US 12,734,879 B2Granted

Rear wheel drive clutch control system of work vehicle

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorWilliam J. Vande Haar

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A rear wheel drive clutch control system of a work vehicle includes a first sensor, a second sensor, and a third sensor, a rear drive clutch, and a controller. The first sensor measures the steering angle. The second sensor measures a speed of the front wheels. The third sensor measures a speed of the rear wheels. The drive clutch is operatively positioned between a rear axle and a power source and used for selective engagement, adjustable in an extent between a fully engaged position and a fully disengaged position to change the portion of the power from a transmission to a rear axle. The controller receives the signals from the first, second, and third sensors and determines the engagement between the fully engaged position and a fully disengaged position based on the signals from the first, second, and third sensors.

A work vehicle, comprising:

a power source configured to generate power;
a transmission coupled to the power source with an input shaft to receive power from the power source and configured to transfer the power;
a front axle coupled to the transmission with a front drive shaft, coupled to front wheels pivotable relative to the front axle with a steering angle, and configured to receive at least a first portion of the power from the transmission;
a rear axle coupled to the transmission with a rear drive shaft, coupled to rear wheels, and configured to receive at least a second portion of the power from the transmission;
a first sensor configured to measure the steering angle and transmit a signal indicative of the steering angle;
a second sensor configured to measure a drivetrain component and transmit a signal indicative of a speed of the front wheels;
a third sensor configured to measure another drivetrain component and transmit a signal indicative of a speed of the rear wheels;
a drive clutch operatively positioned between the rear axle and the power source and configured for selective engagement, adjustable in an extent between a fully engaged position and a fully disengaged position to change the second portion of the power from the transmission to the rear axle;
and
a controller including a processor and a memory having a clutch control algorithm stored therein, the processor operable to execute the clutch control algorithm to receive the signal indicative of the steering angle from the first sensor, receive the signal indicative of the speed of the front wheels from the second sensor, receive the signal indicative of the speed of the rear wheels from the third sensor, determine the engagement in the extent between the fully engaged position and the fully disengaged position based on the signal from the first sensor, the signal from the second sensor, and the signal from the third sensor, and determine a desired speed of the rear wheels based on the signal from the first sensor and the signal from the second sensor.

7 more elements

Facts

Application

18/987,544Filed 19 Dec 2024

Published

US 2026/0175678 A125 Jun 2026

Granted

15 Sep 2026

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B60K 23/0808
For changing number of driven wheels , for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles: for varying torque distribution between…
B60K 17/02
Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
B60K 17/348
For driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles: having differential means for driving one set of wheels, e.g. the front,…
F16D 48/066
Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure: control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator

Abstract

Claims18