US-12618290-B2 - Apparatus, rock drilling rig and drilling method

US12618290B2US 12618290 B2US12618290 B2US 12618290B2US-12618290-B2

Abstract

An apparatus, rock drilling rig and drilling method is provided. The apparatus provides position control data for controlling positioning a rock drilling unit of a rock drilling rig arranged for drilling transverse drill hole patterns in an underground tunnel. The apparatus includes a teaching feature for gathering data on manually controlled movements at the location of the drill hole pattern and to thereby detect a movement path, which is collision free. The data on the taught collision free movement path is implemented when controlling the rock drilling unit during an actual drilling phase.

Inventors

Mikko MONONEN
Jarkko Jantti
Mikko VIINIKAINEN
Hannu ILORANTA
Miro SAARELA

Assignees

SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION OY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20240830
Priority Date: 20230901

Claims (6)

1 . An apparatus arranged for providing position control data for controlling positioning of a rock drilling unit of a rock drilling rig arranged for drilling transverse drill hole patterns to an underground tunnel, the apparatus comprising: at least one control unit provided with sensing data on a position and orientation of the rock drilling unit; and a teaching feature, wherein the apparatus is configured to: gather the sensing data on manually controlled movements of the rock drilling unit on a plane of the drill hole pattern to be drilled, and wherein the rock drilling unit is moved along a movement path at a distance from physical obstacles located at the drill hole pattern to be drilled; generate a collision free movement path in response of the gathered sensing data; and implement the generated collision free movement path in the position control of the rock drilling unit; and wherein the apparatus is further provided with sensing data on manually controlled movements of the rock drilling unit in a transverse direction of the plane of the drill pattern and at a transverse distance from physical obstacles in the transverse direction, whereby the generated collision free movement path has a three-dimensional configuration.
2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to examine a position of at least one selected point of the rock drilling unit and is configured to generate the collision free movement path for the at least one selected point.
3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to implement the generated collision free movement path for generating control commands for automatic coarse positioning of the rock drilling unit on the plane of the drill hole pattern to defined locations of the drill holes of the drill hole pattern.
4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to provide data on a realized tunnel profile of the tunnel in response to the received sensing data.
5 . A rock drilling rig arranged for drilling transverse drill hole patterns in rock surfaces of an underground tunnel, the rock drilling rig comprising: a movable carrier; at least one boom; at least one rock drilling unit supported on the at least one boom and including at least a feed beam and a rock drilling machine mounted movably on the feed beam; sensing devices arranged for generating sensing data on movements of the boom and the rock drilling unit; and a control unit for controlling operation of the rock drilling rig, wherein the control unit is provided data on a collision free movement path at the drill hole pattern to be drilled and is configured to implement a collision free movement path in position control of the rock drilling unit, the collision free movement path being generated by an apparatus in accordance with claim 1 .
6 . The rock drilling rig as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the rock drilling rig is a bolting rig including a bolting head supported on the boom and the bolting head having at least a rock bolt or cable feeding apparatus in addition to the rock drilling unit.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to EP Patent Application No. 23194773.0, filed on Sep. 1, 2023, which the entirety thereof is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to an apparatus for providing position control data for controlling positioning of a rock drilling unit of a rock drilling rig for drilling transverse drill hole patterns to an underground tunnel or space. The invention further relates to a rock drilling rig and method. BACKGROUND In underground mines and construction sites different type of rock drilling rigs are used. The rock drilling rigs are provided with one or more drilling booms and rock drilling units are arranged at distal ends of the booms for drilling drill holes. The purpose of drilling holes in rock may be forming blast holes for detaching rock material by blasting, or the drill holes may be drilled in order to reinforce the rock surface by mounting rock bolts or other reinforcements inside the drilled holes. Typical underground tunnels, wherein the drilling and bolting measures are executed, are narrow wherefore there exist a risk to collisions. The present rock drilling and bolting solutions have shown to contain some disadvantages especially regarding collision examination. SUMMARY An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus, rock drilling rig and method for providing collision free positioning data. An idea of the disclosed solution is that the apparatus provides position control data for controlling positioning of a rock drilling unit for drilling transverse drill hole patterns to an underground tunnel. The apparatus utilizes a teaching procedure for providing data on manually controlled movements at the location of the drill hole pattern to be drilled. The aim is to detect a movement path which is collision free. The data on the taught movement path can be implemented when controlling the rock drilling unit during an actual drilling phase. The teaching and producing measures of the collision free movement path are preliminary phases executed before the following actual rock drilling and other measures are initiated. In other words, the disclosed apparatus includes at least one control unit provided with sensing data on position and orientation of the rock drilling unit. The apparatus is provided with the teaching feature wherein the apparatus is configured to gather sensing data on manually controlled movements of the rock drilling unit at the drill hole pattern to be drilled and wherein the rock drilling unit is moved along a movement path at a distance from physical obstacles located at the drill hole pattern to be drilled. The apparatus is configured to generate the collision free movement path in response of the gathered sensing data. An advantage of the disclosed solution is that collision of the rock drilling unit to rock surfaces and other physical obstacles can be prevented when the rock drilling unit is moved during the actual drilling in accordance with the defined collision free movement path. The disclosed preparative function takes only little extra time and does not thereby cause significant delay for the actual rock drilling. A further advantage is that the disclosed solution does not require any separate and specific sensing devices such as spatial sensors. Instead, the disclosed solution implements sensing data gathered by existing sensors arranged to boom joints and rock drilling units of the rock drilling rigs. Thereby, the present solution may be simple, durable, and inexpensive. According to an embodiment, the manual movement or teaching is a collision free movement phase wherein the rock drilling unit is moved on the plane of the drill hole pattern to be drilled. Herein, the rock drilling rig refers to a rock bolter and a long hole drilling rig, which both include the rock drilling units, and are used for drilling drill hole patterns in a transverse direction to a tunnel. According to an embodiment, the drill hole pattern is a rock bolt pattern for providing the rock surface limiting the tunnel with rock reinforcing rock bolts or cable bolts. The apparatus is arranged for assisting drilling of drill holes for the rock bolts and cable bolts. The rock drilling rig may be a rock bolter, or a cable bolter, provided with at least one bolting head including the rock drilling unit and means for feeding the rock bolts or rock supporting cables. In this case, the generated collision free movement path includes avoiding collision of the entire bolting head including the rock drilling unit and the bolt or cable feeding apparatuses. When grouting material is fed to the drilled holes together with the rock bolts or the cable bolts, then the collision free movement path may also include avoiding collision of grouting material feed apparatuses and elements. However, the grouting feed means, as well as rock bolt magazines and cable bolt feeding and cutting device