Patents Examined by Thomas E. Lazo
  • Patent number: 11399464
    Abstract: An agricultural machine includes a float cylinder interconnecting a header linkage system and a frame. A rod side accumulator is in fluid communication with a rod side fluid port of the float cylinder. A float control valve is selectively controllable between an open position allowing fluid communication between a pressure source and the rod side accumulator, and a closed position blocking fluid communication between the pressure source and the rod side accumulator. A downforce accumulator is in fluid communication with a piston side fluid port of the float cylinder. A downforce control valve is selectively controllable between an open position allowing fluid communication between the pressure source and the downforce accumulator, and a closed position blocking fluid communication between the pressure source and the downforce accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Timothy J. Kraus, Austin J. Karst
  • Patent number: 11401954
    Abstract: A hydraulic boosting and regulating system includes an intensifier circuit and a regulator and employs low leak, low crossover valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: The Oilgear Company
    Inventors: Mitch Terhune, Jared Schlueter, Joshua B. Groves
  • Patent number: 11391017
    Abstract: A wheel loader is provided that can suppress abrupt change in vehicle speed accompanied by erroneous determination on a lift arm lifting operation. A wheel loader includes: an engine; an HST pump; an HST motor; a forward and reverse switch; a stepping amount sensor; an operation amount sensor; and a controller. The controller determines whether a specific condition for specifying an operation of the lift arm in an upper direction during forward travel of the vehicle body, on the basis of a forward and reverse switching signal, the stepping amount, and a pilot pressure pertaining to the lifting operation for the lift arm. In a case of the specific condition being satisfied, the vehicle speed is limited by controlling the displacement volume of the HST motor in conformity with increase in the pilot pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hyodo, Isamu Aoki, Tetsuji Tanaka, Masaki Nukii
  • Patent number: 11391306
    Abstract: In a linear actuator, a slide table is attached to a cylinder body via a guide mechanism so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the cylinder body. The slide table includes a table body arranged above the cylinder body and extending in the longitudinal direction, and an end plate joined to an end of the table body in the longitudinal direction so as to be substantially orthogonal to the table body. The end plate includes a storage chamber provided on one surface thereof in the longitudinal direction facing a guide mechanism and depressed from the one surface in a direction away from the guide mechanism. For example, when the linear actuator is used in an environment where powder dust and the like is scattered, the storage chamber stores therein a solidified matter made up of the powder dust and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Toshimori, Toshio Sato, Atsumi Tsukada
  • Patent number: 11384777
    Abstract: An actuator operable to move a valve stem between an opened position and a closed position includes a cylinder including an open side and a close side, the cylinder coupled to the valve stem, a first pump connected to the cylinder and operable to deliver a first high-pressure fluid to the open side of the cylinder to move the valve stem toward the opened position, and a second pump separate from the first pump, the second pump connected to the cylinder and operable to deliver a second high-pressure fluid to the close side of the cylinder to move the valve stem toward the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventor: John Casey
  • Patent number: 11384836
    Abstract: A piston for a compressor includes a bearing portion having a cylindrical shape to define a suction space into which refrigerant is accommodated therein, the bearing portion being provided with a bearing surface facing an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, a head portion coupled to a front opening of the bearing portion and provided with a plurality of suction ports which communicate with the suction space, the head portion having a compression surface configured to face a compression space to compress the refrigerant in the compression space, and a flange portion coupled to a rear opening of the bearing portion and provided with a through-passage through which the refrigerant is introduced from a muffler unit to the suction space, the flange portion being coupled to a driving portion to transmit driving force to the piston. The bearing surface is subjected to a surface treatment to improve abrasion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Youngkyun Lim, Jeongwoo Kim, Donghan Kim
  • Patent number: 11384850
    Abstract: A hydraulic control valve includes a sleeve with actuator and biasing member ends and a spool with first and second lands. The sleeve defines a bore extending along a spool movement axis, a source port proximate the stow solenoid end and in communication with the bore, and a supply port between the source port and the biasing end. The spool is slidably disposed within the bore, is movable along the spool movement axis between first and second positions, fluidly separates the source port from the supply port in the first position, and allows the bore to fluidly couple the source port with the supply port in the second position. The first land extends circumferentially about the spool and has a first land length, the second land extending circumferentially about the spool and has a second land length, and the first land length is larger than the second land length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stuart T. Gerger, Stephen Michael Bortoli, Timothy Scott Konicek
  • Patent number: 11384511
    Abstract: A wheeled work vehicle includes: a transmission transmitting the rotational power of a traveling hydraulic motor to wheels; a traveling control valve having an interruption position that interrupts supply of hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump to the traveling hydraulic motor; a shift changeover valve that shifts the speed stage of the transmission by the position of the shift changeover valve being selectively switched; and a controller that controls the traveling control valve and the shift changeover valve. The controller switches the traveling control valve to the interruption position, then switches the position of the shift changeover valve such that the speed stage of the transmission is shifted to the low speed stage, and switches the traveling control valve from the interruption position to an original position side before the switching in a case where the controller shifts the transmission from the high speed stage to the low speed stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Oouchi
  • Patent number: 11378599
    Abstract: A system (1) for spiking, i.e. exploring voltage, in electric cables (5) comprises a first clamping jaw (3) and a second clamping jaw (4) to lock a portion of an electric cable (5) in a clamping position (7), an elongated metal blade (8) which can be displaced between a retracted position and an extended position in the clamping position (7), a hydraulic actuator (9) to displace the blade (8), with respect to the first and second clamping jaws (3, 4), from the retracted position into the extended position, a pump (10) adapted to increase the pressure of a hydraulic liquid acting on the hydraulic actuator (9), a hand-held remote control (12) for remotely actuating and controlling the pump (10), wireless actuation communication means (13) adapted to provide pump actuation signals from the remote control (12) to the pump (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Cembre S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gualtiero Barezzani, Leonardo Livi
  • Patent number: 11377813
    Abstract: In a work machine including a controller (500) configured to calculate respective target velocities of a hydraulic cylinder (5) for moving a plurality of work point candidates (8a and 8b) set to a work device along an optionally set target surface (60) on the basis of positional data of the target surface, posture data of the work device (15), and operation data of an operation lever (1), and control the velocity of the hydraulic cylinder (5) according to one of a plurality of the calculated target velocities, the controller calculates a candidate point velocity (VTab or VTba) occurring in a case where each of the plurality of work point candidates is moved at the corresponding target velocity (VTa or VTb) and occurring at a remaining work point candidate, selects a velocity at which an entry into the target surface is least likely from among the plurality of candidate point velocities, and controls the hydraulic cylinder according to the target velocity of the work point candidate associated with the selecte
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hisami Nakano, Hiroaki Tanaka, Yusuke Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11378109
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electro-hydraulic actuator (101). An electric voltage applied to the actuator (101) is established by superimposing a control variable with an oscillatory signal. A hydraulic pressure, influenced by the actuator (101), is measured. The oscillatory signal is adapted as a function of the measured hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Sebastian Steidle
  • Patent number: 11377814
    Abstract: An energy recuperation system for construction equipment includes an actuator driving upward and downward operations of a work unit; an accumulator connected to the actuator; and a controller determining a predicted downward mode associated with the downward operation of the work unit, regulating a dischargeable lowest limit pressure of the accumulator to a target pressure corresponding to the predicted downward mode, and charging the accumulator having the dischargeable lowest limit pressure regulated to the target pressure with pressurized oil discharged from the actuator during the downward operation of the work unit to recuperate energy, and an energy recuperation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventor: Dongsoo Kim
  • Patent number: 11371535
    Abstract: A fluid pressure circuit includes a directional switching valve arranged between a fixed displacement pump and a fluid pressure actuator and configured to switch a flow passage for a pressurized fluid, an accumulator arranged in a branch flow passage branched from a connection flow passage that connects the fluid pressure actuator and the directional switching valve, an accumulator flow control valve arranged between the connection flow passage and the accumulator, and a pump flow control valve arranged between the fluid pressure actuator and the fixed displacement pump and configured to variably divert a flow rate of the pressurized fluid discharged from the fixed displacement pump into a first system including the tank and a second system including the fluid pressure actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Shimada
  • Patent number: 11364615
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for hydraulic actuation of multiple consumer units comprising a hydraulic circuit (130) operated by means of a hydraulic motor (122) which actuates a consumer unit (111) wherein, downstream of the first consumer unit (111), the hydraulic circuit (130) has at least one secondary circuit (140, 150) having at least a second consumer unit (114, 118) and arranged before the second consumer unit (114) and a pump (113, 117) directly or indirectly actuated by the first consumer unit (111).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SEPPI M. SPA
    Inventor: Seppi Lorenz
  • Patent number: 11352761
    Abstract: A work machine includes a controller (20) that performs an area restriction control for controlling at least one hydraulic cylinder (32a) of a plurality of hydraulic cylinders (32) in such a manner that a work device (400) is located on or on an upper side of an optionally set target surface (60) during operation of an operation lever (26). In the work machine, if a jack-up angle (?) as an inclination angle of a machine body (1A) relative to a ground is larger than a preset target value (?t), the controller, in performing the area restriction control, corrects the control of the at least one hydraulic cylinder (32a) in such a manner that the jack-up angle approaches the target value. The target value is set such as to vary according to posture of an arm (406).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Suzuki, Hiroaki Tanaka, Hisami Nakano
  • Patent number: 11350621
    Abstract: A control device for an agricultural application device which has an application boom pivotally mounted on a carrier, on which application components are arranged for applying liquid and/or solid active substances. The control device has a pressure supply connection and a return connection and a controllable valve arrangement and a hydraulic cylinder arrangement, which has a first cylinder effective area, connected to the valve arrangement and a second cylinder effective area, wherein the two cylinder effective areas can be pressurized and each are connected to a hydraulic accumulator, and wherein the pivot position of the application boom is variable by changing the switching state of the valve arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: ARGO-HYTOS GROUP AG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Bauer
  • Patent number: 11352767
    Abstract: A work machine includes an engine power management system. The work machine includes an engine, a hydraulic temperature sensor, and a coolant temperature sensor. The hydraulic temperature sensor is configured to monitor and transmit a hydraulic fluid temperature, and the coolant temperature sensor is configured to monitor and transmit a coolant fluid temperature. The work machine also includes an engine controller and a machine controller. The engine controller includes a processor, and is operatively associated with the engine and the coolant fluid temperature sensor. The machine controller includes a processor, and is operatively associated with the hydraulic fluid temperature sensor and the engine controller. The machine controller is configured to transmit a torque limit command to the engine controller when the hydraulic fluid temperature or the coolant fluid temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle David Hendricks, Jeffrey L. Stern
  • Patent number: 11346076
    Abstract: A hydraulic system includes a hydraulic pump, a first hydraulic actuator, a second hydraulic actuator, a first control valve to control the first hydraulic actuator, a second control valve connected to a downstream side of the first control valve and configured to control the second hydraulic actuator, a return fluid tube in which return fluid discharged from the first hydraulic actuator flows, the return fluid tube coupling the first control valve and the first hydraulic actuator, an internal fluid tube arranged in the first control valve and connected to the return fluid tube, an external fluid tube connected to the internal fluid tube, the external fluid tube coupling the first control valve and the second control valve, a branched fluid tube branched from the external fluid tube and connected to a discharge fluid tube, and a pressurizing portion provided to the discharge fluid tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Fukuda
  • Patent number: 11346377
    Abstract: A system for automatic calibration of an actuator, where the system has an actuator and a computer, and the computer further includes a PID controller. A sensor connected to the actuator transmits values representing the motion of the actuator to the input of the PID controller. The computer is programmed to compare the values representing the motion of the actuator to the output of the PID controller, thus outputting an error signal representing the difference between the output of the PID controller and the values representing the motion of the actuator. The computer stores this difference as a calibrated set point for the actuator when the difference is less than a predetermined amount. This calibrated set point is used to initialize the operation of a machine propelled by the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Epiroc Drilling Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Gavin Maestas
  • Patent number: 11346340
    Abstract: A fluid cylinder for a reciprocating pump includes a body having inlet, outlet, and plunger bores. The inlet and outlet bores extend coaxially along a fluid passage axis. The plunger bore extends along a plunger bore axis that extends at an angle relative to the fluid passage axis. The body includes a crossbore at the intersection of the fluid passage axis and the plunger bore axis. The crossbore intersects the inlet, outlet, and plunger bores at respective inlet, outlet, and plunger bore ends. The inlet bore end and outlet bore ends are connected to the plunger bore end at respective first and second corners of the crossbore. The first corner includes a first linear bridge segment connected to the inlet and plunger bore ends by corresponding curved segments. The second corner includes a second linear bridge segment connected to the outlet and plunger bore ends by corresponding curved segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: SPM OIL & GAS INC.
    Inventor: Johnny Eric DeLeon, II