Position-determining actuator
AssigneeAltec Industries, Inc.
InventorAaron Beck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A position-determining actuator includes a rod, a barrel, a wave detector, and a controller. The barrel at least partially surrounds a piston of the rod so as to define a cap-side void and allow the rod to telescope relative to the barrel. The wave detector is associated with the cap-side void and configured to read fluid pressure of a hydraulic fluid disposed in the cap-side void. The controller is configured to receive, from the wave detector, a pressure reading from within the cap-side void; analyze the pressure reading to determine an extension standing wave; and analyze the extension standing wave to determine an extension dimension of the cap-side void.
Claims15
A position-determining actuator comprising:
- a rod having a piston;
- a barrel at least partially surrounding the piston so as to define a cap-side void and allow the rod to telescope relative to the barrel;
- a wave detector associated with the cap-side void and configured to read fluid pressure of a hydraulic fluid disposed in the cap-side void;
- a controller configured to—
- receive, from the wave detector, a pressure reading from within the cap-side void;
- analyze the pressure reading to determine an extension standing wave;
- and
- analyze the extension standing wave to determine an extension dimension of the cap-side void.
A position-determining actuator system comprising:
- a wave detector configured to be secured to a barrel of a hydraulic cylinder,
- wherein the wave detector is configured to read fluid pressure of a hydraulic fluid disposed in a cap-side void of the hydraulic cylinder;
- a controller configured to—
- receive, from the wave detector, a pressure reading from within the cap-side void;
- analyze the pressure reading to determine an extension standing wave;
- and
- analyze the extension standing wave to determine an extension dimension of the cap-side void.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.