Mounting apparatus and method for cylinder position sensor

• US 20050132824A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Krone, John J., Mikrut, Daniel L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.900
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/2846 using detection of markings, e.g. markings on the piston rod
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the position of a rod member of a cylinder assembly are provided. The cylinder assembly may have a cylinder body with a cylinder chamber therein, a gland member disposed within the cylinder chamber, and a rod member movably arranged within the cylinder chamber and a rod opening of the gland member. The method may include moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber to substantially align a gland aperture of the gland member with a cylinder aperture of the cylinder body; substantially fixing the gland member relative the cylinder body; positioning a position sensor within at least one of the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture; moving the rod member within the rod opening of the gland member and the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body; and operating the position sensor to detect the position of the rod member.

Claims

1. A cylinder assembly comprising:

a cylinder body having a longitudinally arranged cylinder chamber therein, and having a cylinder aperture in the cylinder body, the cylinder aperture intersecting the cylinder chamber; and

a gland member having a rod opening therein, the gland member being disposed within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body, the gland member having a gland aperture therein, the gland aperture intersecting the rod opening, and the gland aperture being arranged in substantial alignment with the cylinder aperture;

a rod member movably arranged within the cylinder chamber and the rod opening; and

a position sensor disposed within at least one of the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture.

2. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the position sensor is arranged in substantial alignment with the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture.

3. The cylinder assembly of claim 2, wherein the position sensor extends within both the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture.

4. The cylinder assembly of claim 3, wherein the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture are arranged in a generally radial direction relative the cylinder chamber.

5. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland member is substantially rotationally and longitudinally fixed relative the cylinder body.

6. The cylinder assembly of claim 5, including a stake member extending within both the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture and operable to substantially rotationally fix the gland member relative the cylinder body.

7. The cylinder assembly of claim 6, wherein the gland member is threadedly engaged with the cylinder body.

8. The cylinder assembly of claim 6, wherein the stake member is at least one of the sensor and a sensor housing.

9. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland member is threadedly engaged with the cylinder body.

10. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland aperture has a larger cross-sectional area than the cylinder aperture.

11. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland aperture is arranged in substantial rotational alignment with the cylinder aperture.

12. The cylinder assembly of claim 1, wherein the gland aperture is arranged in substantial rotational and longitudinal alignment with the cylinder aperture.

13. A cylinder assembly comprising:

a cylinder body having a longitudinally arranged cylinder chamber therein, a first threaded area on the cylinder body, and a cylinder aperture in the cylinder body, the cylinder aperture intersecting the cylinder chamber;

a gland member having a rod opening therein, the gland member being disposed within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body, the gland member having a second threaded area on the gland member, the second threaded area being threadedly engaged with the first threaded area of the cylinder body;

a rod member movably arranged within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body and the rod opening of the gland member, the rod member having one or more detectable features disposed along the length of the rod member;

a position sensor attached to at least one of the cylinder body and the gland member and arranged in general aligrnent with a path of the one or more detectable features, the position sensor being operable to detect the one or more detectable features; and

a stake member arranged within the cylinder aperture and engaging the gland member, the stake member being operable to substantially rotationally fix the gland member relative the cylinder body.

14. The cylinder assembly of claim 13, wherein the stake member is at least one of the sensor and a sensor housing.

15. The cylinder assembly of claim 13, wherein the gland member includes a sensor opening, and the sensor opening is substantially rotationally and longitudinally aligned with the cylinder aperture.

16. The cylinder assembly of claim 13, wherein the gland member includes a stake slot therein, and the stake member engages the stake slot.

17. The cylinder assembly of claim 16, wherein the stake slot is a groove that is arranged in a generally longitudinal orientation on the gland member.

18. The cylinder assembly of claim 16, wherein the sensor is attached to the gland member in a substantially predetermined position relative the stake slot.

19. The cylinder assembly of claim 18, wherein:

the gland member includes a sensor opening; and

the sensor is mounted within the sensor opening.

20. The cylinder assembly of claim 19, wherein the sensor opening is a generally radially arranged throughbore in the gland member.

21. A method for detecting the position of a rod member of a cylinder assembly having (i) a cylinder body with a longitudinally arranged cylinder chamber in the cylinder body and a cylinder aperture in the cylinder body, the cylinder aperture intersecting the cylinder chamber, (ii) a gland member disposed within the cylinder chamber and including a rod opening in the gland member and a gland aperture in the gland member, the gland aperture intersecting the rod opening, and (iii) a rod member movably arranged within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body and the rod opening of the gland member, the method comprising:

moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body to substantially align the gland aperture of the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body;

substantially fixing the gland member relative the cylinder body;

positioning a position sensor within at least one of the cylinder aperture and the gland aperture;

moving the rod member within the rod opening of the gland member and the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body; and

operating the position sensor to detect the position of the rod member.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body includes rotating the gland member relative the cylinder body.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body further includes moving the gland member longitudinally with respect to the cylinder body via an engagement between threads on the gland member with threads on the cylinder body until the gland aperture of the gland member is substantially aligned with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of substantially fixing the gland member relative the cylinder body includes applying a stake member to the gland member and the cylinder body to prevent or inhibit movement of the gland member relative the cylinder body.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of applying a stake member includes inserting the stake member into the cylinder aperture.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of applying a stake member includes inserting the stake member into the gland aperture.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body to substantially align the gland aperture of the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body includes moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body to substantially rotationally align the gland aperture of the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body to substantially align the gland aperture of the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body includes moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body to substantially rotationally and longitudinally align the gland aperture of the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

29. A method for detecting the position of a rod member of a cylinder assembly having (i) a cylinder body with a longitudinally arranged cylinder chamber in the cylinder body and a cylinder aperture in the cylinder body, the cylinder aperture intersecting the cylinder chamber, (ii) a gland member disposed within the cylinder chamber and including a rod opening in the gland member, and (iii) a rod member having one or more detectable features thereon, the rod member being movably arranged within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body and the rod opening of the gland member, the method comprising:

moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body;

positioning at least one of a position sensor and a sensor housing of the position sensor in an opening of the gland member;

substantially aligning the position sensor with a path of the one or more detectable features of the rod member;

substantially fixing the gland member relative the cylinder body via a stake member that is (i) disposed within the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body and (ii) arranged in engagement with the gland member;

moving the rod member within the rod opening of the gland member and the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body; and

operating the position sensor to detect the position of the rod member as a function of the one or more detectable features.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the stake member is at least one of the position sensor and the sensor housing.

31. The method of claim 29, including positioning at least one of the position sensor and the sensor housing within the cylinder aperture.

32. The method of claim 31, including:

substantially aligning the opening in the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of substantially aligning the opening in the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body includes substantially rotationally aligning the opening in the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of substantially aligning the opening in the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body includes substantially rotationally and longitudinally aligning the opening in the gland member with the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body.

35. The method of claim 29, including:

substantially aligning the cylinder aperture of the cylinder body with a stake slot in the gland member; and

inserting the stake member into the stake slot of the gland member.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of moving the gland member within the cylinder chamber of the cylinder body includes moving the gland member longitudinally with respect to the cylinder body via (i) rotation of the gland member relative the cylinder body and (ii) an engagement between threads on the gland member with threads on the cylinder body.