Selectable control parameters on a power machine with four-wheel steering

• US 20020153188A1
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Enerbility Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Enerbility Company Limited)
• Inventors: Rossow, Scott R., Brandt, Kenneth A.
• Application Number:
  US10/071,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20020153188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/252
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/02 by differentially driving ground-engaging elements on opposite vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/1509 with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/225 Control of steering, e.g. for hydraulic motors driving the vehicle tracks steering in general B62D
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2253 Controlling the travelling speed of vehicles, e.g. adjusting travelling speed according to implement loads, control of hydrostatic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04774 with additional switches or sensors on the handle
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04

Abstract

A control system in accordance with one feature of the present invention includes one or more user inputs, movable by a user in an operator compartment of a power machine. The user inputs can be used to set values for a plurality of settable operating parameters to direction of movement of the power machine, as well as travel speed.

Claims

1. A control system for a power machine having independently steerable and rotatable wheels, the control system comprising:

a user input device including a plurality of user actuable inputs providing user actuation signals; and

an electronic controller coupled to the user input device and configured to receive a plurality of user selectable operating parameters, based on user actuation of the user actuable inputs, provide a steering control signal to control steering of the wheels and a speed control signal to control speed of the wheels based on the operating parameters received, and provide a differential speed control signal to the wheels.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller controls the wheels such that the wheels on a right side of the power machine, and the wheels on a left side of the power machine are capable of rotating at a different rate from each other.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the controller controls a rotation rate of each of a plurality of wheels so that each of the plurality of wheels is capable of rotating at a different rate from each of the other the plurality of wheels.

4. The control system of claim 1 further comprising:

a wheel speed sensor coupled to the controller and providing a speed signal indicative of wheel speed;

a steering angle sensor coupled to the controller and providing a steer angle signal indicative of an angle at which an associated wheel is disposed relative to a predetermined wheel angle;

at least one controllable differential configured for allowing each of a plurality of wheels to rotate at a different rate from each of the other of the plurality of wheels.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein the at least one controllable differential is an electrically controllable differential.

6. The control system of claim 4 wherein the at least one controllable differential is a drive motor.

7. A method for controlling rotation rate of a plurality of wheels on a power loader, the plurality of wheels being divided between a right side and a left side comprising the steps of:

receiving in a controller from a user input device including a plurality of user actuable inputs a plurality of user actuation signals;

processing the plurality of user actuation signals in the controller to generate at least one drive motor signal and at least one steering control signal;

transmitting from the controller drive signals to at least one drive motor and transmitting steering signals to at least one steering valve;

receiving in the controller signals from each of the plurality of wheels indicative of the rotation rate of the wheel and an associated steering angle of the wheel;

providing from the controller to a at least one controllable differential associated with the right side, a signal for either increasing, decreasing or not changing the rotation rate of the wheels on the right side based upon the rotation rate of the wheels, the steering angles of the wheels, and a predetermined algorithm; and

providing from the controller to a at least one controllable differential associated with the left side, a signal for either increasing, decreasing or not changing the rotation rate of the wheels on the left side based upon the rotation rate of the wheels, the steering angles of the wheels, and a predetermined algorithm.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one controllable differential associated with either the right or left side is controlled independently of any other controllable differential associated with that side.

9. A method for controlling rotation rate of a plurality of wheels on a power loader, the plurality of wheels being divided between a right side and a left side comprising the steps of:

receiving in a controller from a user input device including a plurality of user actuable inputs a plurality of user actuation signals;

processing the plurality of user actuation signals in the controller to generate at least one drive motor signal and at least one steering control signal;

transmitting from the controller drive signals to at least one drive motor and transmitting steering signals to at least one steering valve;

receiving in the controller signals from each of the plurality of wheels indicative of the rotation rate of the wheel and an associated steering angle of the wheel;

providing from the controller to at least one drive motor associated with the right side, a signal for increasing, decreasing or not changing the rotation rate of the wheels on the right side based upon the rotation rate of the wheels, the steering angles of the wheels, and a predetermined algorithm; and

providing from the controller to at least one drive motor associated with the left side, a signal for increasing, decreasing or not changing the rotation rate of the wheels on the left side based upon the rotation rate of the wheels, the steering angles of the wheels, and a predetermined algorithm.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one drive motor associated with either the right or left side may be controlled independently of any other drive motor on that side.