A HYBRID VEHICLE PROVIDING THE CUTTING OF ROCK

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is enclosed in the area of vehicles which provide for the cutting of rock, which typically are movable through wheels or tracks, and comprising a cutting section with a saw such as a chain saw or a wire saw. Such vehicles are heavy vehicles, for operating in quarries.

Such vehicles, by having wheels or tracks, have more than one degree of freedom in their movement, being fully movable.

PRIOR ART

Solutions exist in the art where vehicles are powered by a fuel power unit or an electrical power unit.

Usually, the vehicle uses one of such power sources, fuel (typically diesel) or electrical. The diesel option has a high consumption and leads to the direct emission of greenhouse gases. The electrical alternative has autonomy issues when batteries are used, and mobility issues if mains power would be used. In addition, the usage of electrical solutions raises safety issues, which may be quite relevant when power cables are used in combination with moving equipment which may destroy the power cables and electrify the whole vehicle, leading to hazardous situations.

The present solution innovatively overcomes such issues. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention a hybrid vehicle providing the cutting of rock which comprises mobility means suitable for moving the vehicle and cutting means for the cutting of rock, the cutting means comprising at least one cutting element able to cut rock, such as a saw, and means for displacing the at least one cutting element along at least one direction, the vehicle further comprising a first power unit powered by fuel and a second power unit configured to be fed by an external electrical power source, the first power unit being configured to power both the mobility means and the cutting means, and the second power unit being configured to power only the cutting means and, when the cutting means are powered by the second power unit, they are operatable through the power provided by the second power unit alone.

The vehicle of the present invention is hybrid as it contains two power units which operate through different power sources: fuel and an external electrical power source. The first power unit is configured to power both the mobility means and the cutting means, thereby providing full autonomy. Yet, when an external electrical power source is available, it is especially desirable to power the cutting means through electrical power, thus having a solution which is not limited - fuel is dependent of the size of a fuel tank and amount of fuel contained in the tank - and leads to the direct emission of greenhouse gases. The first power unit is powered only by fuel. Thus, the second power unit is configured to power only the cutting means, and the cutting means are operatable through the power provided by the second power unit alone. With such configuration, the first power unit, which uses fuel, allows for the vehicle to be moved freely up to a point of rock cutting. Then, for the cutting operation, the second power unit may be turned on, and the first power unit turned off. Even if the first power unit would be kept on, they are configured to be operatable through the power provided by the second power unit alone, thereby requiring no additional powerfrom the first power source. The vehicle comprises mobility means, which may consist of wheels or tracks, and which provide for a fully free mobility - able to move the vehicle along at least two directions of a plane - within a quarry.

Preferably, the mobility means comprise at least four wheels, preferably four directional wheels, or at least two tracks, or a combination of wheels and tracks. The vehicle further comprises cutting means for the cutting of rock, which in turn comprise at least one cutting element able to cut rock, such as a saw, and means for displacing the at least one cutting element along at least one direction. In a quarry, it is intended that a cutting element such as a saw is able to be positioned and repositioned, depending of the height of the piece of rock to be cut or the width which is desired to be provided to a piece of rock. Thus, the cutting means comprise means for displacing the at least one cutting element along at least one direction, which provide for such positioning and repositioning of the saw. In addition, when the saw is a chain saw, it may further be rotatable along at least two perpendicular axles, such that it provides additional degrees of freedom in its positioning. Typically, the referred axles are aligned with an element of coupling of the saw to the remaining vehicle, typically to the means for displacing the at least one cutting element along at least one direction.

It is also an object of the present invention a method of operating the vehicle of the present invention, wherein it comprises moving the vehicle through the mobility means powered by the first power unit, stopping the vehicle, feeding the second power unit with an external electrical power source, and operating the cutting means through power provided by the second power unit alone.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Figure 1 - representation of an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, representing the cutting element (2) consisting of a chain saw, the means for displacing (3) and mobility means (4) which consist of wheels or tracks. Figure 2 - representation of the top view of an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, representing the cutting element (2) consisting of a chain saw, the means for displacing (3) and mobility means (4) which consist of wheels or tracks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The more general and advantageous configurations of the present invention are described in the Summary of the invention. Such configurations are detailed below in accordance with other advantageous and/or preferred embodiments of implementation of the present invention.

As referred, the vehicle (1) of the present invention consists of a heavy vehicle, for operating in quarries. Thus, it may have an overall weight of the range of the tens of thousands of kilograms, typically around 20.000 kg.

In addition, by having wheels or tracks, such vehicle (1) has more than one degree of freedom in their movement, being fully movable, and thereby not including rails. Furthermore, all the wheels are preferably directional.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the second power means comprise an electrical power converter, the electrical power converter being configured to adapt power obtained from the electrical power source, to power the cutting means.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the electrical power converter is further configured to be fed only by the external electrical power source, thereby not requiring additional power sources, such as local power sources as batteries, which would lead to an increase of the weight of the vehicle (1) and to a solution which would yet be limited. In an advantageous embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the external electrical power source consists of electrical power mains, the electrical power converter comprising an uninterruptible power supply. It thereby provides for an additional protection of the cutting means when the electrical power mains, which is prone to power surges.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, it further comprises a power plug, the power plug being configured to receive a connection to the external electrical power source.

In an inventive aspect of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, it further comprises a power plug cover and power plug cover detection means, the power plug cover being movable between a closed position in which it covers the power plug and an open position in which it exposes the power plug, and the power plug cover detection means being configured to detect when the power plug cover is in the closed position. It thereby provides for an additional protection measure, as it is undesirable that the vehicle (1) would be put into motion while powered by the first power unit while an external electrical power source would be connected to the power plug. In the case that a cable would be connecting the plug to the external electrical power source, such could lead to the destruction of the cable and consequent electrification of the vehicle (1). The cover and the configuration of the power plug cover detection means allow to determine such condition, and thereby avoid it. The mobility means (4) may be configured such that, when the power plug cover detection means detect that the power plug cover is in not in the closed position, the mobility means (4) are not movable, or the first power unit is configured such that, when the power plug cover detection means detect that the power plug cover is in not in the closed position, the first power unit does not power the mobility means (4). In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the cutting element (2) consists of a chainsaw or a wire saw, the wire saw preferably consisting of a diamond wire saw. Preferably, the saw has a length of at least one meter.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the means for displacing the at least one cutting element (3) along at least one direction comprise means for displacing the at least one cutting element along a first direction and/or means for displacing the at least one cutting element along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction. Such allows for the ability to reposition or extend the position of the cutting element (2). Preferably, the means for displacing the at least one cutting element along a first direction provide for a maximum displacement of 1-5 m, preferably of 3 m, and the means for displacing the at least one cutting element along a second direction provide for a maximum displacement of 1-5 m, preferably of 2 m.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the cutting means comprise an engine suitable to move the cutting element (2), such engine having a power of 20-40 kW, preferably 30 kW.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the first power unit provides a power of 80-120 KVA, preferably 100 KVA.

In an embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, it further comprises a cable, the cable being connectable to the power plug, directly or through a connector. Such allows for a versatile solution of connecting the second power unit of the vehicle (1) to an external electrical power source, especially to connect the second power unit of the vehicle (1) to electrical power mains.

In a further embodiment of the vehicle (1) of the present invention, the mobility means (4) are configured such that, when the plug is connected to external electrical power means, the mobility means (4) are not movable, or the first power unit is configured such that, when the plug is connected to external electrical power means, the first power unit does not power the mobility means (4). As for the power plug cover detection means, such consists of an additional safety measure, which avoids that external electrical power means are still connected to the vehicle (1), and thereby that the cable is still extended and prone to being damaged by the vehicle (1).

It is also an object of the present invention a method of operating the vehicle (1) of the present invention, while comprising a cable which is connectable to the power plug, directly or through a connector, the method comprising the steps of connecting the power plug to external electrical power means and operating the mobility means (4) to move the vehicle (1) from a first position to a second position, the mobility means (4) thereby not being movable. By not being movable it is meant that, despite the fact that the mobility means may in general be moved, such as turning or rolling, they are not activated or activatable in such conditions.

As will be clear to one skilled in the art, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described herein, and a number of changes are possible which remain within the scope of the present invention.

Of course, the preferred embodiments shown above are combinable, in the different possible forms, being herein avoided the repetition all such combinations.