Adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorCarl S. Silbernagel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement includes an engine speed sensor providing engine speed inputs to a microcontroller that provides electrical power to an electromagnetic clutch for engaging an engine to at least one mower blade. The microcontroller repeatedly computes the rate of change of engine speed during mower blade clutch engagement and modulates the electrical power to the electromagnetic clutch each time the rate of change of engine speed is outside minimum or maximum thresholds.
Claims17
An adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement, comprising:
- an engine speed sensor providing engine speed inputs to a microcontroller that provides electrical power to an electromagnetic clutch for engaging an engine to at least one mower blade;
- wherein the microcontroller repeatedly computes the rate of change of engine speed during mower blade clutch engagement and modulates the electrical power to the electromagnetic clutch each time the rate of change of engine speed is outside a threshold.
An adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement, comprising:
- a microcontroller receiving engine speed inputs from an engine speed monitor, determining if each engine speed input is between a minimum threshold and a maximum threshold, and changing an electrical input to the mower blade clutch each time the engine speed is outside the minimum or maximum thresholds until the mower blade clutch is fully engaged.
An adaptive soft start system for mower blade clutch engagement, comprising:
- monitoring electrical current of an electromagnetic mower blade clutch and determining if there is a drop in current;
- if there is a drop in current, measuring engine speed and computing engine speed slope;
- determining if engine speed slope is within a minimum threshold and a maximum threshold;
- and
- modifying power supplied to the electromagnetic mower blade clutch if the engine speed slope is outside the minimum or maximum thresholds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.