Electronic inching control strategy
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsJames D. Esterby, Jeffrey T. Ryan, Douglas L. Sloan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the pressure of an actuating fluid flowing through an inching clutch. The invention includes the steps of determining an actual pressure of the actuating fluid, establishing an inching pressure threshold, comparing the actual pressure with the threshold, and controlling the actual pressure in response to the comparison. In one embodiment, the pressure is controlled using a first control algorithm in response to the fluid pressure being less than an inching threshold, and using a second control algorithm in response to the pressure being greater than or equal to the inching threshold.
Claims10
A method for controlling an actual pressure of an actuating fluid flowing through a valve and an inching clutch, comprising the steps of:
- determining an actual pressure of the fluid;
- determining a desired inching input;
- establishing an inching pressure threshold;
- comparing said actual pressure with said threshold;
- and
- electronically controlling the actual pressure in response to said comparison and said inching input.
An apparatus for controlling the pressure of an actuating fluid flowing through a valve and an inching clutch comprising:
- a pressure sensing device adapted to sense an actual pressure of the actuating fluid and generate an a pressure signal;
- and
- a controller adapted to receive said pressure signal, establish an inching pressure threshold, compare said actual pressure with said threshold and responsively generate a valve command signal, thereby controlling the pressure of the fluid, wherein said controller selects one of a first and a second algorithm to determine said valve command in response to said comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.