Systems, methods, and apparatuses for heating a screed of a paving machine

Abstract

Machines, systems, and methods for pre-heating a screed plate (including maintaining the pre-heated screed plate) of a paving machine can comprise a screed assembly including the screed plate; and a thermal cover removably coupleable to or over a bottom working surface of the screed plate. The thermal cover can be movable between a first position where the thermal cover does not cover any portion of the bottom working surface of the screed plate and a second position where the thermal cover covers at least a portion of the bottom working surface of the screed plate.

1 . A paving machine comprising:
 a frame;   a traction system supporting the frame and configured to move the paving machine;   an operator interface in an operator station supported by the frame;   a screed assembly including:
 a screed heater, 
 a screed plate, and 
 a temperature sensor associated with the screed plate to sense a temperature of the screed plate, 
   control circuitry configured to receive temperature signals from the temperature sensor and determine the temperature of the screed plate; and   a thermal insulating cover removably coupleable over a bottom working surface of the screed plate,   wherein the thermal insulating cover is fixedly coupled to the paving machine and movably coupled to the screed assembly so as to be movable between a first position where the thermal insulating cover does not cover any portion of the bottom working surface of the screed plate and a second position where the thermal insulating covers an entire area of the bottom working surface of the screed plate, and   wherein in the second position where the thermal insulating cover covers the entire area of the bottom working surface of the screed plate, the paving machine is in a pre-paving state prior to entering a paving state to pave a road surface.   
     
     
         2 . The paving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating cover is a flexible sheet or blanket. 
     
     
         3 . The paving machine according to  claim 2 , further comprising a reel to extend the thermal insulating cover in the form of the flexible sheet or blanket to the second position and to retract the thermal insulating cover in the form of the flexible sheet or blanket to the first position. 
     
     
         4 . The paving machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the reel to extend the thermal insulating cover in the form of the flexible sheet or blanket to the second position and to retract the thermal insulating cover in the form of the flexible sheet or blanket to the first position. 
     
     
         5 . The paving machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a hinge assembly to move the thermal insulating cover between the first position and the second position under control of the control circuitry. 
     
     
         6 . The paving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control movement of the thermal insulating cover from the second position to the first position responsive to determining that the temperature of the screed plate has reached a predetermined temperature threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The paving machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined temperature threshold is set based on a temperature value to prevent paving material from sticking to the screed plate. 
     
     
         8 . The paving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating cover is manually movable between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         9 . The paving machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal insulating cover is made of silicon rubber. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 providing a paver including:
 a frame, and 
 a traction system supporting the frame and configured to move the paver; 
   providing a screed assembly including:
 a screed heater, 
 a screed plate, and 
 a temperature sensor associated with the screed plate to sense a temperature of the screed plate; and 
   providing a thermal insulating cover to selectively cover and uncover a bottom working surface of the screed plate under condition that the paver is not performing a paving operation,   wherein the thermal insulating cover is movable between a first position where the bottom working surface of the screed plate is uncovered by the thermal cover and a second position where the bottom working surface of the screed plate is covered by the thermal cover, and   wherein the paver is in a pre-paving state prior to entering a paving state to pave a road surface under condition where the thermal insulating cover is in the second position where the thermal insulating cover covers the bottom working surface of the screed plate.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising controlling, with the paver in the pre-paving state, the screed assembly to move the screed plate relative to the thermal insulating cover such that the thermal insulating cover is in one of the first position or the second position. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein in the first position the thermal insulating cover is entirely separated from the paver. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising controlling, with the paver in the pre-paving state, the thermal insulating cover to move from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said controlling the thermal insulating cover to move from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position is performed using an electronically controller actuator to move the thermal insulating cover. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining, using the temperature sensor of the screed assembly, that a temperature of the screed plate is at or above a predetermined temperature threshold; and   separating the thermal insulating cover and the bottom working surface of the screed plate so the thermal insulating cover is in the first position.   
     
     
         16 . A system for pre-heating a screed plate of a paving machine comprising:
 a screed assembly including the screed plate; and   a thermal cover removably coupleable over a bottom working surface of the screed plate,   wherein the thermal cover is movable between a first position where the thermal cover does not cover any portion of the bottom working surface of the screed plate and a second position where the thermal cover covers at least a portion of the bottom working surface of the screed plate.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a heater to heat the screed plate;   a temperature sensor to sense temperature of the screed plate; and   a controller to receive temperature signals from the temperature sensor and output control signals to separate the thermal g cover and the bottom working surface of the screed plate so the thermal cover is in the first position.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the thermal cover is a flexible sheet or blanket. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein in the first position the thermal cover is entirely separated from the paving machine. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein in the first position the thermal cover is movably coupled to the paving machine.