Apparatus and method for monitoring and managing the connection and operation of lines of a hydraulic system

An apparatus (1) for monitoring and managing a correct connection and operation of hydraulic lines (30) that establish a connection of a primary hydraulic circuit of an operating machine (10) with a secondary hydraulic circuit of a utility (20), said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of ports comprising a female coupling or cartridge (30a) on a machine side of a hydraulic line (30), the plurality of ports being each adapted to accommodate a male coupling (30b) provided on a utility side of said hydraulic line (30) for the connection of each of said hydraulic lines;
• means (50b, 50b′) for identifying each of said male couplings (30b);
• and
• means (40a, 40a′) for identifying each of said plurality of ports that comprise said female couplings or cartridges (30a);
• and
• a data communication module (60) provided on said operating machine (10) for identifying said male couplings (30b) as said male couplings are being moved toward said ports (30a) and for indicating to a user a correct port for hydraulic coupling between said male couplings (30b) and said female couplings or cartridges (30a), thereby guiding the user in operations to connect lines (30),
• wherein said means (50b, 50b′) for identifying each of said male couplings (30b) comprise at least one passive RFID TAG (50b, 50b′) coupled to each of said male couplings (30b) of each hydraulic line (30),
• wherein said means (40a, 40a′) for identifying each of said plurality of ports comprising the female coupling or cartridge (30a) comprise at least one sensorized element (40a, 40a′) coupled to each port and at least one microswitch (41) adapted to detect that the correct connection of the male coupling (30b) into the female coupling (30a) has occurred, and at least one visual signaling means (42) for indicating to the user which machine-side port has to be coupled to the male coupling (30b) of the utility, and
• wherein said data communication module (60) is placed on board said operating machine (10) and comprises one or more RFID antennas (61) adapted to actuate said passive RFID TAGS (50b, 50b′) coupled to each of said male couplings (30b) and to read a unique return ID signal emitted by each of said RFID TAGs, and at least one microprocessor (62) in signal communication with said at least one microswitch (41) and with said visual signaling means (42);
• and
• a remote platform (80);
• and
• an electronic device (70) in data communication via a network connection with said remote platform (80) so that data concerning couplings and connections of the hydraulic lines (30) of the operating machines (10) and of various utilities (20) sent by said data communication module (60) to a management application (App) for mobile devices (70) may be used to monitor modes of use of an entire hydraulic system.