Cab environment warning and control method and apparatus
AssigneeCase Corporation
InventorsRobert D. Doescher, Alan G. Leupold, Peter H. Kennedy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a cab pressure drop warning to an off-road machine operator and instructions for increasing the cab pressure and for providing incentive to correct the pressure drop, the method including comparing ambient and cab pressures and threshold pressure (i.e., the ambient plus a differential value), causing a vehicle operation disruption for at least a short period during which the operator may elect to remedy the cab pressure drop.
Claims31
An apparatus for protecting a vehicle operator within a cab of a mobile vehicle working in a polluted environment, the cab sealed from the polluted environment and including a pressure system for maintaining a cab pressure above a threshold pressure and a pressure sensor for generating an alarm signal when the cab pressure drops below the threshold pressure, the apparatus comprising:
- a timer;
- and
- a processor linked to the timer and for, when a first alarm signal is generated, disrupting operation of the vehicle, timing out a disrupt period and, at the end of the disrupt period, returning the vehicle to normal operation.
An apparatus for protecting a vehicle operator within a cab of a mobile vehicle working in a polluted environment, the cab sealed from the polluted environment and including a pressure system for maintaining a cab pressure above a threshold pressure and a pressure sensor for generating an alarm signal when the cab pressure drops below the threshold pressure, the apparatus comprising:
- a communication device for communicating information to the vehicle operator;
- a memory device for storing information related to possible causes of cab pressure reduction;
- a processor linked to the communication device and the memory device and for, when an alarm signal is generated, retrieving the instructions and providing the instructions to the vehicle operator via the communication device.
A method for protecting a vehicle operator within a cab of a mobile vehicle working in a polluted environment, the cab sealed from the polluted environment and including a pressure system for maintaining a cab pressure above a threshold pressure and a pressure sensor for generating an alarm signal when the cab pressure drops below the threshold pressure, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the alarm signal;
- and
- when an alarm signal is generated,
- starting a timer to time out a disrupt period;
- disrupting vehicle operation during the disrupt period;
- and
- at the end of the disrupt period, normalizing vehicle operation.
An apparatus for protecting a vehicle operator within a cab of a mobile vehicle working in a polluted environment, the cab sealed from the polluted environment, the apparatus comprising:
- a contaminant sensor for sensing presence of a contaminant in the cab and generating an alarm signal when the sensor senses the presence of a contaminant;
- a timer;
- and
- a processor linked to the timer and for, when a first alarm signal is generated, disrupting operation of the vehicle, timing out a disrupt period and, at the end of the disrupt period, returning the vehicle to normal operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.