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US 10,329,725 B2Granted
Snow groomer and relative control method
AssigneePrinoth S.P.A.
InventorKlaus Wagger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A snow groomer having a frame; an attachment connected movably to the frame; a hydraulic assembly having an actuator configured to position the attachment, and a valve configured to control the actuator; a variable-flow pump configured to supply the hydraulic assembly; and a control system configured to calculate the total flow rate demand of the hydraulic assembly, and configured to control the variable-flow pump as a function of the total flow rate demand, so delivery by the variable-flow pump equals the total flow rate demand.
Claims32
A snow groomer comprising:
- a snow groomer frame;
- an internal combustion engine;
- at least one snow groomer attachment movably connected to the snow groomer frame;
- at least one hydraulic assembly including:
- at least one actuator configured to position the at least one snow groomer attachment with respect to the snow groomer frame, and
- at least one valve configured to control the at least one actuator;
- a variable-flow pump including a regulating device configured to regulate the variable-flow pump to adjust an amount of flow delivery outputted from the variable-flow pump between a minimum flow rate and a maximum flow rate, said adjustment being independent of a speed of the internal combustion engine, said variable-flow pump configured to supply the at least one hydraulic assembly;
- and
- a snow groomer control system configured to:
- (i) calculate a total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly by sensing a flow rate, and
- (ii) control the variable-flow pump as a function of the calculated total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly, wherein the regulating device is driven by a regulating signal based on the function of the calculated total flow rate demand to regulate a displacement of the variable-flow pump to adjust the amount of flow delivery outputted from the variable-flow pump to be approximately equal to the calculated total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly.
8 more elements
A method of controlling a snow groomer including an internal combustion engine, said method comprising:
- using a hydraulic assembly to position at least one snow groomer attachment moveably connected to a frame of the snow groomer, the hydraulic assembly including:
- at least one actuator configured to position the at least one snow groomer attachment, and
- at least one valve configured to control the at least one actuator;
- using a variable-flow pump to supply the hydraulic assembly, said variable-flow pump including a regulating device configured to regulate the variable-flow pump to adjust an amount of flow delivery outputted from the variable-flow pump between a minimum flow rate and a maximum flow rate, said adjustment being independent of a speed of the internal combustion engine;
- calculating a total flow rate demand of the hydraulic assembly by sensing a flow rate;
- and
- controlling the variable-flow pump as a function of the calculated total flow rate demand of the hydraulic assembly, wherein controlling the variable-flow pump includes varying a displacement of the variable-flow pump, based on a regulating signal, to adjust the amount of flow delivery outputted from the variable-flow pump to approximately equal the calculated total flow rate demand of the hydraulic assembly.
4 more elements
A snow groomer comprising:
- a snow groomer frame;
- an internal combustion engine;
- a first track;
- a first drive wheel connected to the first track;
- a second track, said second track being independent of the first track;
- a second drive wheel connected to the second track;
- a hydraulic drive configured to power the first drive wheel and the second drive wheel;
- at least one snow groomer attachment movably connected to the snow groomer frame;
- at least one hydraulic assembly including:
- at least one actuator configured to position the at least one snow groomer attachment with respect to the snow groomer frame, and
- at least one valve configured to control the at least one actuator;
- a variable-flow pump including a regulating device configured to regulate the variable-flow pump to adjust an amount of flow delivery supplied from the variable-flow pump to the at least one hydraulic assembly between a minimum flow rate and a maximum flow rate, said adjustment being independent of a speed of the internal combustion engine;
- and
- a snow groomer control system configured to:
- (i) calculate a total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly by sensing a flow rate, and
- (ii) control the variable-flow pump as a function of the calculated total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly, wherein the regulating device is driven by a regulating signal based on the function of the calculated total flow rate demand to regulate a displacement of the variable-flow pump to adjust the amount of flow delivery supplied from the variable-flow pump to be approximately equal to the calculated total flow rate demand of the at least one hydraulic assembly.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.