ELECTRONIC CONTROL FOR THE DRIVE UNIT OF A VEHICLE

• US 20090005939A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Original Assignee: Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH (CLAAS KGaA mbH)
• Inventors: Dueckinghaus, Heinrich, Gersmann, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,639 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1274 for drives
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/165 acting on elements of the vehicle drive train other than the propulsion unit and brakes, e.g. transmission, clutch, differential acting on brakes B60T8/17
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18172 Preventing, or responsive to skidding of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/222 Harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/506 Wheel slip
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/52 dependent on the weight of the machine, e.g. change in weight resulting from passengers boarding a bus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/421 Motor capacity control by electro-hydraulic control means, e.g. using solenoid valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/472 for achieving a target output torque

Abstract

In vehicles designed to pick up and process crops, drive units affect the ground drive, which is an all-wheel drive, which acts on all of the wheels and/or track roller unit in contact with the ground, electronic controls and actuators perform the control and regulation of the drive units, and control units that control the drive torque at the wheels are used to obtain good traction and minimal slippage of the wheels on the ground. To control the drive torques, sensors are used at particular points, the signals and data of which are processed by the control device in order to predetermine a torque or intake volume requirement. The preselection of torque in the control results in the intake volume of the hydraulic drive motor being regulated. By specifying the intake volume required, it is possible to obtain optimal traction at one or more drive wheels, and to prevent undesired slippage of any one drive wheel in advance.

Claims

1. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle with all-wheel drive composed of a main engine, a hydraulic pump and at least one hydraulic motor which drives at least one wheel engaged with a ground, the electronic control device comprising means for optimizing traction and preventing slip at the at least one wheel by specifying a torque required at the hydraulic motor depending on an application.

2. An electronic control drive for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said means is configured so that the torque at the hydraulic motor is specified in an application-dependent manner via an intake volume requirement at the hydraulic motor.

3. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 2;

and further comprising means for determining the intake volume requirement by registering data and/or signals delivered by sensors.

4. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claims 3, wherein said determining means is configured so that it registers the data as static machine parameters, and the signals as dynamic machine parameters.

5. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising means for measuring static machine parameters of machine equipment.

6. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising means for measuring dynamic machine parameters of variable mass, and a direction and/or ground speed of the vehicle.

7. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 4;

and further comprising means for evaluating the data ascertained and/or the signals in the electronic control device, thereby resulting in values for a torque determination.

8. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising means for using calculated values for a torque determination to define a performance curve for the hydraulic motors, which specifies an intake volume for the at least one hydraulic motor.

9. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein the performance curve is a wheel-load dependent performance curve;

and further comprising means for using the wheel-load dependent performance curve to adjust a drive torque by controlling the intake volume of the at least one wheel which is driven hydrostatically.

10. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein the performance curve contains data that represent a variable traction and slip situation of every individual drive wheel.

11. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising means for indirectly determining a wheel load of the at least one wheel which is driven hydrostatically, and adjusting a wheel torque depending on the wheel load that was measured.

12. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising a control system used to intervene in the control device and manually changing a performance curve, thereby resulting in an adjustment of a requirements for an intake volume.

13. An electronic control device for a drive unit of a vehicle as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising at least one slip sensor for intervening in the control device and automatically adjusting a requirement for an intake volume.