How Mobile Cranes Power Their Upper Parts Using The Lower Base
A design for mobile construction cranes that moves the power generator to the base while keeping the control electronics separate and protected.
Original patent title: “Mobile construction crane comprising a superstructure and an undercarriage and one or more electrical consumers”
A design for mobile construction cranes that moves the power generator to the base while keeping the control electronics separate and protected. Granted to Liebherr Werk Biberach GmbH in 2024 with 16 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to power the heavy-duty components of a construction crane—like the hoisting winch, trolley drive, and lights—by placing the electrical generator in the crane's undercarriage rather than the top superstructure. Crucially, it requires the 'switchgear cabinet' (the box containing the generator's control electronics) to be physically separated from the generator itself, but still located on the undercarriage. This setup uses a rotary union to pass power from the base up to the rotating top part, allowing the crane to operate efficiently while keeping sensitive electronic controls away from the vibration and heat of the generator.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover cranes where the power generator is located in the top superstructure.
- Does not cover systems where the switchgear cabinet is integrated into the same physical housing as the generator.
- Does not cover stationary tower cranes that lack an undercarriage.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation is the physical decoupling of the generator from its control cabinet within the undercarriage, which allows for better vibration isolation and heat management of sensitive electronics without sacrificing the power-to-weight benefits of the base-mounted generator.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Liebherr mobile construction cranes
Large-scale mobile tower cranes used in urban construction
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Mobile cranes are complex machines that must balance weight and stability while rotating. By centralizing power generation in the base, manufacturers can reduce the weight of the crane's upper section, which improves stability and lifting capacity. This design also makes maintenance easier by grouping power components in the undercarriage.
Filed
October 24, 2019
Granted
April 2, 2024
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Liebherr is the primary entity developing this technology. Other heavy equipment manufacturers like Manitowoc or Tadano often explore similar power distribution architectures to optimize the center of gravity in mobile crane designs.
Market impact
This patent reinforces a design trend toward modularizing power systems in heavy mobile equipment. It protects a specific configuration that helps manufacturers meet stricter emission and weight standards by optimizing how power is routed through the rotating joints of a crane.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to power the heavy-duty components of a construction crane—like the hoisting winch, trolley drive, and lights—by placing the electrical generator in the crane's undercarriage rather than the top superstructure. Crucially, it requires the 'switchgear cabinet' (the box containing the generator's control electronics) to be physically separated from the generator itself, but still located on the undercarriage. This setup uses a rotary union to pass power from the base up to the rotating top part, allowing the crane to operate efficiently while keeping sensitive electronic controls away from the vibration and heat of the generator.
The clever bit
The innovation is the physical decoupling of the generator from its control cabinet within the undercarriage, which allows for better vibration isolation and heat management of sensitive electronics without sacrificing the power-to-weight benefits of the base-mounted generator.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover cranes where the power generator is located in the top superstructure.
- Does not cover systems where the switchgear cabinet is integrated into the same physical housing as the generator.
- Does not cover stationary tower cranes that lack an undercarriage.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
11/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$21K – $67K
Midpoint $42K · 13.4 yr remaining · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
16 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Aßfalg, M., Eggert, M., & Schmid, G. (2024). How Mobile Cranes Power Their Upper Parts Using The Lower Base (U.S. Patent No. 11,945,698). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11945698/raptor-3-engine
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US11945698"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Energy & Clean Tech
US RE49155 · 2022 · Halliburton Energy Services Inc
Electric or Natural Gas Blending and Pumping for Oil Wells
US 11436484 · 2022 · Nvidia Corp
Nvidia's Method for Training Self-Driving Car AI in Simulations
US 11840398 · 2023 · Titan Trailers Inc
How Titan Trailers Builds Stronger, Smoother Cargo Containers
US 2708656 · 1955
How the First Nuclear Reactor Works
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Mobile Cranes Power Their Upper Parts Using The Lower Base cover?
A design for mobile construction cranes that moves the power generator to the base while keeping the control electronics separate and protected.
Who owns patent US 11945698?
Liebherr Werk Biberach GmbH owns this patent, granted in 2024.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on April 2, 2044, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Mobile cranes are complex machines that must balance weight and stability while rotating. By centralizing power generation in the base, manufacturers can reduce the weight of the crane's upper section, which improves stability and lifting capacity. This design also makes maintenance easier by grouping power components in the undercarriage.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover cranes where the power generator is located in the top superstructure.
Patent monitoring