Screed heating control
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorsJason W. Kopacz, Anthony P. Steinhagen, Jameson M. Smieja
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method to control heating of a screed assembly in a paving machine is disclosed. The system and method includes providing a plurality of screed elements in communication with a respective one of a plurality of circuit breakers through a respective one of a plurality of relays. The system and method additionally includes providing a control system in communication with the plurality of screed elements and the plurality of relays and, receiving inputs by the control system to generate an output signal based upon the inputs. Heating of each of the plurality of screed elements is accomplished in response to the output signal.
Claims18
A method to control heating of a screed assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of screed elements in communication with a respective one of a plurality of circuit breakers through a respective one of a plurality of relays;
- providing a control system in communication with the plurality of screed elements and the plurality of relays;
- receiving inputs by the control system including a load factor indicative of a load on an engine of a tractor linked to the screed assembly;
- determining by the control system a number of coldest ones of the plurality of screed elements to be heated simultaneously based upon the load factor, and generating an output signal;
- heating the number of coldest ones of the plurality of screed elements simultaneously in response to the output signal;
- determining by the control system whether any of the number of coldest ones of the plurality of screed elements being heated simultaneously has heated up to a pre set temperature difference with remaining of the plurality of screed elements;
- and
- replacing the ones of the plurality of screed elements whose pre set temperature is reached with at least one of the remaining next coldest of the plurality of screed elements.
A paving machine, comprising:
- a screed assembly having a plurality of screed elements;
- a generator driven by an engine and having a plurality of circuit breakers, each of the plurality of circuit breakers in communication with a respective one of the plurality of screed elements;
- a plurality of relays in communication with a respective one of the plurality of circuit breakers;
- and
- a control system capable of receiving a plurality of inputs and generating an output to selectively activate the plurality of relays, wherein the plurality of inputs include a load factor indicative of a load on the engine and selectively activating the plurality of relays includes determining, based upon the load factor, a number of coldest ones of the plurality of screed elements to be heated simultaneously until a pre set temperature difference with remaining of the plurality of screed elements is reached, the control system further capable of replacing the ones of the plurality of screed elements whose pre set temperature is reached with at least one of the remaining next coldest of the plurality of screed elements.
A method of heating a screed assembly, the method comprising;
- providing a screed assembly having six screed elements, each of the six screed elements connected to a respective circuit breaker through a respective relay;
- providing a control system receiving inputs from each of the six screed elements and receiving a load factor indicative of a load on an engine of a tractor linked to the screed assembly;
- determining by the control system a number of coldest ones of the six screed elements to be heated simultaneously based upon the load factor;
- activating the relays of the number of coldest ones of the six screed elements;
- heating the four coldest of the number of coldest ones six screed elements through their respective circuit breakers based on the received inputs;
- determining whether any one of the number of coldest ones of the six screed elements being heated simultaneously has reached a pre set temperature difference with the remaining of the six screed elements;
- and
- heating the next four coldest screed elements if the pre set temperature is reached.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.