Caterpillar Inc.

Jerry A Wear

Dennis Henderson Gibson

Michael D Anderson

Matthew David Friede

Lianghe Zuo

Michael Edward Pickell

Scott F Shafer

Mark F Sommars

Hongliu Du

Jason Brinkman

James R Blass

Chetan J Desai

Mark G Fulford

George M Matta

Mark Vonderwell

Michael A Flinn

Jeff L Kuehn

Roy E Kline

Greg A Ferkol

Consistent with an aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a hydraulic cylinder is provided. The hydraulic cylinder is provided with a chamber and configured to receive fluid from a valve. The method includes receiving a user input and determining a desired velocity of the hydraulic cylinder in accordance with the user input. In addition, the velocity of the hydraulic cylinder is measured and a position of the valve is determined in accordance with the desired velocity of the hydraulic cylinder and the measured velocity of the hydraulic cylinder. The method further includes determining a desired force to be applied to the valve in accordance with a difference between the desired and measured velocities of the hydraulic cylinder, and actuating the valve in accordance with the desired force to thereby inject the fluid into the chamber and move the hydraulic cylinder.

Electrohydraulic control system

A hydraulic system, such as a fuel injection system, includes a fixed displacement pump with at least one pump piston. A sleeve surrounds each pump piston and provides the method by which fluid displaced by the pumping stroke of the pump piston is directed either to a high pressure area in the pump or a low pressure area. The sleeves are a portion of an electro-hydraulic controller that includes a mechanical bias to bias the pump to a high output position when a pressure differential between the outlet area and the inlet area is relatively low, such as at cold start up. This aspect facilitates priming of the system. In addition, the controller includes a biasing hydraulic surface in opposition to the mechanical biaser that serves to bias the pump to its low output position when the pressure differential between the outlet area and the inlet area is relatively high. This aspect prevents over pressurization in the event that electric current to the controller is disrupted.

Pump and hydraulic system with low pressure priming and over pressurization avoidance features

A high pressure pump system ( ) for use with a hydraulic engine system ( ), such as a fuel injection system ( ) or a compression release brake system, provides variable delivery of pressurized fluid using sleeve metering principles. The relative position of metering sleeves ( ) with respect to pumping pistons ( ) is controlled electro-hydraulically by a control circuit ( ). The control circuit ( ) receives pressurized fluid from the pump delivery gallery ( ) or another high pressure area ( ) and, using a pressure reducer ( ), reduces the operating pressure within the control circuit ( ) to a substantially constant pressure lower than the pump output pressure. Lower operating pressure within the control circuit ( ) improves the manufacturability of the control circuit components and helps to achieve better control of the pump output.

High pressure pump and engine system using the same

In one case of hydraulically actuated fuel injection systems, the engine lubricating oil is utilized as the hydraulic medium to actuate the individual fuel injectors. In a typical example, these fuel injectors are fluidly connected to a common rail that is maintained a relatively high pressure when the engine is running. When the engine is turned off, the oil in the common rail both drops in pressure and in temperature. As this occurs, a thermal contraction effect takes place. This lost volume is made up by an oil replenishing reservoir that captures some of the engine lubricating oil that finds its way into the chamber defined by the engine head and valve cover. A check valve is positioned between the oil replenishing reservoir and the common rail so that the two are isolated from one another while the engine is running. At free start, shorter engine cranking times are encountered because the hydraulically actuated fuel injection system can come up to full pressure substantially faster.

Gravity and/or thermal contraction replenishing reservoir for engine hydraulic system

A hydraulically-actuated system includes a fixed displacement pump with at least one piston that reciprocates in a pump housing that defines a high pressure area and a low pressure area. A control valve is attached to the pump housing and moveable between a first position in which the piston displaces fluid in a first proportion between the high pressure area and the low pressure area, and a second position in which the piston displaces fluid in a second proportion between the high pressure area and the low pressure area. At least one hydraulically-actuated device is connected to the high pressure area of the pump. A source of low pressure fluid is connected to the low pressure area of the pump. An electronic control module is in communication with and capable of controlling the position of the control valve.

Hydraulically-actuated system having a variable delivery fixed displacement pump

A fuel injector nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body that defines a nozzle outlet. A needle valve member is positioned in the nozzle body and moveable between a first position in which the nozzle outlet is blocked and a second position in which the nozzle outlet is open. At least one of the nozzle body and the needle valve member define a first chamber fluidly connected to a second chamber by at least one dual flow rate orifice. The needle valve member displaces fluid from the first chamber into the second chamber through the at least one dual flow rate orifice when moving from its first position to its second position. The dual flow rate orifice is sized and shaped to produce a flow restriction and to slow the movement of the needle valve member when moving from its closed position to its open position, but permit relatively unrestricted displacement flow in the opposite direction.

Rate shaped fuel injector with internal dual flow rate office

A fuel injector includes an injector body that defines a nozzle outlet, and a needle control chamber that is in fluid communication with a needle control passage. A needle valve member is positioned in the injector body, and has a closing hydraulic surface exposed to fluid pressure in the needle control chamber. The needle valve member is moveable between a first position in which the nozzle outlet is blocked, and a second position in which the nozzle outlet is open. The needle control passage includes a dual flow rate orifice. Hydraulic fluid is displaced into the needle control chamber through the dual flow rate orifice when the needle valve member moves from its second position toward its first position. Hydraulic fluid is displaced out of the needle control chamber through the dual flow rate orifice when the needle valve member moves from its first position toward its second position. A compression spring is operably positioned to bias the needle valve member toward its first position.

Direct control fuel injector with dual flow rate orifice

A shell/terminal/coil subassembly adapted for an electrically-controlled proportional fluid pressure control valve assembly. The shell/terminal/coil subassembly comprises an encapsulated terminal/coil subassembly, a shell, and an anti-rotation device for preventing relative rotation movement between the terminal/coil subassembly and the shell. The pressure control valve assembly is adapted for, inter alia, a hydraulically-actuated fuel injector system.

Anti-rotation device for joining a shell and encapsulated terminal/coil

A pressure control system for controlling output pressure of a variable-displacement hydraulic pump used with a hydraulically-actuated electronically-controlled injector fuel system and method of operation is disclosed. The control system comprises a variable-displacement hydraulic pump with a control element adjustable to a range of positions which controls an output of the pump. The control system additionally includes positioning means for positioning the control element responsive to pressure differences between the fluid reference chamber and the output port. Electronic valve means regulates a pressure of hydraulic actuating fluid in the fluid reference chamber. The electronic valve means is electronically connected with the electronic control means to receive the output signal. A change in the output signal to the electrical valve means produces a change in the pressure of the hydraulic actuating fluid in the fluid reference chamber, thereby causing the positioning means to operably position the control element to change the output of the pump.

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East Peoria, IL, United States of America

Jerry A Wear