Hydraulic system having implement and steering flow sharing
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsBryan A. Johnson, Jason L. Brinkman, Lawrence J. Tognetti, Chris R. Cesur, Peter Spring, Jiao Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic system for a machine is disclosed. The hydraulic system may have a first pump with variable displacement and being load-sense controlled, and a first hydraulic circuit associated with the first pump. The hydraulic system may also have a second pump with variable displacement and being electro-hydraulically controlled, and a second hydraulic circuit associated with the second pump. The hydraulic system may further have a flow-sharing valve arrangement configured to selectively share fluid flow between the first and second hydraulic circuits.
Claims18
A hydraulic system, comprising:
- a first pump having variable displacement and being load-sense controlled;
- a first hydraulic circuit associated with the first pump;
- a second pump having variable displacement and being electro-hydraulically controlled;
- a second hydraulic circuit associated with the second pump;
- and
- a flow-sharing valve arrangement configured to selectively share fluid flow between the first and second hydraulic circuits, wherein the flow-sharing valve arrangement is operable to share fluid flow between the first and second hydraulic circuits only when a displacement of the second pump is at a threshold position, wherein the threshold position is a maximum displacement position.
A method of sharing fluid between a steering circuit and an implement circuit, comprising:
- pressurizing fluid with a steering pump of the steering circuit based on a pressure within the steering circuit;
- pressurizing fluid with an implement pump of the implement circuit based on an operator demand for fluid in the implement circuit;
- determining that a maximum capacity of the implement pump for pressurizing fluid within the implement circuit has been reached;
- and
- selectively sharing pressurized fluid from the steering pump of the steering circuit with the implement circuit based on the determination.
A machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- an engine supported by the frame;
- a steering component connected to the frame;
- a steering actuator associated with the steering component to move the steering component;
- a steering pump having variable displacement and being configured to pressurize fluid directed to the steering actuator at a rate dependent on a sensed load of the steering actuator;
- an implement;
- an implement actuator associated with the implement to move the implement relative to the frame;
- an implement pump having variable displacement and being configured to pressurize fluid directed to the implement actuator at a rate dependent on an operator command to move the implement actuator;
- and
- a flow-sharing valve arrangement configured to selectively direct fluid from the steering pump to the implement actuator when a displacement of the implement pump is at a maximum position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.