Brake-assist-steering system

• US 9,156,465 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Danfoss A/S
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Zumbusch, Steven John
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US14/217,636
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/70, 701/73, 701/74, 701/41, 303/150, 172/3, 172/7, 172/26, 180/169, 180/336
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 11/21 with two pedals operating on respective circuits, pressures therein being equalised when both pedals are operated together, e.g. for steering steering non-deflectable wheels or endless tracks by differentially driving ground-engaging elements on opposite vehicle sides using brakes as main steering effecting means B62D11/08

Abstract

A method of operating a brake-assist-steering system of a vehicle comprises the steps of receiving a signal from a wheel position detector. A theoretical wheel speed for an inside non-steered wheel is computed. A brake operably associated with the inside non-steered wheel is actuated when an actual wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel is greater than the theoretical wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel.

Claims

1. An off-highway vehicle comprising:

at least one steered wheel;

a plurality of non-steered wheels;

a plurality of brakes coupled to the plurality of non-steered wheels;

a steering device operably coupled to the at least one steered wheel for steering the at least one steered wheel;

a brake-assist-steering system operably associated with the plurality of non-steered wheels, the brake-assist-steering system including;

a wheel position detector adapted to provide a signal representative of a steered angle of the at least one steered wheel;

a plurality of wheel speed sensors adapted to provide a signal representative of actual wheel speeds of the plurality of non-steered wheels;

a controller in electrical communication with the wheel position detector and the plurality of wheel speed sensors;

wherein responsive to the controller only the brake that is coupled to an inside-non-steered wheel, which is disposed the shortest distance from a center of a turning circle of the vehicle, is actuated when an actual wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel is greater than a theoretical wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel and is released when the actual wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel is less than or equal to the theoretical wheel speed of the inside non-steered wheel.

2. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1, wherein the off-highway vehicle is an agricultural vehicle.

3. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1, wherein the theoretical wheel speed of the inside steered wheel is a function of the steered angle and vehicle geometry.

4. The off-highway vehicle of claim 3, wherein the vehicle geometry includes a wheel base and a track width.

5. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller establishes an engagement status of the brake operably associated with the inside non-steered wheel prior to actuating the brake.

6. The off-highway vehicle of claim 1, wherein the theoretical wheel speed of the inside steered wheel is a function of the steered angle, a wheel speed of an outside non-steered wheel, a wheel base of the off-highway vehicle, and a track width of the off-highway vehicle.