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US 6,763,661 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for providing vibration to an appendage of a work vehicle
AssigneeHUSCO International, Inc.
InventorsKeith A. Tabor, Joseph L. Pfaff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for creating vibration of an appendage of a work vehicle is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hydraulic cylinder, first and second valve assemblies, and a control element. The hydraulic cylinder is coupled between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage and includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a piston. The first and second valve assemblies respectively govern whether hydraulic fluid is provided from a pump to, or to a tank from, the first and second chambers. The control element automatically causes a status of the second valve assembly to repeatedly alternate with time so that the vibration occurs at the piston and is in turn provided to the appendage.
Claims26
An apparatus for creating vibration of an appendage of a work vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a hydraulic cylinder coupled between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage and including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a piston, wherein movement of the piston results in corresponding movement of the appendage with respect to the first portion of the work vehicle;
- a valve assembly coupled between the first and second chambers, a pump, and a tank, wherein the valve assembly governs whether hydraulic fluid is provided from the pump to the first and second chambers and to the tank from the first and second chambers;
- and
- a control element coupled to the valve assembly, wherein the control element in response to a command causes a status of at least a first portion of the valve assembly to repeatedly alternate with time so that the hydraulic fluid is alternately provided from the pump to the first chamber and provided to the tank from the first chamber, so that vibration occurs at the piston and is in turn provided to the appendage.
1 more element
An apparatus in a work vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- an appendage coupled to a portion of the work vehicle;
- a hydraulic cylinder coupled between the portion of the work vehicle and the appendage and including a load-bearing chamber, a non-load-bearing chamber, and a piston, wherein movement of the piston results in related movement of the appendage with respect to the portion of the work vehicle;
- and
- a flow regulation means for determining whether hydraulic fluid is provided from a hydraulic pressure source to the non-load-bearing chamber, and from the non-load-bearing chamber to a fluid reservoir, and
- a control means for controlling the flow regulation means, wherein the control means is capable of automatically operating in at least one of a first mode in which the appendage is caused to vibrate without significantly moving from an original position, and a second mode in which the appendage is caused to vibrate and also to experience an overall movement in a particular direction.
2 more elements
A method of creating vibration at an appendage of a work vehicle, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a hydraulic cylinder between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage;
- (b) providing a valve assembly between a pump and first and second chambers of the hydraulic cylinder, and between a tank and the first and second chambers;
- (c) receiving a command to provide vibration of the appendage;
- (d) controlling a first portion of the valve assembly so that hydraulic fluid flows from the pump to the first chamber and a second portion of the valve assembly so that hydraulic fluid at least one of flows from the second chamber to the tank and is prevented from flowing to and from the second chamber;
- (e) controlling the first portion of the valve assembly so that hydraulic fluid is capable of flowing from the first chamber to the tank and the second portion of the valve assembly so that hydraulic fluid is prevented from flowing to and from the second chamber;
- and
- (f) repeating (d) and (e) over a period of time so that the vibration is created at the piston and at the appendage.
4 more elements
A system for generating vibration of an appendage of a work vehicle, the system comprising:
- a cylinder coupled between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage and including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a piston, wherein movement of the piston results in corresponding movement of the appendage with respect to the first portion of the work vehicle;
- a valve assembly coupled between the first and second chambers, a pump, and a tank, wherein the valve assembly governs whether hydraulic fluid is provided from the pump to the first and second chambers and to the tank from the first and second chambers;
- and
- a control element coupled to the valve assembly, wherein the control element in response to a command causes a status of a first portion of the valve assembly to repeatedly alternate with time so that the hydraulic fluid is alternately provided from the pump to the first chamber and provided to the tank from the first chamber, so that vibration occurs at the piston and is in turn provided to the appendage,
- wherein the control element in response to the command causes a second portion of the valve assembly to enter a locked state in which hydraulic fluid is prevented from flowing to and from the second chamber.
2 more elements
A system for generating vibration of an appendage of a work vehicle, the system comprising:
- a cylinder coupled between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage and including a first chamber, a second chamber, and a piston, wherein movement of the piston results in corresponding movement of the appendage with respect to the first portion of the work vehicle;
- a valve assembly coupled between the first and second chambers, a pump, and a tank, wherein the valve assembly governs whether hydraulic fluid is provided from the pump to the first and second chambers and to the tank from the first and second chambers;
- and
- a control element coupled to the valve assembly, wherein the control element in response to a command causes both the status of a first portion of the valve assembly and the status of a second portion of the valve assembly to repeatedly alternate so that, at a first series of times, hydraulic fluid is provided from the pump to the first chamber and from the second chamber to the tank and, at a second series of times, hydraulic fluid is provided from the first chamber to the tank and from the pump to the second chamber, the times of the first and second series alternating with one another in time, and
- wherein the times of the first series differ in length from the times of the second series.
2 more elements
A method of creating vibration at an appendage of a work vehicle, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a hydraulic cylinder between a first portion of the work vehicle and the appendage;
- (b) providing a valve assembly between a pump and first and second chambers of the hydraulic cylinder, and between a tank and the first and second chambers;
- (c) receiving a command to provide vibration of the appendage;
- (d) controlling first and second portions of the valve assembly so that during a first time period hydraulic fluid flows from the pump to the first chamber and from the second chamber to the tank;
- (e) controlling the first and second portions of the valve assembly so that during a second time period hydraulic fluid flows from the first chamber to the tank and the from the pump to the second chamber;
- and
- (f) repeating (d) and (e) so that the vibration is experienced by a piston of the hydraulic cylinder and at the appendage linked to the piston,
- wherein the first and second time periods are of unequal length so that the piston and the appendage also experience an overall movement in a first direction.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.