Vehicle having a tilting axle and related methods
AssigneeAGCO do Brasil Soluções Agrícolas Ltda.
InventorAirton Solimar Walter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle includes a chassis, an axle pivotally coupled to the chassis such that the axle can tilt from side to side relative to the chassis, a tilt-angle sensor configured to detect a tilt angle of the axle relative to the chassis, and steerable hubs carried by the axle. Each hub is configured to rotate about steering axes relative to the axle, and a steering-angle sensor is configured to detect a steering angle of at least one hub relative to the axle. A control system limits a maximum steering angle of the hubs based at least in part on a size of tires or tracks carried by the steerable hubs and the detected tilt angle of the axle. A method includes detecting a tilt angle of the axle relative to the chassis and limiting the maximum steering angle of the hubs.
Claims17
A vehicle, comprising:
- a chassis;
- an axle pivotally coupled to the chassis such that the axle can tilt from side to side relative to the chassis;
- a tilt-angle sensor configured to detect a tilt angle of the axle relative to the chassis;
- a pair of steerable hubs carried by the axle, each hub configured to rotate about steering axes relative to the axle;
- a steering-angle sensor configured to detect a steering angle of at least one hub of the pair of hubs relative to the axle;
- and
- a control system configured to limit a maximum steering angle of the at least one hub based at least in part on a size of tires or tracks carried by the pair of hubs and the detected tilt angle of the axle.
A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:
- detecting a tilt angle of an axle relative to a chassis of the vehicle, the axle carrying a pair of steerable hubs configured to rotate about steering axes relative to the axle;
- and
- limiting a maximum steering angle of the pair of hubs based at least in part on a size of tires or tracks carried by the hubs and the detected tilt angle of the axle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.