Blade positioning diagnostic system for motor grader

Abstract

A diagnostic system for a motor grader with a blade, a drawbar member, and a center shift mounting member associated with a drawbar-circle-moldboard (DCM) includes actuators connecting the blade to the DCM and interconnecting other components of the motor grader. The actuators affect movement of the blade relative to the DCM and affect movement of the other interconnected components relative to each other. Sensors generate signals indicative of a current position of the blade and positions of the other components of the motor grader. An input device receives an operator input indicative of a selection of predefined, diagnostic positions that can be checked visually by the operator for confirmation of proper operation. A controller selectively actuates the actuators based on the selection of a diagnostic position and a signal indicative of the current position of the blade to move the blade and other components of the motor grader into the selected diagnostic position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A motor grader diagnostic positioning system for one or more of a blade, a drawbar member, and a center shift mounting member associated with a drawbar-circle-moldboard of a motor grader, the diagnostic positioning system comprising:
 one or more actuators connecting the blade to the drawbar-circle-moldboard and interconnecting other components of the motor grader, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to one or more of affect movement of the blade relative to the drawbar-circle-moldboard and affect movement of the other interconnected components relative to each other;   one or more sensors configured to generate signals indicative of a current position of the blade and positions of the other components of the motor grader;   an input device configured to receive an operator input indicative of a selection of one of a plurality of predefined, diagnostic positions, wherein the diagnostic positions can be checked visually by the operator for confirmation of proper operation of the motor grader; and   a controller configured to selectively actuate the one or more actuators based on the selection of one of the plurality of diagnostic positions and the signals indicative of the current position of the blade to move one or more of the blade and other components of the motor grader into the selected diagnostic position.   
     
     
         2 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , further including a display configured to display representations of the plurality of predefined diagnostic positions and illustrate the selection of one of the plurality of predefined diagnostic positions. 
     
     
         3 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions can be checked visually by the operator while the operator is either sitting in an operator station located on the motor grader or standing in the vicinity of the motor grader while operating the motor grader semi-autonomously using a remote control device. 
     
     
         4 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a drawbar member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to a frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         5 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a center shift mounting member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to a frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         6 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include the blade of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to a frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         7 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include the drawbar-circle-moldboard being disposed at a zero degree orientation relative to a frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         8 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a pitch of the motor grader being set such that a neutral top of the blade is even with a bottom cutting edge of the blade. 
     
     
         9 . The diagnostic positioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic positions include an articulation of the motor grader being straight with steerable traction devices of the motor grader being aligned with driven traction devices, and with all of the steerable and driven traction devices being vertically oriented. 
     
     
         10 . A motor grader, comprising:
 a power source;   at least one traction device;   a frame;   a drawbar-circle-moldboard supported by the frame;   a blade pivotally connectable to the drawbar-circle-moldboard;   one or more actuators connecting the blade to the drawbar-circle-moldboard and configured to affect movement of the blade relative to the drawbar-circle-moldboard, and interconnecting other components of the motor grader;   one or more sensors configured to generate signals indicative of a current position of the blade and relative positions of the other components of the motor grader; and   a diagnostic mode and automatic positioning control system for the blade and the other components of the motor grader, wherein the control system includes:
 an input device configured to receive an operator input indicative of a selection of one of a plurality of predefined, diagnostic positions, wherein the diagnostic positions can be checked visually by the operator for confirmation of proper operation of the motor grader; and 
 a controller configured to selectively actuate the one or more actuators based on the selection of one of the plurality of predefined, diagnostic positions and the signals indicative of the current position of the blade to move one or more of the blade and the other components of the motor grader into the selected diagnostic position. 
   
     
     
         11 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic mode and automatic positioning control system further includes a display configured to display representations of the plurality of predefined, diagnostic positions and illustrate the selection of one of the plurality of predefined, diagnostic positions. 
     
     
         12 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions can be checked visually by the operator while the operator is either sitting in an operator station located on the motor grader or standing in the vicinity of the motor grader while operating the motor grader semi-autonomously using a remote control device. 
     
     
         13 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a drawbar member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to the frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         14 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a center shift mounting member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to the frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         15 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include the blade of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to the frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         16 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include the drawbar-circle-moldboard being disposed at a zero degree orientation relative to the frame of the motor grader. 
     
     
         17 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include a pitch of the motor grader being set such that a neutral top of the blade is even with a bottom cutting edge of the blade. 
     
     
         18 . The motor grader of  claim 10 , wherein the diagnostic positions include an articulation of the motor grader being straight with steerable traction devices of the motor grader being aligned with driven traction devices, and with all of the steerable and driven traction devices being vertically oriented. 
     
     
         19 . A method for positioning a blade associated with a drawbar-circle-moldboard of a motor grader or other components of the motor grader according to a selected diagnostic mode, the method comprising:
 sensing a current position of the blade or other components of the motor grader using signals generated by one or more sensors; and   receiving an operator input at a user interface display operatively associated with a diagnostic mode and automatic positioning control system of the motor grader, the input being indicative of a desire by an operator of the motor grader to diagnose any issues with the sensors, actuators, linkages, or the control system of the motor grader via one or more of a visual comparison of a plurality of predefined diagnostic positions to reference points, or a comparison of measured distances between motor grader components and expected distances between the motor grader components.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of predefined diagnostic positions include one or more of a drawbar member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to a frame of the motor grader, a center shift mounting member of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to the frame of the motor grader, the blade of the motor grader being disposed in a centered position relative to the frame of the motor grader, the drawbar-circle-moldboard being disposed at a zero degree orientation relative to the frame of the motor grader, a pitch of the motor grader being set such that a neutral top of the blade is even with a bottom cutting edge of the blade, and an articulation of the motor grader being straight with steerable traction devices of the motor grader being aligned with driven traction devices of the motor grader, and with all of the steerable and driven traction devices being vertically oriented.