Agricultural machine suspension control system
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorDaniel T. Short
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural machine includes a frame, a ground-engaging element, a suspension system that movably supports the frame relative to the ground-engaging element, wherein the suspension system is configured to apply, for a given displacement of the frame relative to the ground-engaging element, a force based on a force-to-displacement relationship. A control system is configured to receive an input indicative of an operational state of the agricultural machine during operation on a terrain, and automatically control the suspension system to adjust the force-to-displacement relationship of the suspension system based on the operational state.
Claims17
An agricultural machine comprising:
- a frame;
- a ground-engaging element;
- a suspension system that movably supports the frame relative to the ground-engaging element, wherein the suspension system comprises an air spring, having a flexible sidewall, configured to apply, for a given displacement of the frame relative to the ground-engaging element, a force based on a force-to-displacement relationship;
- and
- a control system configured to:
- receive an input indicative of an operational state of the agricultural machine during operation on a terrain;
- and
- automatically control the suspension system to adjust the force-to-displacement relationship by changing a configuration of the air spring, having the flexible sidewall, to adjust the force-to-displacement relationship of the air spring from a first force-to-displacement relationship to a second force-to-displacement relationship that is different than the first force-to-displacement relationship based on the operational state, wherein changing the configuration of the air spring comprises controlling a switching valve to select a selected control valve from one of a first control valve or a second control valve, wherein the selected control valve controls a flow of pressurized air to the air spring.
A method of controlling an agricultural machine, the method comprising:
- detecting an operational state of the agricultural machine during an operation on a terrain, the agricultural machine comprising a suspension system, including a first control valve, a second control valve, a switching valve, and an air spring, having a flexible sidewall, that movably supports a frame relative to a ground-engaging element and is configured to apply, for a given displacement of the frame relative to the ground-engaging element, a force based on a force-to-displacement relationship;
- determining an adjustment of the suspension system from a first force-to-displacement relationship to a second force-to-displacement relationship, that is different than the first force-to-displacement relationship, based on the operational state;
- and
- controlling the switching valve to select a selected control valve, from one of the first control valve or the second control valve, that controls a flow of pressurized air to the air spring, having the flexible sidewall, based on the determined adjustment.
A suspension system for an agricultural machine, the suspension system comprising:
- an air spring, having a flexible sidewall, configured to support a frame of the agricultural machine relative to a ground engaging element by applying a force against the frame at a spring rate of the air spring;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- receive terrain data representing terrain characteristics;
- and
- based on the terrain data, automatically control the air spring to adjust the spring rate of the air spring by controlling a switching valve to select a selected control valve from one of a first control valve or a second control valve, wherein the selected control valve controls a flow of pressurized air to the air spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.