US 11,441,293 B2Granted

Adjustable ride control system

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorsScott R. Stahle, Grant R. Henn

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Abstract

An adjustable ride control circuit and method that includes a head valve that controls flow between a boom cylinder head intake and an accumulator, and a rod float valve that controls flow between a boom cylinder rod intake and tank, where the rod float valve is electronically adjustable and proportionally controls flow restriction. A controller controls ride control activation, and adjustment of the head and rod float valves. When ride control is activated, the head valve allows flow between the head intake and the accumulator, and the controller automatically adjusts the rod float valve. When ride control is deactivated, the head valve blocks flow between the head intake and the accumulator, and the rod float valve blocks flow between the rod intake and tank. An enable valve can control positioning of the head valve. A flow selector can select manual or automatic adjustment of the rod float valve.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An adjustable ride control circuit for a vehicle that includes a hydraulic source, a hydraulic accumulator, a hydraulic tank, a boom and a boom hydraulic cylinder with a head intake and a rod intake, where the boom hydraulic cylinder controls movement of the boom, the adjustable ride control circuit comprising:

a head valve configured to control flow between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator;
an adjustable rod float valve configured to control flow between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank, the adjustable rod float valve is an electronically adjustable valve that proportionally controls flow restriction between the rod intake and the hydraulic tank;
a ride control controller configured to receive control inputs, control activation of ride control, and control adjustment of the head valve and the adjustable rod float valve;
and
a ride control flow selector having a manual position and an automatic position;
wherein when the ride control controller activates ride control, the head valve allows flow between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator, and the ride control controller automatically controls adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve to control flow between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank;
and
wherein when the ride control controller deactivates ride control the head valve blocks flow between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator, and the adjustable rod float valve blocks flow between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank;
and
wherein when ride control is activated and the ride control flow selector is in the manual position, the ride control controller controls adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve based on operator manual inputs, and
when ride control is activated and the ride control flow selector is in the automatic position, the ride control controller automatically controls adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve based on one or more control inputs.

8 more elements

A method of adjusting a ride control circuit of a vehicle that includes a hydraulic source, a hydraulic accumulator, a hydraulic tank, a boom and a boom hydraulic cylinder with a head intake and a rod intake, where the boom hydraulic cylinder controls movement of the boom, the method comprising:

positioning a head valve to control flow between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator;
adjusting an adjustable rod float valve to control flow between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank, the adjustable rod float valve being an electronically adjustable valve that proportionally controls flow restriction between the rod intake and the hydraulic tank;
controlling activation of ride control using a ride control controller configured to receive control inputs, and control adjustment of the head valve and the adjustable rod float valve;
blocking flow through the head valve between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator when ride control is deactivated;
blocking flow through the adjustable rod float valve between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank when ride control is deactivated;
allowing flow through the head valve between the head intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator when ride control is activated;
enabling the ride control controller to automatically control adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve based on the control inputs to control flow between the rod intake of the boom hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic tank when ride control is activated;
receiving selector signals from a ride control flow selector that includes a manual position and an automatic position;
when ride control is activated and the selector signals indicate the ride control flow selector is in the manual position, enabling the ride control controller to control adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve based on operator manually inputs;
and
when ride control is activated and the selector signals indicate the ride control flow selector is in the automatic position, enabling the ride control controller to automatically control adjustment of the adjustable rod float valve based on one or more control inputs.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/670,219Filed 31 Oct 2019
Published: US 2021/0131068 A16 May 2021
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification30 codes

E02F 9/2228
Using pressure-compensating valves: including an electronic controller
F15B 1/021
Installations or systems with accumulators: used for damping
E02F 3/34
With digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm , i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets: with bucket-arms ,…
E02F 3/431
Control of dipper or bucket position; Control of sequence of drive operations: for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like

Family

US 2021/0131068 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 May 2021
US 11,441,293 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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