Castrol Limited

Circuloil Limited

Oliver Paul Taylor

Steven Paul Goodier

Peter Stuart Brett

Mark O'Malley

Christopher Dawson

Piers Sebastian Harding

Andrew Phillip Barnes

Michael Baker

Timothy Hugh Lake

Rana Ali

Andrew Philip Barnes

David John Roach Williams

Mike Fairs

John Gamston

Krishan Arora

Richard Pearson

Michael Fairs

An agricultural machine, comprising is disclosed, wherein the machine comprises a body frame; a cutting system mounted on the body frame; a drive system mounted on the body frame; a power unit, mounted on the body frame, adapted to provide power to the drive system and/or the cutting system; and a fluid distribution system adapted to provide fluid to the power unit. The fluid distribution system further comprises a dock and a replaceable fluid container adapted to contain fluid to be supplied to the power unit the dock being adapted to retain the replaceable fluid container in fluid communication with the fluid distribution system so as to supply fluid from the replaceable fluid container via the fluid distribution system to the power unit. A method of facilitating an oil change in an agricultural machine is also disclosed.

Agricultural machine

A replaceable fluid container for an engine or a vehicle, comprising: a fluid reservoir, at least one fluid port adapted to couple with a fluid circulation system; and an actuator, configured to be operated between a first condition and a second condition, wherein the actuator is configured, in the first condition, to enable the fluid container to be inserted into and/or held in a dock, in a seated but undocked condition, and inhibit docking of the fluid container to the dock; and wherein the actuator is further configured, when operated from the first condition to the second condition with the fluid container being in the seated but undocked condition, to enable the fluid container to dock in an engaged condition with the dock, associated docks and associated methods of supplying a fluid to a vehicle or an engine and of decoupling a fluid container from a fluid circulation system of a vehicle or an engine.

Fluid system

An apparatus configured to control fluid distribution in a fluid circulation system. The fluid circulation system is coupled to a fluid container that includes a fluid supply port configured to couple to a fluid supply line of the fluid circulation system, a fluid return port configured to couple to a fluid return line of the fluid circulation system, and a breather port. The apparatus is configured to cause fluid to flow into the fluid container from the fluid circulation system while inhibiting outflow of the fluid from the replaceable fluid container into the fluid circulation system, so as to collect the fluid in the replaceable fluid container, and to cause a gas to flow from the replaceable fluid container through the breather port while inhibiting outflow of the fluid from the replaceable fluid container into the fluid circulation system.

Fluid method and system

A method is described of supplying liquid to a liquid delivery system in a vehicle. A a replaceable liquid container including a reservoir containing liquid is releasably coupled in the vehicle to provide fluidic communication between the reservoir and a liquid delivery system of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle. The method includes the steps of: (i) prior to establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and the liquid delivery system of a selected vehicle, communicating with a data carrier carried by the container and determining data associated with at least one of the container and its contents; and (ii) using the data in an analysis of suitability of the container and/or content of the container for the selected vehicle and generating a suitability output, and (iii) establishing liquid communication between the reservoir and liquid delivery system of the selected vehicle in dependence on the suitability output.

Fluid system and method

The present invention relates to a replaceable fluid container for an engine comprising: a first reservoir for holding a fluid; a second reservoir for holding a composition to be added to the fluid; a fluid coupling adapted to provide fluidic communication between the first reservoir and a fluid circulation system of the engine; and a dose controller to provide a dose of the composition into the fluid for circulation in a fluid circulation system of the engine.

Fluid container

A method for controlling fluid distribution in a fluid circulation system associated with an engine, the fluid circulation system being coupled to a replaceable fluid container comprising a fluid supply port configured to couple to a fluid supply line of the fluid circulation system, and a fluid return port configured to couple to a fluid return line of the fluid circulation system, and a breather port configured to couple to a breather output of the fluid circulation system, the method comprising causing the fluid to flow into the replaceable fluid container from the fluid circulation system while inhibiting outflow of the fluid from the replaceable fluid container into the fluid circulation system, so as to collect the fluid in the replaceable fluid container, and related apparatus configured to control fluid distribution in a fluid circulation system associated with an engine, and causing a gas to flow from the replaceable fluid container through the breather port while inhibiting outflow of the fluid from the replaceable fluid container into the fluid circulation system.

In some embodiments, there is provided a method of controlling a pressure gradient between a combustion chamber and a crankcase of an engine, the method having: receiving, at a control device, a signal indicating that a lubricant container is coupled to a lubricant circulation system associated with the engine, in response to the received signal, providing data to cause operation of a suction control device for facilitating control of the pressure gradient.

Method and apparatus

A method is described of controlling at least one operation in at least part of a lifecycle of a replaceable container which is arranged to be removably seated in a dock in a vehicle and which at least before seating in the dock contains an ancillary fluid for use by the vehicle. A controller communicates with a data carrier carried by the container, determines, on the basis of the communication with the data carrier, data associated with at least one of the container, its contents and the vehicle, and controls carrying out of at least one action in relation to at least one of the container and its contents on the basis of the data associated with at least one of the container, its contents and the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Berkshire, United Kingdom

Oliver Paul Taylor