Patent Description:
For tipper vehicles it is of importance that as much as possible of the load is unloaded when intended. It is often observed that after tipping, a portion of load often gets stuck due the nature of design of tipper structures.

This stuck material, or residual load, cause so-called deadweight which effectively reduces the amount of material that can be loaded in subsequent transport cycles. This requires additional time consuming and environmentally disadvantageous transport cycles to transport a given amount of load. In many applications, such as heavy construction and mining trucks, payload matters a lot to the efficiency of an overall fleet operation and stuck material should be avoided. Attempts at reducing such deadweight in tippers are known in the prior art, see e.g. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a tipper arrangement for a vehicle, comprising: a tipper body for carrying a load; a movable ejection board mechanically attached to at least one an ejection arm at a front of the tipper body inside the tipper body, the at least one ejection arm is pivotable attached with respect to the tipper body and extend to below the tipper body; an actuator configured to rotate the at least one ejection arm from an initial position in which the at least one ejection arm is in mechanical contact with a stopper element below the tipper body that prevent rotation of the at least one ejection arm, to a rotated position in which the at least one ejection arm is rotated about a pivot axis to cause a motion of the ejector board towards the rear of the tipper body to expel load from the front of the tipper body.

The first aspect of the disclosure may seek to provide a simple yet robust way of reducing the amount of residual deadweight that is left in the tipper body after a tipping action. Furthermore, the first aspect of the disclosure may provide for a mechanical solution with reduced risk of failure due to its robustness.

According to one example, when the tipper body is in a normal loading position the at least one ejection arm is in mechanical contact with the stopper element. A technical benefit may be that the stopper element provides for a robust way of preventing the ejection arm from rotating when the tipper body is in a normal loading position. The normal loading position may be that the tipper body is substantially horizontal so that load maintains by gravity in the tipper body.

In one example, the ejection board may be mechanically attached to a first end portion of the at least one ejection arm on one side of the pivot point of the at least one ejection arm and the mechanical contact between the at least one ejection arm and the stopper element is on a second end portion of the at least one ejection arm on the opposite end of the ejection arm with respect to the pivot point.

Hereby, the ejection arm is used as a relatively longer lever to provide a higher ejection force on the residual load in the tipper body via the ejection board.

In one example, the at least one ejection arm may be substantially L-shaped. This advantageously provides for arranging the second end portion under the tipper body where it can be packaged in a compact way.

In one example, the actuator is a resilient actuator such as a spring or a torsion bar. A resilient actuator advantageously provides for a simple and robust way of timely apply a force on the ejection arm as the tipper body moves from a normal loading position to a tipping position to expel load from the front of the tipper body.

In one example, the resilient actuator may be biased between the second end portion of the at least one ejection arm and the underside of the tipper body, wherein the spring action push the second end portion of the at least one ejection arm away from the underside of the tipper body. The underside is the side opposite, and vertically, from the side where the load is located. The underside faces the chassis of the vehicle.

In one example, a fixed end of the resilient actuator may be attached to the tipper body and the other end is a free end that push on the ejection arm. The fixed end may reduce the risk of losing the resilient actuator, and the free end may ensure that the resilient actuator force is fully utilized, i.e., the free does not pull the ejector arm back after release.

In one example, the actuator may be assisted by one of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and an electric actuator. For example, the assisting actuator may be activated in response to that the at least one ejection arm loses contact with the stopper element.

In one example, the ejector board may reach from side-to-side of the front of the tipper body. Hereby, more residual load can be expelled from the tipper body.

In one example, the ejector board may reach from the bottom of the tipper body to at least midway to the upper edge of the tipper body. Again, in this way, an increased amount of residual load can be expelled from the tipper body.

In one example, the ejector board reach from the bottom of the tipper body to about one third towards the upper edge of the tipper body.

In one example, the ejector board is perforated. Perforations can act as passage for stuck material between the tipper body headboard and the ejector board, thus enabling for ejecting increased amounts of residual load. Furthermore, a perforated ejector board may reduce the weight of the ejector boar and consequently reduces the effort on the spring to increase its lifetime.

In one example, the ejector arm may pivotably attached to the tipper body. This may provide a convenient attachment location for the ejector arm.

In one example, the tipper arrangement may comprise two ejector arms attached to opposite edge portions of the ejector board. A benefit is that two ejector arms provide a more stable and even activation force on the ejector board. Furthermore, with one spring per ejector arm, a higher total force can be provided which may allow for more efficient expulsion of residual load. The ejector arms advantageously have a common pivot axis.

In one example, the ejector board may be a plate shaped headboard of the tipper body.

In one example, and to provide for efficient installation and operation, the tipper body may comprise a through-hole for each ejector arm through which the receptive at least one ejector arm is arranged.

In one example, the tipper arrangement may comprise two ejection arms being substantially L-shaped with a first end portion of the L-shaped ejector arm reaching inside the tipper body where it is attached to the ejector body being a headboard of the tipper body, and a second end portion of the L-shaped ejector arm reaching outside and to the underside of the tipper body, and, wherein L-shaped ejector arms have a common pivot axis where the first portion and the second portion of the substantially L-shaped ejector arm come together at an angle, wherein the actuator is a spring or a torsion bar, wherein the spring action is configured to push the second end portion of the at least one ejection arm away from the underside of the tipper body to cause the rotation of the ejector arms, wherein, in the an initial position of the ejector arm when the tipper body is in a neutral position, the mechanical contact with the stopper element prevents rotation of the at least one ejection arm under the spring action, and wherein when the tipper body is tilted for an unloading action, the mechanical contact between the stopper element and the ejector arm is lost so that the spring or torsion bar acts on the ejector arm to cause a rotation about the pivot axis and thereby a motion of the ejector board towards the rear of the tipper body to expel load from the tipper body.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising a tipper body and the tipper arrangement according to the first aspect.

<FIG> illustrates a typical prior art tipper truck <NUM>, or sometimes referred to as dumping truck or dump trailer, having a tipper structure <NUM> for carrying a load, typically for construction or mining such as macadam, sand, coal, dirt, to mention a few examples. During an unladen cycle where cargo <NUM> should be unloaded from the tipper structure <NUM>, it often occurs that material <NUM> gets stuck on the tipper structure <NUM>, typically in front area A of the tipper structure <NUM> but also flat on the bottom surface in area B of the tipper structure <NUM>. This stuck material leads to deadweight in subsequent laden cycles since the tipper capacity is reduced for payload. The examples discussed herein aim to at least alleviate this problem.

<FIG> is an exemplary vehicle <NUM> according to one example. The vehicle comprises a tipper arrangement <NUM> and a tipper body <NUM> for carrying a load <NUM>, here only shown in the front region A of the tipper body <NUM>.

The tipper arrangement <NUM> comprises a movable ejection board <NUM> mechanically attached to at least one an ejection arm <NUM> at the front <NUM> of the tipper body inside the tipper body. The front of the tipper body is at the end of the tipper body facing towards the cab <NUM> of the vehicle in the forward driving direction of the vehicle <NUM>. The at least one ejection arm <NUM> is pivotable attached with respect to the tipper body <NUM> and extend to below the tipper body <NUM> towards a chassis <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM>. Below the tipper body <NUM> is here between, e.g., sandwiched between the tipper body <NUM> and the chassis <NUM>.

Further, the tipper arrangement <NUM> comprises an actuator <NUM> provided as a spring <NUM> or a torsion bar, configured to rotate the at least one ejection arm <NUM> from an initial position, shown in <FIG>, in which the at least one ejection arm <NUM> is in mechanical contact with a stopper element <NUM>, better seen in <FIG>, below the tipper body <NUM> that prevent rotation of the at least one ejection arm, to a rotated position, better seen in <FIG>, in which the at least one ejection arm <NUM> is rotated about a pivot axis <NUM> to cause a motion of the ejector board <NUM> towards the rear <NUM> of the tipper body to expel load from the front <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>. In the initial position of the ejection arm, the tipper body <NUM> is in a normal loading position shown in <FIG>. Thus, the tipper body <NUM> is in a generally horizontal orientation so that load maintains in the tipper body <NUM>.

The actuator <NUM> is herein depicted as a spring, but may equally well be replaced by a torsion bar performing the same function as the spring <NUM>, thus providing a spring force that cause rotation of the ejection arm <NUM>.

<FIG> is a close-up view of the tipper arrangement <NUM>. Here, in this side-view a single ejection arm <NUM> that is substantially L-shaped is shown being attached to a rear side <NUM> of the ejection board <NUM>. The rear side <NUM> faces towards the front <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>, in the direction of the vehicle cab <NUM>, at least in the initial position of the ejection board <NUM>. More specifically, the ejection board <NUM> is mechanically connected to a first end portion <NUM> of the at least one ejection arm <NUM>. The first end portion <NUM> is on one end of the ejection arm with respect to the pivot point defining the pivot axis <NUM>. The ejection arm <NUM> further comprises a second end portion <NUM> which provides a mechanical contact between the at least one ejection arm <NUM> and the respective stopper element <NUM>. The second end portion <NUM> is on the opposite end of the ejection arm <NUM> with respect to the pivot axis <NUM>. This means that if the second end <NUM> is pushed downwards, i.e., away from the underside <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>, the ejection arm <NUM> rotates clockwise in <FIG> as indicated by the directional arrow <NUM> about the pivot axis <NUM>. This rotation causes a displacement of the ejection arm <NUM> from its initial position P1 indicated in dashed lines <NUM> to a rotationally displaced position P2. Since the ejection board <NUM> is attached to the first end portion <NUM>, the ejection board <NUM> is tilted towards the rear <NUM> of the tipper body to move stuck material A towards the rear <NUM>.

The spring <NUM> or torsion bar is biased between the ejection arm <NUM> and the tipper body <NUM>. More specifically, the spring <NUM> is arranged under the tipper body biased between the second end portion <NUM> the at least one ejection arm <NUM> and the underside <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>. Thus, in the initial position P1 of the ejection arm <NUM>, the spring is compressed between the side <NUM> of the tipper body and the second end portion <NUM> of the ejection arm <NUM>. As long as the tipper body in is its horizontal portion, the second end portion <NUM> is in contact with the stopper element preventing a rotation of the ejection arm <NUM> about the pivot axis <NUM>. Consequently, the spring <NUM> is kept biased, or compressed, until the contact between the second end portion <NUM> and the stopper element <NUM> is lost.

When the tipper body <NUM> is tilted i.e., due to a unladen cycle, the pressure between the second end portion <NUM> and the stopper element <NUM> reduces which allows the spring to decompress. The spring action push the second end portion <NUM> of the at least one ejection arm <NUM> away from the underside <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM> and cause the rotation of the ejection arm about the pivot axis <NUM>.

The spring <NUM> or torsion bar is attached to the underside <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>. The attachment is mechanical and is made by for example bolting or welding. In this case, a spring <NUM> has a fixed end <NUM> attached to the tipper body <NUM> and a free end <NUM> that push on the ejection arm <NUM>. The free end <NUM> may lose contact with the ejection arm <NUM> during an unladen cycle when the ejection arm <NUM> has rotated through a sufficiently large rotation angle.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the tipper arrangement <NUM> installed in the tipper body <NUM>. The ejection arm <NUM> is attached to the tipper body <NUM> by an axle <NUM> that allow for the ejection arm <NUM> to rotate about the rotation axis <NUM>. A bushing or a bearing arrangement of the axle <NUM> may provide for the rotation of the ejection arm <NUM> about teh axis <NUM>. The axle <NUM> may be fixedly attached to the tipper body and the ejection arm <NUM> is rotatable with respect to the axle <NUM>. For example, the axle <NUM> may be welded or bolted to the tipper body <NUM>, and the axle may be fitted through holes <NUM> in the ejection arm <NUM> having slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the axle <NUM>. Furthermore, the axle <NUM> may.

Equally, the axle <NUM> may be fixedly attached to the ejection arm <NUM> while being rotatable about the axis <NUM> with respect to the tipper body <NUM>. The axle <NUM> may be welded or bolted to the ejection arm <NUM>. In this case, the axle <NUM> may be fitted through holes in attachment brackets of the tipper body <NUM> having slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the axle <NUM>. The ejector board <NUM> may be plate shaped and be part of a headboard of the tipper body.

Furthermore, to allow the ejector arm <NUM> to reach inside the tipper body <NUM> at the front <NUM>, the tipper body <NUM> comprises a through-hole <NUM> for each ejector arm through which the receptive at least one ejector arm <NUM> is arranged.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the ejector board <NUM> being attached to the second portions 21a, 21b of respective ejector arms 9a, 9b. An axle <NUM> is coupled to the ejector arms 9a and 9b to form a common pivot axis <NUM> for the ejector arms 9a, 9b. In this example, the two ejector arms 9a, 9b are attached to opposite edge portions <NUM>, <NUM> of the ejector board. Thus, two ejector arms 9a, 9b are attached to the ejector board <NUM> so that they are closer to the respective side edge that they are to each other. The edges portions <NUM> and <NUM> are on either side of the ejector board <NUM> along the width W.

The ejector board <NUM> has dimensions being a width W and a height h, and thickness t. The width W is in the side-to-side direction of the tipper body, along a transverse axis of the vehicle <NUM> when the tipper arrangement is operationally installed in a vehicle <NUM>. The height h is perpendicular to the width W, and the smallest dimension of the ejector board <NUM> is the thickness t. The thickness t is substantially smaller than the height h and width W. Further, the ejector board <NUM> is relatively planar, or plate shaped.

With further reference to <FIG>, preferably, the ejector board <NUM> reach from side-to-side of the front <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>. In other words, the width W of the ejector board <NUM> may be only slightly smaller than the width of the tipper body <NUM> so that ejector board <NUM> fits inside the width of the tipper body <NUM>.

To further improve the ability for the tipper arrangement <NUM> to eject residual material from the tipper body, the height h of the ejector board <NUM> reach from the bottom <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM> to at least midway to the upper edge of the tipper body <NUM>. In a further example, the ejector board <NUM> reaches from the bottom <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM> to about one third towards the upper edge <NUM> of the tipper body <NUM>.

The first portion <NUM>, 21a, 21b of the ejector arm <NUM>, 9a, 9b, may be welded or bolted to the ejector board <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a further example where a single ejector arm <NUM> is attached to the ejector board <NUM>. It is envisaged that two or more ejector arms <NUM> are possible and within possible developments of the preset disclosure.

<FIG> is a further perspective view of a further example where the ejector board <NUM> comprises an upper lip <NUM> that bends at an angle from the otherwise planar main body 7a of the ejector board <NUM>. The lip <NUM> bends towards the front of the tipper body <NUM> to prevent material from falling in behind the ejector board <NUM>.

Furthermore, the ejector boards described herein may be perforated. Thus, the ejector board comprises a matrix of through-holes <NUM> reaching through the thickness t of the ejector board <NUM>. The entire ejector board may be perforated, that is the matrix may cover the entire ejector board.

The ejector arms and ejector boards presented herein are preferably made from a strong material such as a metal, e.g., steel or so-called Hardox® steel (SSAB). The spring is also preferably made from e.g., steel.

It is envisaged that the tipper arrangement <NUM>, comprising two ejection arms 9a-b being substantially L-shaped with a second portion <NUM> of the L-shaped ejector arm reaching outside and to the underside of the tipper body <NUM>, and a first portion <NUM> of the L-shaped ejector arm reaching inside the tipper body <NUM> where it is attached to the ejector body <NUM> being a headboard of the tipper body. The L-shaped ejector arms 9a-b have a common pivot axis where the first portion and the second portion of the substantially L-shaped ejector arm come together at an angle. Further, in this example, the actuator is a spring <NUM> or a torsion bar, wherein the spring action is configured to push the first end portion of the at least one ejection arm <NUM> away from the underside of the tipper body <NUM> to cause the rotation of the ejector arms. In the initial position of the ejector arm when the tipper body <NUM> is in a neutral position, or loading, or horizontal position, the mechanical contact with the stopper element <NUM> prevents rotation of the at least one ejection arm <NUM> under the spring action, and when the tipper body <NUM> is tilted for an unloading action, the mechanical contact between the stopper element and the ejector arm is lost so that the spring acts on the ejector arm 9a-b to cause a rotation about the pivot axis <NUM> and thereby a motion of the ejector board towards the rear of the tipper body <NUM> to expel load from the tipper body.

It is envisaged that the actuator may be one of, or may be assisted by one of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and an electric actuator. In such arrangements, the actuator is activated in response to that the at least one ejection arm <NUM> loses contact with the stopper element <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A tipper arrangement (<NUM>) for a vehicle, comprising:
a tipper body (<NUM>) for carrying a load (<NUM>/A);
a movable ejection board (<NUM>) mechanically attached to at least one an ejection arm (<NUM>) at a front (<NUM>) of the tipper body inside the tipper body, the at least one ejection arm (<NUM>) is pivotable attached with respect to the tipper body (<NUM>) and extend to below the tipper body;
an actuator (<NUM>) configured to rotate the at least one ejection arm (<NUM>) from an initial position to a rotated position in which the at least one ejection arm (<NUM>) is rotated about a pivot axis (<NUM>) to cause a motion of the ejector board (<NUM>) towards the rear (<NUM>) of the tipper body to expel load from the front of the tipper body,
characterised in that
in said initial position the at least one ejection arm (<NUM>) is in mechanical contact with a stopper element (<NUM>) below the tipper body that prevents rotation of the at least one ejection arm (<NUM>).