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US 10,260,625 B2Granted
Automatic shift of mechanical gearbox
AssigneeClark Equipment Company
InventorsNathalie LeBeuze, Allen C. Olheiser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are power machines, and drive systems for use thereon, as well as methods of providing automatic gear shifting. The drive system includes a controller configured to implement automatic gear shifting. Gear engagement is determined following a gear shift, and a drive pump or other drive system components is automatically controlled to rotate a gearbox gear in first and second directions until the gear is properly engaged.
Claims13
A power machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- an operator compartment, for carrying an operator, mounted to the frame;
- and
- a drive system for selectively driving the power machine over a surface, the drive system including:
- a drive pump;
- a drive motor operably coupled to and driven by the drive pump, the drive motor having a rotational output member;
- a gearbox having an input shaft operably coupled to the rotational output member of the drive motor and an output shaft operably coupled to a wheel, the gearbox further including:
- a plurality of gear reduction sets coupled to the output shaft;
- and
- a coupling mechanism for coupling the input shaft to the output shaft via engagement with a selected one of the plurality of gear reduction sets;
- a gearshift input manipulable by an operator in the operator compartment to provide an indication of a selected gear reduction set;
- a sensor configured to provide an engagement feedback signal indicative of whether the coupling mechanism is engaged with the selected gear reduction set;
- and
- a controller in communication with the gearshift input to receive the indication of the selected gear reduction set and the sensor to receive the engagement feedback signal, and wherein when the controller determines, based on the received engagement feedback signal, that the coupling mechanism is not engaged with the selected gear reduction set, the controller provides an alignment signal to the drive pump to control the rotational output member and align the coupling mechanism with the selected gear reduction set from the plurality of gear reduction sets and wherein when the controller senses that the coupling mechanism is aligned with the selected gear reduction set, the controller stops providing the alignment signal to the drive pump to prevent inadvertent movement of the power machine.
11 more elements
A power machine, comprising:
- a frame,
- a drive system for selectively driving the power machine over a surface, including:
- a drive pump;
- a drive motor operably coupled to and driven by the drive pump, the drive motor having a rotational output member;
- a gearbox having an input shaft operably coupled to the rotational output member of the drive motor and an output shaft operably coupled to a wheel, the gearbox further including:
- a plurality of gear reduction sets coupled to the output shaft;
- and
- a coupling mechanism for coupling the input shaft to the output shaft via engagement with a selected one of the plurality of gear reduction sets;
- an operator compartment, for carrying an operator, mounted to the frame with at least one operator control for selecting the selected gear reduction set accessible from the operator compartment;
- a sensor positioned proximal to the coupling mechanism and configured to provide an engagement feedback signal indicative of whether the coupling mechanism is engaged with the selected gear reduction set;
- and
- a controller in communication with the at least one operator control and the sensor and configured to determine, based upon the received engagement feedback signal, whether the coupling mechanism is engaged with the selected gear reduction set, the controller further configured to provide an alignment signal, if determined that the coupling mechanism is not engaged with the selected gear reduction set, to cause the rotational output member to rotate, only after the controller determines that the machine is not moving, in one of a first direction and a second direction to align the coupling mechanism with the selected gear reduction set from the plurality of gear reduction sets.
9 more elements
A method of causing a gearbox input to be engaged with a selected one of a plurality of gear reduction sets within the gearbox in a power machine having a drive pump, a drive motor in communication with the drive pump and an output from the drive motor in communication with the gearbox input, comprising:
- receiving a signal indicating an intention to engage the selected gear reduction set;
- determining whether the power machine is moving;
- providing a command signal to a coupling mechanism configured to engage the selected gear reduction set with the gearbox input only after determining that the power machine is not moving;
- determining based on an engagement feedback signal from a sensor positioned proximal to the coupling mechanism whether the coupling mechanism has engaged with the selected gear reduction set after providing the command signal;
- and
- providing an alignment signal to align the coupling mechanism with the selected gear reduction set when it is determined based upon the engagement feedback signal from the sensor that the coupling mechanism has not engaged with the selected gear reduction set after providing the command signal;
- and
- providing a command signal to a coupling actuator to move the coupling mechanism to attempt to engage the selected gear reduction set.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.