Measuring arrangement and measuring process for fluid pressure cylinders
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorNicolai Tarasinski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A measuring arrangement for measuring the movement of a piston within a housing of a fluid cylinder includes a voltage generating arrangement for generating a reference voltage which is coupled to two locations of the cylinder which are spaced from each other in the direction of movement of the piston within the housing, these two locations being separately coupled to a piston movement evaluation arrangement which is also separately coupled to one or more further locations of the cylinder to which the two locations are electrically coupled so as to receive varying measurement voltage(s) as the two locations move relative to the further location(s). The evaluation arrangement uses the measurement voltage(s) to determine the piston movement.
Claims18
In combination with a hydraulic cylinder (16) including cylinder housing (14), and a piston (12) arranged so as to move in the cylinder housing (14), a measurement arrangement (10, 56) for the determination of the position of the piston (12) in the cylinder housing (14) of the cylinder (16), comprising:
- a reference voltage generator arrangement (22) for the generation of a reference voltage;
- an application arrangement (24) coupled between the reference voltage generator arrangement (22) and the cylinder (16) for the application of a reference voltage at a first position (30) and at a second position (32), with the first position (30) being spaced from the second position (32) in a direction of movement of the piston (12) and with the first and second positions (30 and 32) being on the exterior of the cylinder (16);
- a detection arrangement (36) be in coupled to the first position (30), the second position (32) and to a third position (38) on the exterior of the cylinder (16), with the third position being electrically coupled to the first and second positions (30 and 32), respectively, for the detection of a measurement voltage;
- and
- an evaluation arrangement (40) being coupled to the detection arrangement (36) for determining the position of the piston within the cylinder housing.
A measurement process for determining a position of a piston (12) of a cylinder (16) arranged for movement within the cylinder housing (14) by means of a measurement arrangement (10, 56) comprising the steps of:
- (1) generating a reference voltage;
- (2) applying the reference voltage to first and second positions (30, 32) of the cylinder (16), which are spaced apart from each other in a direction of movement of the piston (12) within the housing (14) of the cylinder (16);
- (3) detecting a measurement voltage at a third position (38) of the cylinder (16);
- and
- (4) evaluating the movement of the piston (12) by a calculation using the reference voltage and the measurement voltage.
In a vehicle steering arrangement including a steering cylinder (16), where the steering cylinder (16) is provided with a cylinder housing (14) and a piston (12) arranged so as to be moveable within the cylinder housing (14), at least one measurement arrangement (10, 56) for determining the position of the piston (12) of the steering cylinder (16) within the housing (14), comprising:
- a reference voltage generation arrangement (22) for the generation of a reference voltage;
- an application arrangement (24) coupled between the reference voltage generation arrangement (22) and the cylinder (16) for the application of a reference voltage at a first position (30) and at a second position (32), with the first position (30) being spaced from the second position (32) in a direction of movement of the piston (12) and with the first and second positions (30 and 32) being on the exterior of the cylinder (16);
- detection arrangement (36) being coupled to the first position (30), the second position (32) and to a third position (38) on the exterior of the cylinder (16), with the third position (38) being electrically coupled to the first and second positions (30 and 32), respectively, for the detection of a measurement voltage;
- and
- an evaluation arrangement (40) being coupled to the detection arrangement (36) for determining the position of the piston within the cylinder housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.