Hydraulic speed modes for industrial machines

Abstract

An industrial task machine includes a mechanical arm and a hydraulic actuator coupled to the mechanical arm to move the arm between a first position and a second position. A valve is in fluid communication with the hydraulic actuator for supplying fluid to the hydraulic actuator. A pump is configured to discharge fluid to the valve. A load sensing system is configured to determine a load pressure value associated with the mechanical arm. A control device is configured to permit selection of a normal mode or a speed adjustment mode. A speed adjuster is configured to receive an input from the control device, modify a margin pressure value in response to selection of the speed adjustment mode, and output the modified margin pressure value. A controller is coupled to the pump, the load sensing system, and the speed adjuster. The controller is configured to receive the load pressure value from the load sensing system and the modified margin pressure value from the speed adjuster, and adjust the fluid discharge from the pump based on both the load pressure value and the modified margin pressure value.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An industrial task machine comprising:
 a mechanical arm;   a hydraulic actuator coupled to the mechanical arm to move the arm between a first position and a second position;   a valve in fluid communication with the hydraulic actuator for supplying fluid to the hydraulic actuator;   a pump configured to discharge fluid to the valve;   a load sensing system configured to determine a load pressure value associated with the mechanical arm;   a control device configured to permit selection of a normal mode or a speed adjustment mode;   a speed adjuster configured to
 receive an input from the control device, 
 modify a margin pressure value in response to selection of the speed adjustment mode, and 
 output die modified margin pressure value; and 
   a controller coupled to the pump, the load sensing system, and the speed adjuster, the controller configured to
 receive the load pressure value from the load sensing system and the modified margin pressure value from the speed adjuster, and 
 adjust the fluid discharge from the pump based on both the load pressure value and the modified margin pressure value. 
   
     
     
         2 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the speed adjustment mode includes a slow mode and a fast mode, each of which is independently selectable, wherein selection of the slow mode reduces a movement speed of the mechanical arm and selection of the fast mode increases the movement speed of the mechanical arm. 
     
     
         3 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein the speed adjuster reduces the margin pressure value in response to selection of the slow mode and increases the margin pressure value in response to selection of the fast mode. 
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein in the slow mode the movement speed is reduced by approximately 50% relative to operation in the normal mode. 
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 2 , wherein in the fast mode the movement speed is increased by approximately 20% relative to operation in the normal mode. 
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the speed adjuster calculates the modified margin pressure value based on a predetermined margin pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical arm comprises a swing arm, a boom arm, or a crowd arm. 
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 1 , wherein the speed adjuster is incorporated into the controller. 
     
     
         9 . An industrial task machine comprising:
 a frame;   a plurality of movable implements coupled to the frame, each implement individually moveable between a first position and a second position;   a plurality of hydraulic actuators, wherein at least one hydraulic actuator is coupled to each of the implements;   a plurality of valves, wherein at least one valve is coupled to each hydraulic actuator;   a pump configured to supply fluid to the valves;   a load sensing system configured to determine a load pressure value associated with each implement and to generate a signal corresponding to the highest load pressure value determined;   a control device configured to allow selection of a first speed mode, a second speed mode, or a third speed mode; and   a controller coupled to the pump and to the load sensing system, wherein the controller includes a speed adjustment portion configured to receive an input signal from the control device corresponding to the selection, to modify a margin pressure value in response to selection of either the second mode or the third mode, and to output the modified margin pressure value,   the controller further configured to receive the signal corresponding to the highest load pressure value determined and to adjust the fluid supply from the pump based on both the highest load pressure value and the modified margin pressure value.   
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein in the second mode, a movement speed of one of the plurality of movable implements is in the range of approximately 20-100% of the movement speed of the one of the plurality of movable implements in the first mode. 
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein in the third mode, a movement speed of one of the plurality of movable implements is in the range of approximately 100-200% of the movement speed of the one of the plurality of movable implements in the first mode. 
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein operation in the second mode or in the third mode alters the speed of all the movable implements of the plurality of movable implements. 
     
     
         13 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein a first movable implement of the plurality of movable implements includes a boom arm and a second movable implement of the plurality of movable implements includes a bucket. 
     
     
         14 . The machine of  claim 9 , wherein the control device includes a user interface for selecting the first mode, the second mode, or the third mode. 
     
     
         15 . A controller for adjusting the operating speed of a movable implement on an industrial task machine, the controller comprising:
 a speed adjustment module; and   a pump control module,   wherein the controller is configured to
 receive a speed adjustment mode signal from a control device, and 
 receive a load pressure value signal associated with the movable implement, and 
   wherein the speed adjustment module is configured to obtain a margin pressure value and to modify the margin pressure value in response to the speed adjustment mode signal, and   wherein the pump control module is configured to generate a pump pressure request based on the load pressure value and the margin pressure value and to transmit the pump pressure request to modify an output of a pump.   
     
     
         16 . The controller of  claim 15 , wherein the speed adjustment mode signal represents either a slow mode or a fast mode, wherein operation in the slow mode corresponds to a reduction of the movement speed of the moveable implement and wherein operation in the fast mode corresponds to an increase of the movement speed of the moveable implement. 
     
     
         17 . The controller of  claim 15 , wherein the pump pressure request is transmitted to a valve in fluid communication with the pump. 
     
     
         18 . The controller of  claim 15 , wherein the margin pressure value is a predetermined value. 
     
     
         19 . The controller of  claim 15 , wherein the pump pressure request includes an electronic signal. 
     
     
         20 . The controller of  claim 17 , wherein the moveable implement is powered by a hydraulic actuator in fluid communication with the valve.