Multi-motor actuation system for a power drive unit
First Claim
1. A hydromechanical system for a power drive unit having an output shaft drivingly coupled to a load, said system including in combination;
- a differential means having first and second members drivingly coupled through a third member to said output shaft and said load,first, second and third hydraulic motors each operating from an associated controllable independent hydraulic system,said first and third hydraulic motors having outputs drivingly coupled respectively to said differential means first and second members,a clutch means having an input shaft drivingly coupled to be driven by an output of said second hydraulic motor, said clutch means having first and second outputs respectively drivingly coupled to said differential means first member and said second member,clutch actuation means controllingly coupled to said clutch means to cause said clutch actuation means to couple said input shaft to either said first or said second outputs,said clutch actuation means having a normally neutral operative state whereby neither said first or second outputs are coupled to said input shaft,hydraulic failure detection means controllingly coupled to the independent hydraulic system associated with said second hydraulic motor and to said clutch actuation means, andsaid hydraulic failure detection means responsive to a hydraulic system failure in said first and third hydraulic motor independent hydraulic systems to thereby cause said clutch actuation means to connect said second hydraulic motor output through one of said clutch means first and second outputs, dependent upon which one of said first and third hydraulic systems has failed whereby said load is always driven by at least two hydraulic motors via said differential means when one of said hydraulic systems of either said first or third hydraulic motors experiences a failure.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to a multi-motor actuation system for a power drive unit. The system includes three independently hydraulically controlled motors adapted to be drivingly coupled to a power drive unit output. Two of the said motors are normally active at all times and the third motor acts as a back-up motor to provide redundancy for the two normally active motors. A hydraulic failure detection mechanism is controllingly coupled to the three independently hydraulically controlled motors. The hydraulic failure detection mechanism is responsive to any failure of one of the normally active hydraulically controlled motors to thereby cause the third motor to be coupled to the power drive unit. The failure detection mechanism is additionally responsive to a failure of both normally active hydraulically controlled motors to cause the third motor to take over the functions of both of the normally active hydraulically controlled motors.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A hydromechanical system for a power drive unit having an output shaft drivingly coupled to a load, said system including in combination;
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a differential means having first and second members drivingly coupled through a third member to said output shaft and said load, first, second and third hydraulic motors each operating from an associated controllable independent hydraulic system, said first and third hydraulic motors having outputs drivingly coupled respectively to said differential means first and second members, a clutch means having an input shaft drivingly coupled to be driven by an output of said second hydraulic motor, said clutch means having first and second outputs respectively drivingly coupled to said differential means first member and said second member, clutch actuation means controllingly coupled to said clutch means to cause said clutch actuation means to couple said input shaft to either said first or said second outputs, said clutch actuation means having a normally neutral operative state whereby neither said first or second outputs are coupled to said input shaft, hydraulic failure detection means controllingly coupled to the independent hydraulic system associated with said second hydraulic motor and to said clutch actuation means, and said hydraulic failure detection means responsive to a hydraulic system failure in said first and third hydraulic motor independent hydraulic systems to thereby cause said clutch actuation means to connect said second hydraulic motor output through one of said clutch means first and second outputs, dependent upon which one of said first and third hydraulic systems has failed whereby said load is always driven by at least two hydraulic motors via said differential means when one of said hydraulic systems of either said first or third hydraulic motors experiences a failure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A hydromechanical system for a power driven unit having an output shaft drivingly coupled to a load, said system including in combination:
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a mechanical transmission drivingly connected to said output shaft and said load, said mechanical transmission being of the differential type having first and second members drivingly coupled through a third member to said power drive unit output shaft, first, second and third independently hydraulically actuated motors, said first and third hydraulically actuated motors drivingly coupled respectively to said mechanical transmission, a clutch means having an input shaft drivingly coupled to be driven by said second hydraulically actuated motor, said clutch means having first and second outputs respectively drivingly coupled to said mechanical transmission, clutch actuation means controllingly coupled to said clutch means to cause said clutch actuation means to couple said input shaft to either said first or said second outputs, said clutch actuation means having a normally neutral operative state whereby neither said first or second outputs are coupled to said input shaft, hydraulic failure detection means controllingly coupled to said second hydraulically actuated motor and to said clutch actuation means, and said hydraulic failure detection means responsive to a hydraulic system failure in said first and third hydraulically actuated motors to thereby cause said clutch actuation means to connect said second hydraulically actuated motor output through one of said clutch means first and second outputs, dependent upon which one of said first and third hydraulically actuated motors has failed whereby said load is always driven by at least two hydraulic motors via said mechanical transmission when one of said first or third hydraulically actuated motors experiences a failure.
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Specification