Electronic control system for a hydraulic pump
First Claim
1. A drive system for electronically controlling a hydraulic pump, comprising:
- an operator control handle associated with an electronically driven swash plate; and
an electronic circuit to sense the non-neutral position of the swash plate, wherein the swash plate is driven to a neutral position from a non-neutral position independent of the position of the operator control handle in response to a predefined condition.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for electronically controlling the displacement of hydraulic pumps, IHTs or HSTs. The IHT and HST includes a hydraulic transmission mounted within the casing that includes a rotatable hydraulic pump in fluid communication with a rotatable hydraulic motor and a moveable swash plate cooperable with the rotatable hydraulic pump for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of the rotatable hydraulic motor. The rotation of the hydraulic motor is used to drive an axle shaft. For controlling the positioning of the swash plate, the transaxle further includes a rotatable trunnion arm coupled to the moveable swash plate. The rotatable trunnion arm extends from the casing and is coupled to a control arm. The control arm is further connected to the electronic actuation drive, which is mounted to the casing and is used to electronically control the rotation of the rotatable control arm to change the orientation of the swash plate and to change the speed and direction of rotation of the rotatable hydraulic motor.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A drive system for electronically controlling a hydraulic pump, comprising:
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an operator control handle associated with an electronically driven swash plate; and an electronic circuit to sense the non-neutral position of the swash plate, wherein the swash plate is driven to a neutral position from a non-neutral position independent of the position of the operator control handle in response to a predefined condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A vehicle, comprising:
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a prime mover; an ignition switch associated with actuating the prime mover; an electronically controlled hydraulic pump; and an electronic circuit to sense a non-neutral position of the hydraulic pump, wherein the ignition switch is prevented from actuating the prime mover in response to existence of a predefined conditioned. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A transaxle drive device, comprising:
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a housing a rotatable hydraulic cylinder positioned within the housing; a swash plate cooperable with the hydraulic cylinder to vary the displacement of the hydraulic cylinder; a trunnion arm drivingly connected to the swash plate, whereby the swash plate rotates around the axis of the trunnion arm; a control arm located within the housing and attached to the trunnion arm; and an electronic drive operatively engaged to the control arm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A transaxle drive device comprising:
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a housing; a rotatable hydraulic cylinder positioned within the housing; a swash plate cooperable with the hydraulic cylinder to vary the displacement of the hydraulic cylinder; a trunnion arm drivingly connected to the swash plate, whereby the swash plate rotates around the axis of the trunnion arm; a control arm attached to the trunnion arm; and an electronic drive operatively engaged to the control arm, wherein the position of the control arm is indicated by a Hall Effect sensor. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A transaxle drive device comprising:
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a housing; a rotatable hydraulic cylinder positioned within the housing; a swash plate cooperable with the hydraulic cylinder to vary the displacement of the hydraulic cylinder; a trunnion arm drivingly connected to the swash plate, whereby the swash plate rotates around the axis of the trunnion arm; a control arm attached to the trunnion arm; and an electronic drive operatively engaged to the control arm, wherein the position of the control arm is indicated by a variable potentiometer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification