Patents Assigned to Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
  • Publication number: 20150097417
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting a pre-charge pressure of a hydraulic braking system are disclosed. A controller receives pressure readings from a pressure sensor indicative of the pressure of a hydraulic brake accumulator or the lower pressure of more than one accumulator. In response to fluid being provided to the hydraulic accumulator, the controller determines a first rate of pressure change, a second rate of pressure change different than the first rate, and a transition pressure between the first and second rates. The controller determines an approximate pre-charge pressure of the hydraulic brake accumulator based on the transition pressure. A warning can be provided to the operator or another when the determined pre-charge pressure is lower than a reference pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Stephen Thompson, Peter O'Brien, Biagio Ciarla, Adam J. Adeeb
  • Publication number: 20140222303
    Abstract: A method for controlling a dump body of a hauling machine wherein the hauling machine includes an engine, at least one extendable cylinder, a lift energy source, and a controller is provided. The method includes initiation of the dump operation, detection of payload from the payload signal, calculation of engine throttle based on the payload information, and detection of machine speed based on the machine speed signal. Upon detection of machine speed, if the machine speed coincides with the first selective dump command, the transmission is disengaged and the payload is released at selective dump angle. If the machine speed coincides with the second selective dump command, the payload is released at selective dump angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: BADRI NARAYANAN CHARY, MARK ROBERT BLACKBURN
  • Publication number: 20140151137
    Abstract: A hitch assembly is disclosed for use with an articulated mobile machine. The hitch assembly may have a yoke portion, a tube portion, a driveshaft, and a hitch carrier to rotationally support the driveshaft inside the tube portion and having a plurality of first holes. The hitch assembly may further have a plurality of fasteners to connect the hitch carrier to the tube portion via the plurality of first holes, and a thrust collar to threadingly engage a periphery of the hitch carrier and having a plurality of second holes. The hitch assembly may additionally have a locking plate with at least one pin to engage at least one of the plurality of second holes, and a plurality of third holes to receive at least some of the plurality of fasteners. The number of the plurality of second holes is greater than the number of the plurality of first holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Iain J. GILES-BROWN, Ian H. MEARNS, Terence FAIRLESS
  • Patent number: 8191364
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a technology that can utilize the advantages of both a load sensing control and a regeneration circuit without causing any problem. A regeneration circuit is added to a hydraulic circuit provided with a hydraulic pressure signal line for detecting a hydraulic pressure value of a circuit and controlling a volume of hydraulic fluid to a cylinder 1 with reference to the detected value. A pressure reducing valve 6 that outputs a reduced pressure as an operating signal to a pump 2, and subsequently the controlling means 5 causes the pressure reducing valve 6 to output a pressure reduction command to a pump 2 and thus to reduce a discharge rate from the pump 2, when the regeneration circuit is in a regeneration state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Shimada, Tetsuya Yoshino, Nobuhiro Miki, Yuya Kanenawa, Yutaka Yokoyama, Takayasu Kitai
  • Patent number: 8163211
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel capable of obtaining sufficient strength, weight reduction and sound absorbing performance. A space is formed by an inner thin plate fixed to the inner surface of an outer thin plate, and a foam material is filled in the space. The foam material is preferably a highly foamable rubber sound absorbing material. In the inner thin plate, a perimetrical side part and perimetrical edge part for forming the space, and a concave part for enhancing the strength of the panel are drawn to the side of the outer thin plate. The bottom faces of the perimetrical edge part and concave part of the inner thin plate are bonded to the outer thin plate using a thermosetting adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Ryoji Uto
  • Patent number: 8056302
    Abstract: A door panel that is capable of maintaining the adhering strength of the adhesive is provided. An outer panel and an inner panel are joined together by an adhesive. Adhesive retaining portions, each of which includes an adhesive retaining channel for retaining the adhesive, are provided in adhering portions of the inner panel. Each adhering portion includes vertically extending portions, and the adhesive retaining portions of the inner panel are formed in the shape of an extended raised portion and extend vertically in the respective vertically extending portions of the adhering portions, along ventilation openings, which are formed at locations corresponding to groups of ventilation holes of the outer panel. Each adhesive retaining portion is provided at the middle of each vertically extending portion of the adhering portions so as to be flanked by adhesion margins of identical width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Ryoji Uto, Isao Yoshijima
  • Patent number: 8028787
    Abstract: To provide a work machine in which traveling devices and an implement device can be operated by common operating levers, wherein switching operation is easy and a changeover is easily confirmed. Inside a cab of the work machine, there are provided travel pedals, with which the traveling devices can be operated, and operating levers, with which the traveling devices and the implement device can be operated. A changeover switch is provided on a console positioned in the vicinity of one side of an operating sheet. The changeover switch switches over between a traveling mode, in which traveling operation is possible by the operating levers, and a work mode, in which implement operation is possible by the operating levers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Eiji Akahane, Christopher Michael Burton, Nobumi Toyoura, Shigeru Kojima, Masayuki Takano
  • Patent number: 7958907
    Abstract: A fluid pressure circuit that can, in either case where a first actuator that is fed from a first pump or a second actuator that is fed from a second pump is operated, by allowing feeding of the hydraulic fluid to a specific actuator from either the first or second pump, improve interlockability with the specific actuator. A control valve is incorporated with a plurality of first-group spools fed from a drive pump and a plurality of second-group spools fed from an idle pump. A solenoid selector valve unit switches a pilot line of a second-group tool controlling spool to a communicating state at the time of detection of a spool operation by a first pressure switch and switches a pilot line of a first-group tool controlling spool to a communicating state at the time of detection of a spool operation by a second pressure switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Nishikawa, Sei Shimahara
  • Patent number: 7953520
    Abstract: A cooling fan controller is provided for controlling the revolving speed of a cooling fan that introduces outside air as a cooling wind to cool a fluid being cooled; in order to optimally control the revolving speed if the cooling fan in accordance with load, and to suppress noise caused by the cooling fan. The cooling fan controller includes a fluid temperature sensor 40 for sensing a temperature To of the fluid, an air temperature sensor 30 for sensing a temperature Ta of the air, and a control 20 for calculating a difference between the fluid temperature To sensed by the fluid temperature sensor 40 and the air temperature Ta sensed by the air temperature sensor 30, and setting a target revolving speed Nf of the cooling fan in accordance with a magnitude of the calculated difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Hayashi
  • Patent number: 7942222
    Abstract: To realize a mounting structure on the rear side of the seat of the operator station on which the seat and equipment for operation are installed in the swing table of a swing-type operation machine, the mounting structure being simple in construction yet imparted with a sufficiently large strength without increasing the size of the swing table or without utilizing the counter weight. The swing-type operation machine comprises an under carriage, a swing table mounted on the under carriage so as to freely swing thereon, an operator station mounted on the swing table and on which a seat and equipment for operation are installed, and a heat exchanger-mounting body supporting a heat exchanger for cooling the engine that is positioned at the back of the seat of the operator station and supporting the rear part of the seat of the operator station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillars S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Nobukata Yonetake, Hirotaka Iida, Akitoshi Nishikawa, Mitsunobu Ohsuda, Shigeru Obinata, Kousuke Hosoda, Ryo Moriya
  • Patent number: 7934354
    Abstract: A door panel that is light in weight and has sufficient strength is provided. A door panel has an outer panel, an inner panel, and a foamed material filling a space between the outer panel and the inner panel. The inner panel is formed by means of press molding so as to have an uneven surface with adhering portions and a raised portion. The adhering portions are affixed to the inner surface of the outer panel, and the space is formed between the raised portion and the outer panel. The outer panel has a thickness ranging from 1.2 to 5.0 times that of the inner panel. A hemmed portion is formed by folding the peripheral edge of the outer panel so as to curl over the peripheral edge of the inner panel and then pressing down the folded part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Ryoji Uto
  • Patent number: 7930970
    Abstract: A control unit for a work machine that allows automatically obtaining optimal operability even when the weight of a work arm in the work machine is changed. In a work machine where at least a part of a work arm to be operated by a fluid pressure actuator is provided so as to be replaceable, a control unit for a work machine includes: a pilot-operated control valve that controls the fluid pressure actuator; a proportional solenoid valve that pilot-controls the pilot-operated control valve by a pilot control pressure according to an electrical signal corresponding to a manual operation amount; a measuring means that measures a weight of at least the part of the work arm; and a controller that converts characteristics between the manual operation amount and the pilot control pressure of the proportional solenoid valve to characteristics according to the weight of the work arm measured by the measuring means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Nishikawa, Sei Shimahara, Manabu Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7926411
    Abstract: A valve control unit that prevents a decline in interlocking operation performance when pilot pressure control of a plurality of pilot-operated control valves is carried out by proportional solenoid valves. First and second proportional solenoid valves include a Common Operation Table of lever operation amount/boom-up pilot pressure characteristics and are inputted with a common boom-up lever operation amount. A third proportional solenoid valve also includes the Operation Table and is inputted with a stick-in lever operation amount common to the fourth proportional solenoid valve. The fourth proportional solenoid valve includes an Operation Table of lever operation amount/stick-in pilot pressure characteristics different from that of the first, second, and third proportional solenoid valves and is inputted with the stick-in lever operation amount common to the third proportional solenoid valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Nishikawa, Sei Shimahara, Manabu Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 7908852
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a hydraulic system and method that converts the kinetic energy generated by the operation of a swing motor into hydraulic potential energy and reuses the hydraulic potential energy for swing motor acceleration. An accumulator can be provided for storing exit oil from the swing motor that is pressurized by the inertia torque applied on the moving motor via movement of an upper structure of a machine. The pressurized oil in the accumulator can be reused to accelerate the swing motor by supplying pressurized oil to the swing motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignees: Caterpillar Inc., Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Jiao Zhang, Pengfei Ma, Michael R. Schwab, Tonglin Shang, Kalpesh N. Patel
  • Patent number: 7854291
    Abstract: In a work machine equipped with a switchover means enabling selective operation of traveling devices and a work device by means of common operating levers, switchover can easily be performed and also easily recognized. In a work machine having traveling devices and a work device, operating levers that are capable of operating the traveling devices and the work device are respectively disposed at the sides of an operating seat. A foot switch connected to a controller is disposed in the proximity of and operable with a foot of an operator seated at the operating seat. While the foot switch is being operated with the foot, the traveling devices are operated by the operating levers through the controller. While the foot switch is not being operated, the work device is operated by means of the operating levers through the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Eiji Akahane, Nobumi Toyoura, Shigeru Kojima, Masayuki Takano
  • Patent number: 7848067
    Abstract: A method of controlling in-rush current to a DC motor is disclosed. The method may include operating the DC motor in a first mode including applying back-EMF across a relay coil to maintain the relay in an open configuration when the back-EMF is below a predetermined voltage. The method may also include operating the DC motor in a second mode including applying the back-EMF across the relay coil to maintain the relay in a closed configuration when the back-EMF is equal to or above the predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Robert Quincy Elliott, Michael Scott Britton, Mark Andrew Sporer
  • Patent number: 7707829
    Abstract: A flushing system for a transmission is disclosed. The system has a first pump and a first actuator connected to the first pump to form a first loop. The system also has a second pump and a second actuator connected to the second pump to form a second loop. The system further has a charge pump configured to replenish the first and second loops. The system also has a single charge relief valve situated to receive fluid from the first pump, the second pump, and the charge pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Paul Anthony Dvorak, Matthew Chad Full, Paul Alan Rousseau
  • Patent number: 7690198
    Abstract: A drivetrain for use in a mobile vehicle is disclosed. The drivetrain may have a housing, a first hydraulic pump connected to the housing, and a second hydraulic pump connected to the housing. The second hydraulic pump may be in axial alignment with the first hydraulic pump. The drivetrain may also have a first motor fluidly connected to the first hydraulic pump, and a second motor fluidly connected to the second hydraulic pump. The first and second motors may have an axial direction substantially perpendicular to the axial alignment of the first and second hydraulic pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Paul Alan Rousseau, Justin Douglas Speichinger
  • Patent number: 7630793
    Abstract: A method of operating a work machine includes sensing at least one operational characteristic of a work tool indicative of current work tool performance. The method also includes altering the operation of the work machine in response to the sensing to maintain a desired relationship between the at least one operational characteristic of the work tool and at least one operational characteristic of the work machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Dante Toran Thomas, Mark Andrew Sporer, Kevin Edward Pielmeier, Joseph Dale Groves
  • Patent number: 7614117
    Abstract: The quick-release hinge includes a first member, a second member, an actuation member, and a knuckle that may be attached to one of the first or second members. The first member may have a first locking element and a first abutment surface configured to abut a surface of an object. The second member may have a second locking element and a second abutment surface configured to abut a second surface of the object. The second locking element may be configured to attach to the first locking element in order to connect the hinge to an object. The actuation member may be attached to the first locking element so that when the actuation member is actuated, the first locking element may rotate about one revolution or less in order to detach from the second locking element and disconnect the hinge from the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Caterpillar S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Rajesh Selvaraj