Suspension system with individual ride height and dampening control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11787255-B2
Application number	US-202117479149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2021
Priority date	Sep 20, 2021
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A machine includes a first cylinder coupled to a first wheel and a second cylinder coupled to a second wheel. A first proportional dampening valve fluidly connects to the first cylinder and a second proportional dampening valve fluidly connects to the second cylinder. First accumulators are fluidly connected to the first cylinder and the first proportional dampening valve, and second accumulator(s) are fluidly connected to the second cylinder and the second proportional dampening valve. Additionally, a first proportional flow control valve fluidly connects to the first cylinder and a second proportional flow control valve fluidly connected to the second cylinder. An electronic control module (ECM) communicatively couples to the first proportional flow control valve and the second proportional flow control valve to adjust a ride height of the first wheel via the first cylinder and a ride height of the second wheel via the second cylinder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A machine, comprising:
an operator cab disposed proximate a front of the machine;
a dump box disposed proximate a rear of the machine opposite the front; and
a suspension system disposed proximate the front of the machine, the suspension system including:
a load sensing pump;
a first cylinder sub-system having:
a first cylinder located at the front, on a first side of the machine,
a first proportional dampening valve fluidly connected to the first cylinder,
a first accumulator fluidly connected to the first proportional dampening valve, and
a first proportional flow control valve being configured to selectively supply hydraulic fluid from a tank to the first cylinder, the first proportional dampening valve, and the first accumulator; and

a second cylinder sub-system having:
a second cylinder located at the front, on a second side of the machine opposite the first side of the machine,
a second proportional dampening valve fluidly connected to the second cylinder,
a second accumulator fluidly connected to the second proportional dampening valve, and
a second proportional flow control valve being configured to selectively supply hydraulic fluid from the tank to the second cylinder, the second proportional dampening valve, and second accumulator.

2. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor configured to detect a first pressure within the first cylinder;
a second sensor configured to detect a second pressure within the second cylinder;
a third sensor configured to detect a first position of the first cylinder; and
a fourth sensor configured to detect a second position of the second cylinder,
wherein the first proportional flow control valve is configured to selectively supply the hydraulic fluid from the tank to the first cylinder, the first proportional dampening valve, and the first accumulator based at least in part on the first pressure and the first position, and the second proportional flow control valve is configured to selectively supply the hydraulic fluid from the tank to the second cylinder, the second proportional dampening valve, and the second accumulator based at least in part on the second pressure and the second position.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the first proportional dampening valve is disposed between the first accumulator and the first cylinder; and
the second proportional dampening valve is disposed between the second accumulator and the second cylinder.

4. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control module (ECM) communicatively coupled to the first proportional dampening valve, the first proportional flow control valve, the second proportional dampening valve, and the second proportional flow control valve, wherein the ECM is configured to:
communicate with the first proportional flow control valve to cause the first proportional flow control valve to selectively supply the hydraulic fluid to the first cylinder, the first proportional dampening valve, and the first accumulator; and
communicate with the second proportional flow control valve to cause the second proportional flow control valve to selectively supply the hydraulic fluid to the second cylinder, the second proportional dampening valve, and the second accumulator.

5. The machine of claim 4 , wherein the ECM is configured to:
transmit a first signal to the first proportional dampening valve associated with a first dampening of the first cylinder;
transmit a second signal to the second proportional dampening valve associated with a second dampening of the second cylinder;
transmit a third signal to the first proportional flow control valve associated with a first ride height of the first cylinder; and
transmit a fourth signal to the second proportional flow control valve associated with a second ride height of the second cylinder.

6. The machine of claim 1 , further comprising a resolver fluidly connected to the first proportional flow control valve and the second proportional flow control valve, the resolver being configured to determine a first pressure within the first proportional flow control valve and a second pressure within the second proportional flow control valve,
wherein the load sensing pump is configured to supply the hydraulic fluid from the tank at a greater of the first pressure or the second pressure.

7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein:
the first proportional flow control valve comprises:
a first three-position five-way valve, or
a first three-position four-way valve; and

the second proportional flow control valve comprises:
a second three-position five-way valve, or
a second three-position four-way valve.

8. A suspension system, comprising:
a pump;
a first cylinder;
a second cylinder;
a first proportional dampening valve fluidly connected to the first cylinder;
a second proportional dampening valve fluidly connected to the second cylinder;
a first accumulator fluidly connected to the first cylinder and the first proportional dampening valve;
a second accumulator fluidly connected to the second cylinder and the second proportional dampening valve;
a first proportional flow control valve fluidly connected to the pump, the first proportional flow control valve controlling a flow of first hydraulic fluid from the pump to the first cylinder, the first proportional dampening valve, and the first accumulator;
a second proportional flow control valve fluidly connected to the pump, the second proportional flow control valve controlling a flow of second hydraulic fluid from the pump to the second cylinder, the second proportional dampening valve, and second accumulator; and
an electronic control module (ECM), wherein the ECM is configured to:
transmit a first signal to the first proportional flow control valve to control flow of the first hydraulic fluid to the first cylinder, the first proportional dampening valve, and the first accumulator; and
transmit a second signal to the second proportional flow control valve to control the flow of the second hydraulic fluid to the second cylinder, the second proportional dampening valve, and the second accumulator.

9. The suspension system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first proportional dampening valve is disposed between the first accumulator and the first cylinder; and
the second proportional dampening valve is disposed between the second accumulator and the second cylinder.

10. The suspension system of claim 8 , wherein the ECM is further configured to:
receive a third signal indicating a first position of the first cylinder;
receive a fourth signal indicating a second position of the second cylinder;
receive a fifth signal indicating a first pressure within the first cylinder; and
receive a sixth signal indicating a second pressure within the second cylinder,
wherein:
the first signal is based at least in part on at least one of the third signal or the fifth signal, and
the second signal is based at least in part on at least one of the fourth signal or the sixth signal.

11. The suspension system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first proportional flow control valve comprises:
a first three-position five-way valve, or
a first three-position four-way valve; and

the second proportional flow control valve comprises:
a second three-position five-way valve, or
a second three-position four-way valve.

12. The suspension system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first cylinder is configured to adjust a ride height of a first wheel of a machine; and
the second cylinder is configured to adjust a ride height of a second wheel of the machine.

13. The suspension system of

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Steven E
• Mate Edward William
• Patel Kalpeshkumar N

Classifications

• B60G17/08 Primary

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• B60G13/08

  hydraulic · CPC title

• B60G13/14

  having dampers accumulating utilisable energy, e.g. compressing air {(fluid springs with an accumulator B60G11/30)} · CPC title

• B60G17/0165

  to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind · CPC title

• B60G2202/24

  Fluid damper · CPC title