Method and system for determining when a tipper body has been emptied

摘要

The invention relates to determining when a tipper body of a tipper lorry has been emptied by monitoring both the pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 14 used to raise the tipper body 8 and the angle of the tipper body during the tipping operation. The tipper comprises a tipper body which moves in a pivoting manner with respect to a frame or chassis 6 and the movement is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder which is disposed between the frame and body. The method comprises commencing a tipping operation in which the tipper body containing a load and it is pivoted from a resting position towards a tipped position during which the load is emptied from the tipper body. During this operation a pressure parameter relating to the hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic cylinder is measured with a pressure sensor 42 (in figure 3) and an angular positional parameter relating to the tip angle of the tipper body is also measured. Both are monitored to determine if emptying has occurred. Another invention is directed to a hydraulic cylinder comprising an inclination sensor. The cylinder has a pivot axis which is perpendicular to its longitudinal axis.