Automatic articulation behavior during error and high speed conditions
First Claim
1. A method of operating a motor grader having front wheels that are steerable, the front wheels attached to a front frame, the front frame and a rear frame pivotally connected at an articulation joint, the method comprising:
- engaging at an electronic controller an automatic articulation control function that controls articulation of the motor grader at the articulation joint based on a steering angle of the front wheels;
operating the motor grader at an articulation angle with a magnitude greater than a threshold angle between the front frame and the rear frame responsive to instructions from the electronic controller;
determining at the electronic controller that a condition exists that indicates automatic articulation control function should be disengaged;
responsive to the determination, configuring the automatic articulation control function to only allow decreasing the articulation angle; and
decreasing the articulation angle of the motor grader until the articulation angle reaches the threshold angle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
When engaged, an articulation controller automatically adjusts an angle of articulation between a front frame and a rear frame of a motor grader based on a steering angle of the front wheels. If a groundspeed of the motor grader exceeds a threshold groundspeed, the articulation controller enters a mode that only allows decreasing the angle of articulation of the motor grader. When the angle of articulation reaches zero, the articulation controller disengages until the groundspeed is reduced below the threshold groundspeed.
29 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of operating a motor grader having front wheels that are steerable, the front wheels attached to a front frame, the front frame and a rear frame pivotally connected at an articulation joint, the method comprising:
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engaging at an electronic controller an automatic articulation control function that controls articulation of the motor grader at the articulation joint based on a steering angle of the front wheels; operating the motor grader at an articulation angle with a magnitude greater than a threshold angle between the front frame and the rear frame responsive to instructions from the electronic controller; determining at the electronic controller that a condition exists that indicates automatic articulation control function should be disengaged; responsive to the determination, configuring the automatic articulation control function to only allow decreasing the articulation angle; and decreasing the articulation angle of the motor grader until the articulation angle reaches the threshold angle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system that manages articulation in a motor grader having a front frame and a rear frame pivotally connected at an articulation joint, the system comprising:
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a groundspeed sensor that reports a groundspeed of the motor grader; a steering sensor that reports a steering angle of wheels attached to the front frame; a control mechanism that changes an angle of the front frame relative to the rear frame; and an electronic controller coupled to the groundspeed sensor, the steering sensor, and the control mechanism, the electronic controller including; a groundspeed sensor input; a steering angle sensor input; an output configured to operate the control mechanism; a memory configured to store executable instructions and data; and a processor coupled to the groundspeed sensor input, the steering angle sensor input, the output, and the memory, the processor configured to execute stored executable instructions that cause the electronic controller, responsive to data from the steering sensor, to cause the control mechanism via the output to increase and decrease an angle of articulation when the groundspeed is less than a maximum groundspeed, and to cause the electronic controller to operate in a return-to-zero mode that only decreases the angle of articulation using the output when the groundspeed is greater than the maximum groundspeed. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of controlling an articulation angle in a motor grader using an electronic controller, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the electronic controller, a steering signal that indicates a non-zero steering angle; setting, via the electronic controller, a non-zero articulation angle corresponding to the steering signal; determining a groundspeed condition associated with disengaging the electronic controller from control of the articulation angle; responsive to determining the groundspeed condition, operating the electronic controller in a return-to-zero mode that only processes steering signals associated with decreasing the articulation angle of the motor grader towards center; reducing the articulation angle responsive to steering signals associated with decreasing the articulation angle; and disengaging the electronic controller from control of the articulation angle when the articulation angle reaches approximately zero. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification