Towing hitch
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorManuel Billich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a towing hitch for a work vehicle. The towing hitch includes a retaining element. A coupling member coupled to the retaining element. A guide element having at least one guide channel formed therein; wherein the guide channel is sized to receive a portion of the retaining element. An actuator coupled to at least one surface of the retaining element, wherein the actuator is arranged such that lateral displacement of the actuator moves the retaining element between a first position and a second position within the guide channel of the guide element.
Claims14
A towing hitch for use with a work vehicle, the towing hitch comprising:
- a retaining element;
- a coupling member coupled to the retaining element;
- a guide element having at least one guide channel formed therein;
- wherein the guide channel is sized to receive a portion of the retaining element;
- a double-acting cylinder including a piston side chamber and a rod side chamber, the double-acting cylinder coupled to at least one surface of the retaining element, wherein the double-acting cylinder is arranged such that a lateral displacement of the double-acting cylinder moves the retaining element between a first position and a second position within the guide channel;
- a first pressure sensor detecting a first pressure in the piston side chamber;
- and
- a second pressure sensor detecting a second pressure in the rod side chamber;
- wherein a tensile force is determined based upon the first and second pressures.
A method for adjusting a position of a coupling member of a towing hitch of a work vehicle, the method comprising:
- positioning the coupling member within a retaining element;
- detecting, via a sensor, a data associated with a work vehicle;
- determining a first position of the coupling member via a processing unit based on the data;
- adjusting the position of the coupling member within the retaining element from the first position to a second position via a double-acting cylinder including a piston side chamber and a rod side chamber;
- detecting a first pressure in the piston side chamber via a first pressure sensor;
- detecting a second pressure in the rod side chamber via a second pressure sensor;
- and
- determining a tensile force based upon the first and second pressures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.