Patent Publication Number: US-2023160180-A1

Title: ZipLevel(R) EZDepth(R) Tool for excavators

Description:
This application claims priority from Provisional Application No. 63/027,821, filed May 20, 2020, the entire contents of which are herewith incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A common arduous task is documenting job site depths. This task needs to be done for a diverse variety of projects including engineering, architectural and industrial planning, excavation, grading, foundations, landscaping, septic systems, pools/spas, foundation settlement, remodeling and forensics. An operator will typically dig using an excavator, and the depth of the dig is based on the depth of the shovel of the excavator. 
     Existing technology for sensing depth is complex. A typical technology uses microcontroller inputs from multiple angle and tilt sensors located on excavator moving elements, to synthesize a value indicative of depth. This is costly and has substantial installation and calibration time and numerous failure modes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventor recognized a number of drawbacks with the current systems and invented a better way of detecting depth automatically during such a dig. 
     The present application describes using the core of a bubble free high Precision Altimeter on an the excavator to determine the depth of a dig. 
     This allows fast and easy installation, calibration and improvement of cost and labor savings, work quality and safety benefits of instant, and readings of depth of excavation, from the cab without a laser and rod man. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the Drawings: 
         FIG.  1    shows a digger with an embodiment installed; 
         FIG.  2    shows a closeup of the altimeter Reference Cell mounted on the shovel; and 
         FIG.  3    shows a display that is visible inside the cab of the excavator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An embodiment, as described herein, describes using an electronic pressurized hydrostatic altimeter to determine the depth of the dig when using a mechanical digger device. The device, called the ZIPLEVEL® EZDepth® is an inexpensive alternative to costly cab based digital depth instruments. The EZDepth® uses the core of the quarter century proven ZIPLEVEL® PRO-2000, which is a pressurized, bubble free High Precision hydrostatic altimeter. 
     This bubble free device has a Reference Cell with a compliant diaphragm that separates a hydrostatic liquid from a pressurizing gas. Both the liquid and gas are routed through a dual bore core and routed over liquid carrying lines to a differential pressure sensor in the display portion of the device. In the pressure sensor, the gas pressure is applied to one side of the sensor diaphragm and the hydrostatic liquid to the opposite side. This arrangement avoids measurement of the pressurizing gas pressure changes over temperature and time while preventing desorption of gases and bubble formation in any liquid located above the reservoir, a problem that has limited historic hydrostatic altimeters to storage and use below the liquid reservoir. 
     In an embodiment, the Reference Cell is taken out of the hub of the standard ZIPLEVEL®. The reference cell is armored with ABS or other ruggedized material, and secured as close as possible to the bucket pivot, as shown in  FIG.  1   . The liquid carrying lines travel via a dual bore tube, e.g.,  30 ′ of tube, that is attached via tie wrap to the hydraulic lines of the digger and the excess is coiled and secured near the cab. The display (containing the differential pressure sensor) is also located in the cab. 
     An embodiment is shown in the figures. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates the excavator  100 , which has been retrofitted with the ZIPLEVEL® EZDepth® device. The excavator, as conventional, includes a cab  105 , and a shovel  120 . The shovel  120  has a shovel bottom surface  125 . There is also a pivot  126 , and the shovel pivots on the pivot point. The shovel is attached to an arm, and the pivot  126  connects between the arm  115  and the shovel  120 . 
     In an embodiment, the Reference Cell  130  is attached to the arm of the excavator, as close as possible to the pivot  126 . The reference cell  130  is connected to a dual bore tube  135  which connects the reference cell  130  to the display  140 , which automatically calculates the depth. In the embodiment, the reference cell  130  is connected using a stainless steel tightenable clamp (e.g., a hose clamp), described herein and shown with reference to  FIG.  2   . 
     The hose  135  travels along the arm of the excavator, adjacent to the hydraulic lines, and to the display  140  in the cab of the vehicle or the Whatever. 
     In the embodiment, the reference cell  130  is shown being connected to the arm of the excavator, using a hose clamp  200 . The hose clamp  200  is tightened around the reference cell and the excavator arm  115 , to hold the reference cell into place. 
     This has the effect of measuring the altitude of the reference cell, which altitude, which is then displayed on the display  140 . 
     In an embodiment, the display includes a number of controls, including a calibration control, a scale control and a zero control  300 . In operation, the user can place the bottom surface  125  of the digging bucket against the ground, and press the zero button  300 . This has the effect of zeroing the location of the digging bucket, thus allowing further measurements after that zero operation, to read absolute depth of the bottom of the digging bucket. 
     An optional ZIPLEVEL® SmartLink sends data to smart devices on a panel or up to 100′ away for real time profiles and tables or elevations plotted on site photos (described in application Ser. No. 17/248,599, filed Apr. 6, 2021) for instant sharing of documentation before, during and at the end of your project. 
     The previous description of the disclosed exemplary embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.