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US 9,051,714 B2Granted
Meterless hydraulic system having multi-actuator circuit
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorPatrick Opdenbosch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydraulic system is disclosed. The hydraulic system may have a pump, a first actuator, and a meterless circuit connecting the first actuator to the pump. The hydraulic system may also have a second actuator connected to the meterless circuit in parallel with the first actuator. The second actuator may be a variable-area linear actuator.
Claims15
A hydraulic system, comprising:
- a pump;
- a first actuator, wherein the first actuator is a fixed-area linear actuator;
- a meterless circuit connecting the first actuator to the pump;
- a second actuator connected to the meterless circuit in parallel with the first actuator, the second actuator being a variable-area linear actuator;
- a rotary actuator connected to the meterless circuit in parallel with the first and second actuators;
- and
- at least a first switching valve associated with the rotary actuator and configured to switch a flow direction of fluid passing through the rotary actuator.
4 more elements
A hydraulic system, comprising:
- an over-center, variable-displacement pump;
- a fixed-area linear actuator;
- a meterless circuit connecting the fixed-area linear actuator to the pump, wherein operation of the fixed-area linear actuator is controlled via regulation of the pump;
- a variable-area linear actuator connected to the meterless circuit in parallel with the fixed-area linear actuator;
- a rotary actuator connected to the meterless circuit in parallel with the first and second actuators;
- and
- at least a first switching valve associated with the rotary actuator and configured to switch a flow direction of fluid passing through the rotary actuator.
4 more elements
A method of operating a hydraulic system, comprising:
- pressurizing fluid with a pump;
- directing fluid pressurized by the pump to a first linear actuator and returning fluid from the first linear actuator to the pump via a meterless circuit;
- adjusting operation of the pump to adjust operation of the first linear actuator;
- directing fluid pressurized by the pump to a second linear actuator and returning fluid from the second linear actuator to the pump via the meterless circuit;
- adjusting a pressure area of the second linear actuator to adjust operation of the second actuator;
- at least partially isolating a suction side of the pump from the meterless circuit;
- selectively storing fluid discharged from the first or second linear actuators while the suction side of the pump is at least partially isolated from the meterless circuit;
- and
- providing makeup fluid to the meterless circuit during the selective storing of fluid.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.