AUTOMATIC DIFFERENTIAL CONTROL SYSTEM WITH MANUAL OVERRIDE MODE

• US 20150149054A1
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Moloney, Kevin M., Gentle, Michael C., Funk, Dustin, Van de Veer, Brad R.
• Application Number:
  US14/609,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/67
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2048/204 Control of arrangements for suppressing differential actions
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/20 Arrangements for suppressing or influencing the differential action, e.g. locking devices

Abstract

A method of controlling a differential assembly of a machine is disclosed herein. The differential assembly may be locked by use of a differential lock. The differential lock is adapted to operate in at least one of an automatic mode and a manual override mode. The differential lock is activated and/or deactivated by an automatic differential control system with a manual override mode. The method initiates with activation of the automatic differential control system. Thereafter, the automatic differential control system may be overridden by activation of the manual override mode, while the automatic differential control system continues to be activated. Thereafter, the manual override mode may be deactivated by use of the automatic differential control system based on one or more of a plurality of operational parameters.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a differential assembly of a machine, the machine including an automatic differential control system, the differential assembly having at least one differential lock to selectively lock the differential assembly, the at least one differential lock adapted to operate in at least one of an automatic mode and a manual override mode, the method comprising:

activating the automatic differential control system to selectively lock the differential assembly;

overriding the automatic differential control system by activating the manual override mode, thereby locking the differential assembly manually, while keeping the automatic differential control system activated; and

deactivating the manual override mode by using the automatic differential control system based on one or more of a plurality of operational parameters, thereby unlocking the differential assembly.