Method for determining a mass of an attached implement for a utility vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684182-B2
Application number	US-201715463039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A method for determining a mass of an implement includes providing a rear powerlift having at least one upper link and at least one lower link and a support structure disposed at the rear of a utility vehicle. The method includes defining an angle (ψ) between the upper link and a vehicle horizontal line, an angle (φ) between the lower link and the vehicle horizontal line, an angle of inclination (θ) of a vehicle horizontal line relative to a terrestrial horizontal line, a path (LV) representative of a connection along the lower link between the support structure and the implement, and a force (FU) impinging on a connection between the upper link and the implement and acting along the upper link. The mass is determined by at least one of the angle (ψ), the angle (φ), the angle of inclination (θ), the path (LV), and the force (FU).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a mass of an implement of a utility vehicle, comprising:
providing a rear powerlift having at least one upper link and at least one lower link, a support structure disposed at the rear of the utility vehicle, an adjustable-length lifting arm wherein a first operative end of the lifting arm comprises an articulated connection to the support structure and a second operative end of the lifting arm comprises an articulated connection to a link-connecting point of the lower link, and the implement being articulatably coupled to the support structure;
defining an angle (ψ) between the upper link and a vehicle horizontal line, an angle (φ) between the lower link and the vehicle horizontal line, an angle (ρ) that is enclosed by a vehicle-vertical line and a connecting path (RT) between the two operative ends of the lifting arm, an angle of inclination (θ) of a vehicle horizontal line relative to a terrestrial horizontal line, a path (LV) representative of a connection along the lower link between the support structure and the implement, a path (LT) defined by a connection along the lower link between the support structure and the link-connecting point of the lower link, a force (F T ) acting between the two operative ends of the lifting arm, and a force (F U ) impinging on a connection between the upper link and the implement and acting along the upper link; and
determining the mass of the implement as a function of at least the angle (ψ), the angle (φ), the angle (ρ), the angle of inclination (θ), the path (LV), the path (LT), the force (F T ), and the force (F U ) according to the equation:

m
=

LT
_

·

F
⇀

T

·

cos
⁡

(

φ
+
ρ

)

-

LV
_

·

F
→

U

·

sin
⁡

(

φ
-
ψ

)

LV
_

·
g
·

cos
⁡

(

φ
+
θ

)

.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first operative end comprises an articulated connection via a joint arm to the support structure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the joint arm comprises:
a first articulation point associated with the support structure and a second articulation point associated with the lifting arm; and
a third articulation point between the first and second articulation points.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing another adjustable-length lifting arm comprising an articulated connection to the third articulation point and the support structure.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining an x-coordinate of the center of gravity of the attached implement as a function of the mass of the attached implement.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining the x-coordinate of the center of gravity step is determined as a function of:
the angle (ψ) between the upper link and a vehicle horizontal line;
the force (F U ) impinging on a connection between the upper link and the attached implement and acting along the upper link;
an x-coordinate of an articulation point of the lower link on the attached implement;
a difference between the x-coordinates of an articulation point of the upper link on the attached implement and an articulation point of the lower link on the attached implement; and
a difference between the z-coordinates of an articulation point of the upper link on the attached implement and an articulation point of the lower link on the attached implement.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a lifting arm including a piston-cylinder unit.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lift arm comprises a spindle-thread unit.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a center of gravity of the attached implement as a function of the determined mass of the attached implement.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
defining a coordinate system having an x-axis oriented parallel to a longitudinal direction of the utility vehicle and a z-axis oriented parallel to a vertical direction of the utility vehicle, wherein the x-axis and the z-axis intersect in a zero point of the coordinate system; and
determining the mass or a center of gravity of the attached implement based on the coordinate system.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising arranging a zero point on a rear axle of the utility vehicle.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Meid Michael
• Traut Sebastian

Classifications

• A01B59/069 Primary

  with means for weighing the implement · CPC title

• A01B63/145

  for controlling weight transfer between implements and tractor wheels · CPC title

• A01B63/11

  for controlling weight transfer between implements and tractor wheels · CPC title

• A01B63/10

  operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• G01L5/0095 Primary

  measuring work or mechanical power · CPC title