Vehicle for Removing Debris from Roadway

Not applicable.

The invention relates generally to debris clearing utility vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to a vehicle configured to remove debris or other materials from a roadway or other surface.

Manufacturers custom build motor vehicles to meet a variety of the demand related service scenarios. Access way cleaning is a service that is met by custom build motor vehicles. Road access is an important resource to maintain clear of debris. Debris on roadways may restrict and/or prevent continued transportation of goods and services.

To maintain uninterrupted commerce of goods and services, variety of cleaning vehicles are used to provide cleaning related services and maintain roadways clear of debris. Commercial cleaning vehicles are customized and purpose built to provide the cleaning services. As such, a cleaning vehicle may necessitate substantial up front cost resulting from customization necessary to provide the cleaning service.

Embodiments address cost and other issues that arise from use of customized vehicles to maintain an access way clear of debris.

The present invention relates to a utility vehicle configured to remove matter or debris from a road or other surface. In an example embodiment of the present invention, the utility vehicle may include an articulated collector attached to a front section of the utility vehicle. The articulated collector may be movable. The articulated collector may also be configured to remove matter from the surface. In addition, a matter container may be connected to the utility vehicle. The articulated connector may also be connected to the matter container. The matter container may be configured to receive and hold the matter.

Furthermore, an articulated depositor may be connected to the matter container. The articulated depositor may be configured to deposit the matter to a disposal site.

The matter container may include a slanted floor that slopes down bilaterally from a center line extending lengthwise along an interior of the matter container to a drainage area. The drainage area may be covered by a grate that separates bigger pieces of debris, such as garbage, from smaller road debris. The slanted floor allows debris routed into the matter container from the collector to slide or roll down the floor onto the grate. Bigger pieces like garbage are deposited on or near the grate, while fluid and small debris flow or fall through the grate into a drainage hole or trench. The garbage can later be removed from the matter container leaving only the smaller debris which can be evacuated from the matter container by the articulated depositor. Removing the garbage or larger debris pieces prevents the depositor or other ducts from getting clogged.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a utility truck to remove non-hazardous road debris from a road is described. The utility truck may include an articulated collector attached to a front section of the utility truck. The articulated collector may be movable. The articulated collector may also be configured to remove the road debris from the road. A trailer may also be connected to the utility truck and the articulated collector. The trailer may include a slanted floor that slopes down bilaterally from a center line extending lengthwise along an interior of the matter container to a drainage area. The drainage area may be covered by a grate that separates bigger pieces of debris, such as garbage, from smaller road debris. The slanted floor allows debris routed into the matter container from the collector to slide or roll down the floor onto the grate.

The trailer may be configured to receive and hold the road debris. Furthermore, an articulated depositor may be connected to the trailer. The articulated depositor may be configured to deposit the road debris to a disposal site.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of removing non-hazardous road debris from a road is described. The method includes, positioning an articulated collector, attached to a utility truck, over the road debris on the road. The articulated collector is attached to a front section or cab of the utility truck. A suction mechanism is activated to remove the road debris from the road. The road debris is routed to the trailer. Furthermore, the road debris is deposited into the trailer. The trailer may include a slanted floor that slopes down bilaterally from a center line extending lengthwise along an interior of the matter container to a drainage area. The drainage area may be covered by a grate that separates bigger pieces of debris, such as garbage, from smaller road debris. The slanted floor allows debris routed into the matter container from the collector to slide or roll down the floor onto the grate.

It is an object of the embodiment of the present invention to provide a utility vehicle to remove matter from a surface.

It is another object of the embodiment of the present invention to provide an articulated collector to remove the matter from the surface using a suction mechanism.

It is yet another object of the embodiment of the present invention to move the articulated collector laterally and linearly to position an aperture over the matter on the surface.

It is yet another object of the embodiment of the present invention to route the matter to a matter container.

It is yet another object of the embodiment of the present invention to remove the matter from the matter container through an articulated depositor.

It is yet another object of the embodiment of the present invention to rotate joints of the articulated depositor to position an output component over a disposal site.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals.

Reference will now be made in detail to each embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.

shows a front facing view of a utility vehicle. An example of the utility vehiclemay include a truck. In an example scenario, the utility vehiclemay be augmented with an attachable apparatus such as an articulated collector. The articulated collectormay be placed in front of the utility vehicle, above front wheels of the utility vehicle, and/or under a front door of the utility vehiclein front of a matter container, among other positions. The articulated collectormay be configured to remove a matterfrom a surface. An example of the mattermay include a snow pile, a road debris, a water stream (from rain, and/or flood, among others), and/or waste, among others. The articulated connectormay include a heating component to melt snow and/or ice on the surface.

The articulated collectormay be attachable to a front section of the utility vehicle. For example, the articulated collectormay be mounted to a chassis and/or a chassis support structure associated with the front section of the utility vehicle. The articulated collectormay also be moveable in a lateral direction. The mobility in the lateral directionmay allow positioning of an aperture of the articulated collectorover the matteron the surface. A suction based mechanism may be used to move the matterthrough the aperture of the articulated collector. As such, the mattermay be removed from the surface.

The articulated collectormay be installed on a central axis in relation to the utility vehicle. The articulated collectormay include three components that may be installed and/or replaced based on work scenario associated with a removal of the matter. An example of the three components may include a filter and/or a grill, among others.

Furthermore, the articulated collectormay be moved in a linear directionto elongate or retract the articulated collector. The linear directionbased movement may be used by an operator to position the articulated collectorover the matter. The operator may manually move the articulated collectorin the lateral directionand/or the linear directionto manually position the aperture of the articulated collectorover the matterwhile the utility vehicleis in motion or at rest. Alternatively, an automated mechanism may automatically move the articulated collectorin the lateral directionand/or the linear directionto automatically position the aperture of the articulated collectorover the matterwhile the utility vehicleis in motion or at rest. The automated mechanism may include components such as camera(s), laser(s), and/or radar(s) to recognize the matteron the surfaceand move the aperture of the articulated collectorover the matter. The aperture may be automatically positioned to remove the matterfrom the surfacewhile the utility vehicleis in motion or at rest.

The articulated collectormay route the matterto a matter container. The matter containermay include a tank or a trailer, among others latched (or attached) to a rear section of the utility vehicle. The matter containermay also be configured to receive the matterfrom the articulated collector. The articulated collectormay be connected to the matter containerwith a pipe routed underneath or through a chassis of the utility vehicle. The pipe may connect to a pumping mechanismpositioned in a front section of the matter container. The pumping mechanismmay include components such as a pump, a flow motor, and/or a refrigeration unit to provide the suction mechanism to route the matterto the matter containerand to provide refrigeration in relation to a storage of the matter. The pumping mechanism may deposit the matter into the matter containerthrough an aperture.

In another example scenario, one or more heating components may be integrated with the articulated component, the utility vehicle and/or the matter container. The one or more heaters may be turned on and used to maintain the picked up and/or stored matterin a liquid state. The matter containermay be configured to store non-hazardous material. As such, the articulated collectormay include a filter and/or a grill, among others. The filter and/or grill may prevent collection of the mattersuch as solid item(s). The solid item(s) in excess of a predetermined size may fail to pass through the filter and/or the grill.

The matter containermay also include an articulated depositor. The articulated depositormay be configured to remove the matterfrom the matter container. The articulated depositormay deposit the matterto a disposal site (such as a waste management site and/or container, roadway, among others). The articulated depositormay be moveable to the

left, right, up and/or down. The articulated depositormay deposit or spray the materialto the deposit site.

A number of control components (boxes) may be installed in various locations on the utility vehicleto manage the articulated collectorand the articulated depositor. A first control component may be installed inside a cabin of the utility vehicleto manage the articulated collectorand/or the articulated depositor. A second control component may be installed in an external service of the cabin to allow for control and management of the articulated collectorand/or the articulated depositor. A third control component may be a portable management component to control and manage the articulated collectorand/or the articulated depositor.

The utility vehiclemay also include

a generator to power components associated with routing the matterfrom the surfaceto the matter container. Furthermore, the utility vehiclemay also include a turbine to route the matterfrom the surfaceto the matter container.

shows a rear facing view of the utility vehicle. The matter containermay receive the matter(removed from the surfaceby the articulated collector. The pumping mechanismmay route the matterthrough the apertureto deposit the matterinto the matter container.

The matter containermay have a slanted floor that slopes down on either side of a center line extending the length of the container interior. A drainage area covered by a grate or mesh, or metal bars may be disposed at the bottom of each sloped side of the floor. The drainage area may extend the length of the container interior, on opposite sides of the center line, and is meant to collect larger pieces of debris such as garbage picked up by the articulated collector, while allowing fluids or smaller debris to flow or fall into a drainage area such as a drainage trench. The grate may be one or more removable grates such as square or rectangular grates that can be inserted in series over a drainage area that extends the length of the container interior. In one exemplary embodiment, the grates fit into a track in the floor for holding the grates snugly in place. The removable grates may be light weight for ease of removal, such as plastic, aluminum, wood, or fiberglass, or may be a heavier metal grate to prevent the grates from popping out of the track during transport. The grates may also include an anchoring means such as retention pegs that fit into corresponding slots in the track to help keep the grates in place.

The slanted floors of the containerallow larger pieces of debris such as garbage to slide or roll down the floor onto the grate(s) where it collects for later removal. Separating the larger debris or garbage in this manner helps prevent the articulated depositorfrom getting clogged. More specifically, the garbage/debris that collects over the grates can be removed prior to activating the depositor and evacuating the matter.

As discussed above, the articulated depositoraids in removal of the matterfrom the matter container. The articulated depositormay include an internal componentthat is situated at a bottom section of the matter container. A positioning of the internal componentmay allow a pumping mechanism to remove an entirety of a content of the matter container(through the articulated depositor). The internal componentmay also be movableto position an inlet of the internal componentin different locations within the matter container. For example, the inlet of the internal component may be positioned over or inside the drainage area to remove matterfrom that area. Access to the drainage area may be achieved by removing one or more of the grates. The internal componentmay also include extensions attachable to the inlet (such as a filter) to control and manage a flow of the matterout of the matter container.

The articulated depositormay also include a first jointand a second joint. The first and second joints (and) may be rotatable. Rotation

of the first and second joints (and) may allow an operator to position an output componentover a disposal site and/or a disposal container. Furthermore, the operator may be able to extend and retract the articulateddepositorto position the output componentover the disposal site and/or disposal container. Upon positioning the output component, the operatormay enable the pumping mechanism to remove the content of the matter container. A content gauge may provide a visual indicator of a fullness level of the matter container. Furthermore, a window on the matter containermay allow the operator to view the content of the matter container.

The matter containermay be equipped with one or more doors and/or windows that provide ventilation, ingress into the matter container, and provide access

to the contents therein. For example, a worker can access the container interior to remove garbage picked up by the collector. However, in the event that conditions inside the matter containerare too dangerous, such as if the temperature is outside a predetermined safe range or toxic materials are present inside the container, the door(s) and windows will not open from the outside. In other words, when a dangerous condition is detected inside the matter container, the matter container is locked down to prevent anyone from entering. To this end, the sensors for detecting a dangerous conditions inside the matter container may be one or more temperature sensors, gas detectors such as a toxic gas detector made by Honeywell®, radiation detectors, infrared sensors, smoke detectors, toxic chemical sensors such as those made by Owlstone®, and others.

The matter containermay also include sensors as part of a security system, such as container door and/or window mounted sensors. Some sensor may be motion detector, ultrasonic proximity sensors, and/or infrared sensors configured to detect a person inside the matter container. If the sensors detect a person inside the matter containerthe door(s) and or window(s) will automatically open. In the event that the door(s) and/or window(s) are somehow closed while someone is inside the matter container, the door(s) and/or window(s) can always be pushed open from the inside even if the door(s) and/or window(s) are locked to people on the outside. In addition, the security system may be configured to activate safety lights on the outside of the matter container when the sensors detect someone inside the matter container.

A removal action associated with the contents of the matter containermay also be automated. An automated scheme may position the output componentover the disposal site and/or the disposal container in response to a trigger event. The trigger event may include a detection of the matter containerin an adjacent position in relation to the disposal site and/or container. Subsequently, the content of the matter

containermay automatically be deposited to the matter site and/or container.

shows an alternative example of the articulated collector. In an example scenario, the articulated collectormay be attached to a pipe. Alternatively, the pipemay be attached directly to the matter container (without the articulated collector). The pipe

may include a joint(and other joints) to aid in positioning an inlet of the pipe to the matter. The jointmay be rotated and the pipemay be retractedor extended to position the inlet of the pipe over the matter. The mattermay be removed from a surface or other environment through a suction mechanism. The mattermay be routed through the pipeto the matter container.

The pipemay also include a camera. The cameramay provide an image and/or a video stream facing a front direction from the inlet of the pipeto aid in viewing the matter As such, an operator of the pipe may start and stop the suction mechanism to allow or reject a collection of the matter.

shows another

alternative example of the articulated collector. In an example scenario, the articulated collector may be attached to a pipeusing a connector. The connectormay be bendable to position the articulated collectorover a surface. The articulated collectormay also include a filterthat may screen material(s) from the matteras the matteris collected from the surface. An example of the matterto be picked up from the surfaceby the articulated collectormay include liquid material that is non-hazardous such as rain water, among others.

A method of removing a non-hazardous road debris from a road is also described. The method includes, positioning an articulated collector, attached to a trailer of a utility truck, over the road debris on the road. The articulated collector is attached to a front section of the utility truck. A suction mechanism is started to remove the road debris from the road. The road debris is routed to the trailer. Furthermore, the road debris is deposited into the trailer.

In addition to the foregoing, other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better comprehended through a careful reading

of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.