transport location.

According to an embodiment, the predetermined position is defined for mounting a support tube, which support tube is at least partially insertable into an opening of the borehole. After collaring the borehole, drilling may be interrupted and the drilling unit may be moved away from the drilling opening to the installation position for the period of time during which the support pipe is installed. The support pipe prevents loose soil from falling into the borehole. After the support pipe has been installed, the drilling unit is positioned back to the drilling position, and drilling continues through the support pipe. The mounting position and the drilling position can be determined as predefined positions and the boom joint position can be stored for these predefined positions. When performing the disclosed mounting step, the cantilever can be automatically moved to the mounting position and back to the drilling position.

According to an embodiment, at least one predetermined position is defined for checking the perforation of the borehole. In this embodiment, drilling is interrupted after the collaring cycle, or the collaring cycle is interrupted, to ensure that the borehole has the correct starting point. During inspection, the drilling unit is removed from the drill hole starting point. The same principle can be utilized when it is necessary to check the condition of the drill bit or any other drilling equipment. The inspection position and/or the drilling position can be determined as predefined positions and the boom joint positions can be stored for these predefined positions. When performing the disclosed inspection step, the cantilever can be automatically moved to the inspection position and back to the drilling position.

According to an embodiment, the at least one predetermined position is defined for changing the drill bit. The rock drilling rig may comprise a changing device for changing the drill bit. The boom can be moved to a predetermined exchange position so that the drill bit can be hit by the exchange device and the exchange can be performed. In addition to the drill bit, other drilling equipment, such as drill rods, can also be replaced by suitable replacement devices. Thus, there is also a need for a predetermined replacement position. Furthermore, the drilling machine may be provided with a tool sharpening device for servicing the drill bit. The cantilever can be moved to a predetermined bit service position in which the bit is at the tool sharpening device. The original drilling position, the replacement position and the bit maintenance position can be determined as predefined positions and the boom joint positions can be stored for these predefined positions. The cantilever can be automatically moved to the predetermined position when the disclosed steps are performed.

According to an embodiment, at least one predetermined boom position is defined for adding, inspecting and/or maintaining a boom, a drilling unit, a bolting unit, a rod magazine (rod magazine) or any other mining work unit, auxiliary device or actuator arranged on a boom. There may also be several service positions associated with the device, which service positions are predefined so as to take account of the position in relation to the boom and the maintenance operations observed with the device. The service position can be determined as predefined positions and the boom joint positions can be stored for these predefined positions. The cantilever can be automatically moved to a predetermined position when the disclosed steps are performed.

According to an embodiment, the control unit is configured to process the position data as coordinates in a coordinate system of the mine vehicle.

According to an embodiment, the control unit is configured to process the position data as coordinates in a coordinate system outside the mine vehicle.

According to an embodiment, the control unit is configured to process the position data as coordinates in a global coordinate system (globalcoordinate system).

According to an embodiment, the control unit is configured to process the position data into a boom joint value.

According to an embodiment, the control system comprises a collision avoidance system for ensuring that the boom or the mining work device on the boom does not hit the ground, the control cabin, the carrier or any physical obstacle belonging to the mining vehicle. The dimensions and kinematic characteristics of the mine vehicle can be determined for the control unit and measurement data relating to the position of the boom can be fed from a measurement sensor or measuring device to the control unit. The control unit may determine the position of the boom and the mining work implement and may compare the position with the obstacle data. The control unit may control the movement of the cantilever joint taking into account the collision analysis. The control unit may move the boom joints in such a sequence that: so that the boom member and the mining work implement bypass the known obstacles. Thus, the cantilever may have one or more intermediate positions, by which the cantilever is moved to a desired final position.

According to an embodiment, the control unit is arranged to monitor the transfer drive of the mining vehicle and to indicate the operator if the boom is not in the transport position while the carrier is moving. Alternatively, the control unit may prevent the transfer drive until the boom is moved to the transport position. The control unit may be provided with a speed limit whereby the carrier can be moved slowly at the work site. Furthermore, the control unit may take into account the unevenness of the driving surface and the influence of the surface on the stability of the vehicle. These features improve the safety of the mine vehicle, since the mine vehicle can be prevented from tipping over.

According to an embodiment, the disclosed boom control system and steps are intended for surface drilling rigs designed for surface mining on the ground and drilling in other work sites such as road building, buildings and other corresponding work sites.

According to an embodiment, the disclosed cantilever control system and steps are intended for an underground drilling rig designed for underground production of mine sites, tunnel work sites and drilling when forming different rock caverns and storage yards.

According to an embodiment, the disclosed boom control system and steps are intended for a bolting vehicle provided with one or more bolting booms and a bolting unit in the bolting boom.

According to an embodiment, the disclosed cantilever control system and steps are intended for one of the following vehicles: measuring vehicles, charging vehicles, concrete spraying vehicles, painting vehicles (scaling vehicle).

According to an embodiment, the disclosed automatic boom control steps are implemented by executing one or more software or computer programs designed for this purpose. The computer program comprises program code means configured to perform the disclosed functions and steps when run on a computer.

According to an embodiment, at least some of the above-mentioned features are used for moving or returning the cantilever from the transport position or another predetermined position to the operating position. Thus, the return from the predetermined position can also be automated.

The embodiments disclosed above can be combined to form suitable solutions providing the desired characteristics.

It should be mentioned that in the present patent application the term mining is to be interpreted broadly. The term mining refers not only to conventional mines, but also to other work sites where rock is drilled or processed in any other way. Thus, road, building and other work sites can also be considered mining work sites. Thus, the mining vehicle may also relate to vehicles used in construction and construction sites.

Drawings

Some embodiments of the invention are described in more detail in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a rock drilling rig for a surface working site,

figure 2 is a schematic side view showing a rock drilling rig for an underground operation site,

figure 3 is a schematic side view showing the cantilever system and the degrees of freedom of the cantilever system of the rock drilling rig,

figure 4 shows schematically and in direction V the swinging of the drilling unit in the lateral direction,

figure 5 schematically shows the rock drilling rig of figure 3 in a situation where the cantilever is moved to a transport position,

figure 6 illustrates a control block diagram of an apparatus for controlling a boom,

figure 7 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the cantilever control process under the general concept,

figure 8 is a schematic top view illustrating an arrangement of a rock drilling rig and an intention for identifying a transport movement for starting a cantilever, and

figure 9 is a schematic top view illustrating a rock drilling rig and an arrangement for moving the cantilever to a central position within the reach of the cantilever.

For the sake of clarity, the figures show some embodiments of the disclosed solution in a simplified manner. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a mining vehicle 1, in which case the mining vehicle 1 is a rock drilling rig. The mining vehicle 1 comprises a movable carrier 2, which carrier 2 can be transported to a working site 3. The mining vehicle 1 is provided with a boom 4 or a boom system comprising a plurality of boom joints 5a-5f, whereby it has universal mobility. The cantilever system 4 may have rotational joints, such as 5a, 5b, 5d and 5e, and linear joints, such as 5c and 5 f. The disclosed cantilever system 4 has a total of six degrees of freedom. The R boom 4 can be turned in the lateral direction relative to the vertical axis 7 of the boom joint 5 a. The boom 4 can be raised and lowered by turning R the boom 4 relative to the horizontal axis 8 of the boom joint 5b, and the boom 4 can be shortened and extended by moving L the boom 4 linearly, e.g. telescopically, relative to the boom joint 5 c. Alternatively, the cantilever joint 5a may be a horizontal joint for allowing the cantilever to be moved up and down, and the lateral movement can be performed by rotating the upper body of the carrier relative to the lower body of the carrier. At the distal end of the boom 4 there is a mining work device 9, which in this case is a rock drilling unit 10 comprising a feed beam 11 and a rock drill 12 supported to the feed beam 11. The rock drilling machine 12 can be moved linearly L on the feed beam 11 by means of the feed device 13. The T-drilling unit 10 can be turned in forward and backward direction with respect to the horizontal axis 14 of the boom joint 5 d. This cantilever motion is referred to as tilt T. Furthermore, the cantilever can be rotated S relative to the horizontal axis 15 of the cantilever joint 5 e. This cantilever motion is called a swing S. The boom 4 can be moved by means of boom actuators 16, some of the boom actuators 16 being shown in fig. 1. In one or more predetermined positions relative to the carrier 2, the boom 4 can be moved by manually controlling the boom actuator 16 under operator control or by using an automatic boom controller capable of moving the boom 4 or at least one boom joint 5a to 5 f.

The cantilever 4 is further provided with one or more sensors 17, measuring devices or other positioning detection devices for determining the position of the cantilever system. The measuring device can be arranged on the cantilever or can be located on a carrier, for example. The measurement data of the measuring device 17 are transmitted to the control unit 18 of the mine vehicle 1. The control unit 18 may determine the position of the boom 4 and may indicate it to the operator, and may also take it into account in the automatic boom control. The boom joint position can also be calculated in the control unit.

The mining vehicle 1 may further comprise a control cabin 19 on the carrier 2. The control cabin 19 may be provided with suitable control members for controlling the operation of the boom 4 and the entire mining vehicle 1. The control unit 18 may be placed in a control cabin 19. Furthermore, the mining vehicle may have one or more transport supports 20 against which the cantilever 4 can be moved before the transport drive of the carrier 2 is started. The transport support 20 may be a physical support, such as a rubber pad, or may be an elongated support structure directed upwardly from the carrier 2. As can be seen in fig. 1, the transport support is arranged close to the control cabin 19. There is little space on the carrier 2 and the boom must therefore be moved to the transport position with precise motion control. It is also often necessary to move the boom to the transport position in a specific manner and in compliance with a designed sequence of movements. Otherwise, there is a risk that the boom 4 or the drilling unit 10 collides with the control cabin 19, the carrier 2 or the ground.

Figure 2 shows another rock drilling rig 1, which rock drilling rig 1 is adapted to drill horizontal drill holes 21 into a tunnel face or similar underground rock cavity. In some cases the drilling unit 10 can be turned transversely to the tunnel for drilling blast holes or reinforcement holes to the tunnel roof and the tunnel walls. The rock drilling rig may comprise several booms, whereby it may have at least one drilling boom with a drilling unit and one bolt boom with a bolt unit. Furthermore, the mining work device may also be a feeding unit for feeding blasting or welding material into the drill hole 21. The boom 4 is provided with several boom joints 5 and can be positioned in a universal manner in different positions. The cantilever 4 can be controlled according to the control principle disclosed in the present patent application. The underground mining vehicle may also have a predetermined transport position for the boom.

Fig. 3 illustrates in a simplified manner the cantilever movement of the mine vehicle 1. As can be noted, the cantilever 4 is slightly different from the cantilever shown in fig. 1. For the sake of clarity, fig. 3 discloses the mining vehicle in a simplified manner. The boom 4 has six degrees of freedom and comprises several boom joints 5a-5 f. The mining work device 9 may be provided with one or more inclinometers 22 for determining its vertical position. The inclinometer 22 can only produce reliable measurements when measuring vertical position with respect to gravity. This is why the mining work device is moved to a vertical position relative to the jib articulation 5e during the jib transport. In fig. 4, it is illustrated that the swing S is set to be vertical. After this, the boom joint 5e is no longer adjusted when moving the boom 4 into the transport position. The measurement results of the inclinometers are utilized when still possible. Due to this step no additional sensors and instruments are needed. It should be noted that besides the vertical position, the tilt position can also be measured by an inclinometer.

In fig. 5, the cantilever 4 is moved to its transport position, in which it rests on the transport support 20. When controlling the tilting T movement towards the transport support 20, there is no need to use the inclinometers 22 for accurate measurement. In combination with other cantilever joints, there may be other sensors than inclinometers. The boom 4 can be automatically moved to a vertical position relative to the swing joint 5 e. There may be one or more other predetermined positions at which the boom can be moved under the control of the control unit.

Fig. 6 shows a boom control system 23 comprising one or more control units 18 and an input device 24 for feeding control data and instructions to the control unit 18. The input devices may comprise a control means 25, such as a joystick, and an input means 26, such as a keyboard, by means of which control means 25 and input means 26 an operator 27 may communicate with the control unit 18. Further, the control unit 18 may read data from and store data within one or more memory units 28. The control unit 18 may be provided with one or more control strategies 29, including operating principles and specifications for boom control. The control strategy 29 may include algorithms for automatically controlling the boom to one or more predetermined positions. Data relating to the predetermined location may be stored in a storage unit or medium 28. The measurement data are transferred from different sensors 17, such as a cantilever angle sensor and a linear sensor, to a control unit 18. The measurement data of the inclinometer 22 is also passed on to the control unit 18. The control unit may be a computer equipped with a suitable processor capable of running a software program comprising control algorithms and also capable of processing the measurement data for generating control information. Based on the measurement data, the manual control commands and the control strategy, the control unit 18 generates control commands for the boom actuator 16, allowing automatic boom control.

FIG. 7 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the problems involved with the disclosed boom control. The steps and features shown in this figure have been discussed above and particularly in the summary section.

A system for monitoring the movement of the boom 4 under manual control and identifying the movement 29 disengaged from normal operation on the worksite 3 is illustrated in fig. 8. When the drilling boom 4 is clearly moved away from the next drill hole 21 to be drilled under manual control, the control unit 18 recognizes this situation and interprets the disengaging motion 29 as an intention to move the boom 4 to the transport position. After this, the control unit 18 may move the cantilever 4 to a predetermined position for the transport movement, or may perform a sequence of movements and automatically move the cantilever against the transport support 20. Alternatively, the control unit may monitor the movement of the manual control device and identify the situation in which the control device is moved to the extreme position or to the pre-defined position, and on the basis thereof, the control unit interprets the control action of the operator as an intention to move the boom to the transport position.

Figure 9 is a schematic top view illustrating the rock drilling rig 1 and the jib reach 30. The control unit 18 may be arranged to automatically move the cantilever 4 to a central position 31 in the cantilever range 30. When in the central position 31, the reach of the cantilever 4 is good and the operation is fast. For example, when the mine vehicle 1 is positioned to the work site 3, the boom may be driven to the central position 31.

The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustrate the inventive concept. The details of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims (16)

1. A mining vehicle comprising:

a movable carrier (2);

at least one cantilever (4), said at least one cantilever (4) comprising several cantilever joints (5);

a number of boom actuators (16), the number of boom actuators (16) for moving the boom (4) in different positions;

at least one mining work device (9), the at least one mining work device (9) being arranged at a distal end portion of the cantilever (4);

a measuring device (17, 22), the measuring device (17, 22) being used to determine the actual position of the cantilever (4);

at least one control unit (18), the at least one control unit (18) being adapted to control the position of the cantilever (4) in dependence of measurement data received from the measurement device and input control data;

wherein,

at least one position of the cantilever (4) is predetermined; and is

The control unit (18) is configured to move the at least one boom (5) to the predetermined position in response to a received control instruction,

wherein a transport position relative to the mining vehicle is predefined for the boom, and

the control unit (18) is arranged to take stored data about the transport position of the cantilever and automatically move the cantilever from any current position to the defined transport position.

2. The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one position of at least one boom joint (5) is taught for the control unit (18) by moving the boom (4) in a desired position, and the taught position is stored in a storage medium (28).

3. The mining vehicle of any preceding claim,

at least one position of the mining work device (9) is predetermined and the position of the jib joint (5) realizing the position is stored in a storage medium (28); and is

The control unit (18) is configured to acquire stored data about the boom joint (5) and automatically move the mining work device (9) to the predetermined position.

4. The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the mining vehicle (1) is a rock drilling rig comprising at least one drilling boom and a drilling unit (10) at a distal end of the drilling boom;

the drilling unit (10) comprising an elongated feed beam (11) and a drilling machine (12), the drilling machine (12) being movably supported on the feed beam (11);

at least one position of the drilling boom is predetermined and the position of the boom joint that realizes the predetermined position of the drilling boom is stored in a storage medium (28); and is

The control unit (18) is configured to retrieve stored data about the boom joint and to automatically move the drilling boom to the at least one predetermined position.

5. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

several positions of the boom relative to the carrier (2) are predetermined and the positions of the boom joints that achieve the predetermined boom positions are stored in a storage medium (28);

the control unit (18) is configured to acquire stored data about the boom joint and to generate a sequence of movements for positioning the boom at successive predetermined positions; and is

The execution of the movement sequence in the control unit (18) is configured to move the cantilever to a desired cantilever position.

6. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

the carrier (2) is provided with at least one transport support (20) for the cantilever;

in the transport position, the cantilever rests on the at least one transport support.

7. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

determining at least one intermediate position between the operating position of the cantilever and the predetermined position for the cantilever; and is

The control unit (18) is configured to acquire stored data about a predetermined position of the cantilever, and the control unit (18) is arranged to automatically move the cantilever from the operational position of the cantilever to the predetermined position via the at least one intermediate position.

8. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

the at least one position of the boom is predetermined as a measurement of the boom joint or as coordinates of a boom part of the boom.

9. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

the cantilever (4) has a cantilever extent (30) and a predetermined neutral position (31) in the cantilever extent;

data about the neutral position (31) is stored in a storage medium (28); and

the control unit (18) is configured to acquire the stored data and automatically move the cantilever (4) to the neutral position (31).

10. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

the mining work device (9) is provided with at least one sensor for measuring orientation with respect to gravity;

the control unit (18) is configured to utilize measurement data received from the sensors when moving the boom to the predetermined position, thereby determining at least a lateral swing (S) and a fore-aft tilt (T) of the mining work device (9); and is

The control unit (18) is designed to move at least the boom joint (5e) that influences the lateral pivoting (S) to a predetermined position and to hold the boom joint (5e) unchanged when the boom (4) is moved to the predetermined position by moving the other boom joints.

11. The mining vehicle of claim 1 or 2,

the mining vehicle is provided with at least one control device, whereby the boom (4) is moved under manual control of an operator (27) during operation;

the control unit (18) is configured to monitor movement of the control device and detect when the control device moves to a predetermined limit position; and is

The control unit (18) is designed to interpret the identified limit position of the control device as a request for starting the movement of the boom from the operating position of the boom to a predetermined position or vice versa.

12. A mining vehicle as claimed in claim 1, comprising a collision avoidance system for ensuring that the boom and the mining work device on the boom do not hit the ground or a physical obstacle belonging to the mining vehicle, wherein the control unit is arranged to determine the position of the boom and the mining work device and to compare the position with obstacle data, and the control unit is arranged to control the movement of the boom joint taking into account the comparison result.

13. The mining vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor is an inclinometer (22).

14. A method for moving a boom (4) of a mining vehicle (1), the method comprising:

controlling the movement of the cantilever (4) by means of at least one control unit comprising a processor;

measuring the actual position of the cantilever by means of a measuring device;

determining, in the processor of the control unit, actual position data of the cantilever based on the measurement data; and

controlling a boom actuator of the boom by means of the control unit in dependence of the actual position data and the input control data to move the joint of the boom to a new position; and

moving the cantilever to a predetermined position under automatic control of the control unit, wherein a transport position relative to the mining vehicle is predefined for the cantilever, and stored data about the transport position of the cantilever is employed and the cantilever is automatically moved from any current position to the defined transport position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein,

moving the cantilever between the actual position and a target position according to a predetermined sequence of cantilevers defining a movement sequence of cantilever joints, whereby the cantilever is moved to the target position via at least one intermediate cantilever position.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15,

measuring at least one cantilever joint with at least one sensor having a limited operating range;

controlling the cantilever (4) to a target position via at least one intermediate position;

in the intermediate position, at least one cantilever joint is adjusted to a desired predetermined position in the target position; and is

-keeping the pre-adjusted joint unchanged when moving the cantilever (4) from the intermediate position towards the target position.