Caterpillar Inc.

Andrew John Kieser

Kevin Patrick Duffy

Brad Robert Van De Veer

Anthony C Rodman

Carl-Anders Hergart

Michael Parry Liechty

William L Hardy

Nathan Daniel French

Glenn Brian Cox

Justin Werner McMenamy

Tony Ross Metzger

Timothy L Hand

Bryan Everett Copeland

David Allen Ober

Ronald Dean Shinogle

James Richard Weber

Stephan Donald Roozenboom

Jonathan P Kilkenny

Roger Leroy Urven, Jr

Orhan Altin

Keegan Wade Roach

Mark W Craig

Evan B Stumpges

David John Schuh

Robert L Powers

Thomas E Beccue

Parag Mehresh

Eric J Verplaetse

Michael D Valerio

Matthew O Nafziger

Timonthy J Schlack

Derek S Sorrells

A system for controlling operation of a winch assembly having an electric motor, a drum, and a cable. A controller is configured to access a winch load threshold, with the winch load threshold defining a hold zone and a reel zone, and one of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads greater than the winch load threshold and another of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads less than the winch load threshold. The controller is further configured to determine whether the drum is rotating, determine whether the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone or the reel zone, generate a hold current while the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone preventing rotation of the electric motor, and generate a reel current while the drum is operating within the reel zone permitting rotation of the electric motor.

System for controlling the operation of an electric winch

A system for controlling a winch assembly having a hydraulic motor, a drum, a cable, and a cable tension sensor. A controller is configured to access a winch load threshold defining a hold zone and a reel zone, and one of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads greater than the winch load threshold and another of the hold zone and the reel zone including loads less than the winch load threshold. The controller is further configured to determine whether the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone or the reel zone, and generate a zero flow command while the winch assembly is operating within the hold zone to prevent rotation of the hydraulic winch motor, and generate a pressure differential command while the rotatable winch drum is operating within the reel zone to permit rotation of the hydraulic winch motor.

System for controlling the operation of a hydraulic winch

An input device is disclosed for use with a machine having a work tool. The input device may have a handle with proximal and distal ends. The input device may also have a proportional control element located at the distal end, and configured to pivot in a first direction to generate a first signal and to pivot in a second direction to generate a second signal. The work tool may have a first axis of rotation that is generally horizontal relative to a ground surface and generally perpendicular relative to a travel direction, and a second axis of rotation that is generally vertical relative to the ground surface and generally perpendicular relative to the first axis. The first signal may be indicative of a desire to pitch the work tool about the first axis, and the second signal may be indicative of a desire to yaw the work tool about the second axis.

Machine input device having multi-axis tool control

Controller

A visual indication system for a machine is provided. The visual indication system includes an output module configured to be displayed at an external location relative to an internal portion of a cabin of the machine and configured to provide a visual indication viewable. The visual indication system also includes a controller communicably coupled to the output module. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a parking status and an implement status of the machine. Further, the controller is configured to determine a locked state associated with the parking status and the implement status. The controller is configured to transmit the visual indication of the determined locked state to the output module.

Indication system for a machine

A fluid injector for use in an exhaust treatment system is disclosed. The fluid injector may have a nozzle portion, a heater associated with the nozzle portion, and a controller in communication with the heater. The controller may be configured to recognize a condition triggering a purge event of the fluid injector. The controller may also be configured to activate the heater to purge the fluid injector in response to the recognized condition.

Method of purging fluid injector by heating

A regeneration device is disclosed. The regeneration device has an injector configured to inject pressurized fuel during an injection event. The regeneration device also has a heater configured to ignite the pressurized fuel during the injection event. The heater is also configured to purge the injector between injection events.

Regeneration system having integral purge and ignition device

An exhaust recirculation system includes a power source including at least one cylinder outputting exhaust gas and a particulate reducing device fluidly connected to at least one exhaust duct of the power source. The particulate reducing device is configured to reduce an amount of particulates in the exhaust gas. The exhaust recirculation system also includes a recirculation compressor configured to receive and compress at least a portion of the exhaust gas. An intake duct of the at least one cylinder of the power source is fluidly connected to the recirculation compressor to receive the compressed reduced-particulate exhaust gas.

Turbocharged exhaust gas recirculation system

A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine is set up by first identifying combinations of compression ratio and exhaust gas percentages for each speed and load across the engines operating range. These identified ratios and exhaust gas percentages can then be converted into geometric compression ratio controller settings and exhaust gas recirculation rate controller settings that are mapped against speed and load, and made available to the electronic engine controller. This provides the engine controller with a look up table of what compression ratio and exhaust gas rates should be at each speed and load. The engine controller also balances at least one of combustion phasing and energy release among a plurality of cylinders in order to enable higher load operation.

High load operation in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine

A homogenous charge compression ignition engine is operated by compressing a charge mixture of air, exhaust and fuel in a combustion chamber to an autoignition condition of the fuel. The engine may facilitate a transition from a first combination of speed and load to a second combination of speed and load by changing the charge mixture and compression ratio. This may be accomplished in a consecutive engine cycle by adjusting both a fuel injector control signal and a variable valve control signal away from a nominal variable valve control signal. Thereafter in one or more subsequent engine cycles, more sluggish adjustments are made to at least one of a geometric compression ratio control signal and an exhaust gas recirculation control signal to allow the variable valve control signal to be readjusted back toward its nominal variable valve control signal setting. By readjusting the variable valve control signal back toward its nominal setting, the engine will be ready for another transition to a new combination of engine speed and load.

Dynamic control of a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine

A homogeneous charge compression ignition engine operates by injecting liquid fuel directly in a combustion chamber, and mixing the fuel with recirculated exhaust and fresh air through an auto ignition condition of the fuel. The engine includes at least one turbocharger for extracting energy from the engine exhaust and using that energy to boost intake pressure of recirculated exhaust gas and fresh air. Elevated proportions of exhaust gas recirculated to the engine are attained by throttling the fresh air inlet supply. These elevated exhaust gas recirculation rates allow the HCCI engine to be operated at higher speeds and loads rendering the HCCI engine a more viable alternative to a conventional diesel engine.

Exhaust gas recirculation in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine

A method and apparatus for balancing a combustion phasing between a plurality of cylinders located in an engine. The method and apparatus includes a determining a combustion timing in each cylinder, establishing a baseline parameter for a desired combustion timing, and varying actuation of at least one of a plurality of intake valves, each intake valve being in fluid communication with a corresponding cylinder, such that the combustion timing in each cylinder is substantially equal to the desired combustion timing.

Cylinder to cylinder balancing using intake valve actuation

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Morton, IL, United States of America

Andrew John Kieser