Greasing system

Abstract

A greasing system 10 for a machine 1 with articulated joints, such as excavators, dump trucks, telehandlers, skid loaders, dozers, etc, has at least one grease port 12, 14, 16, 18, that in use applies grease to the one or more respective joints of the machine. The grease system includes a grease reservoir 20, a grease pump 30 to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port and a controller 50. The controller receives information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine, determines a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information, and compares the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold. If the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller will cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port. A grease actuator with pistons 40 may also be controlled by the controller, and the actuator may control the flow of grease to one of a plurality of grease distribution manifolds 42, 44, 46, 48, and in turn on to the plurality of grease port 12, 14, 16, 18. As such, grease can be applied at an appropriate time and in a manner which is responsive to the actual usage of the machine.

Description

Field of the disclosure The present disclosure relates to a machine. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a greasing system for a machine. Background Machines, in particular work vehicles such as excavators, dump trucks, telehandlers, skid loaders, dozers and the like, include one or more mechanically actuated joints. In order to reduce wear on the mechanically actuated joints, a lubricant may be applied to the joint. Typically, the lubricant applied to the joint may be in the form of a grease (i.e. a semisolid lubricant or solid lubricant). The relatively high viscosity of a grease, compared to a liquid lubricant, means that the grease will stay in position for a greater period of time, compared to a liquid lubricant. Often, grease may be applied (and reapplied) to a joint manually. Depending on the usage of the joint, grease may need to be applied to a joint on a daily basis, if not more frequently. CN-B-10226112 discloses an automatic lubrication system for an excavator. The system comprises a pump unit, a display unit and a distributor unit, wherein the pump unit is arranged at rear of an upper frame of the excavator. The pump unit comprises a control unit, a two-position five-way electromagnetic valve, an electric plunger pump and an oil storage tank. Two main lubricating pipelines are leaded out from the pump unit. The oil storage tank is communicated with the two main lubricating pipelines through the two-position five-way electromagnetic valve. The display unit is installed in a cab, connected to the control unit and used for observing and controlling a working state of the automatic lubricating system in real time. Summary According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a greasing system for a machine having one or more joints is provided. The greasing system comprises at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine, a grease reservoir, a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port and a controller. The controller is configured to receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine, determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information, and compare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint. If the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port. Typically, automatic greasing systems in the past have to be tuned manually based on the machine and the typical work cycles for the machine. As such, it can be challenging to calibrate and maintain an automatic greasing system for a machine such that sufficient, but not excessive, grease is applied to a joint (or joints) of the machine. According to the first aspect, the controller receives information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine. For example, the controller may receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from an engine control unit, or user controls of the machine. The controller then determines cumulative motion of the machine, which is compared to a threshold value in order to determine when additional grease should be applied to the joint. As such, the controller of the first aspect may monitor the actual usage of the joint in order to determine an appropriate greasing frequency / quantity. In particular, the rate at which the cumulative motion of the machine increases may depend on the machine application cycles. As such, grease may be applied at an appropriate time and in a manner which is responsive to the actual usage of the machine. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a machine is provided. The machine comprises one or more joints, and a greasing system according to the first aspect. The greasing system is configured to apply grease to the one or more joints. In some embodiments, the machine may be a work vehicle such as an excavator, a dump truck, a telehandler, a skid loader, or a dozer. The machine of the second aspect may incorporate any optional features and associated advantages of the greasing system of the first aspect. According to a third aspect of the disclosure, a method of greasing one or more joints of a machine using a greasing system is provided. The greasing system comprises at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine, a grease reservoir, a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port, and a controller. The method comprises causing the controller to: receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine; determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information; and compare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint; wherein if the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port. It will be appreciated that the machine of the second aspect and / or the greasing system of the first aspect may be used to perform the method of the third aspect. Brief Description of the Figures Embodiments of the disclosure will now be set out with reference to the following nonlimiting figures in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a greasing system according to this disclosure; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a method according to this disclosure; and Fig. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the signals received and output by the controller of the greasing system. Detailed Description According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a greasing system 10 for a machine 1 having one or more joints is provided. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a greasing system 10 according to an embodiment of the disclosure. According to this disclosure, the greasing system of Fig. 1 may be configured to grease a machine 1 comprising a plurality of moveable joints (not shown in Fig. 1). In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the machine 1 is a work vehicle such as an excavator (not shown). As indicated in Fig. 1, the excavator may comprise a plurality of moveable joints. For example, the plurality of moveable joints may comprise one or more joints associated with a boom of the excavator, one or more joints associated with a linkage of the excavator, one or more joints associated with a swing bearing of the excavator, and one or more joints associated with a stick of the excavator. One or more of the joints of the machine 1 may be arranged in combination with associated members to define one or more linkages. For example, the excavator may include a linkage comprising a boom, arm, stick and bucket and associated joints. In other embodiments, the machine 1 may be a work vehicle such as dump truck, a telehandler, a skid loader, or a dozer, wherein the work vehicle comprises one or more moveable joints. Each joint of the machine 1 may be driven by one or more actuators. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, each of the joints may be driven by one or more hydraulic actuators (not shown). In other embodiments, the one or more joints may be driven directly an internal combustion engine of the machine 1, by an electric actuator, by an electric motor, by a hydraulic actuator, or by a combination of any of the above. As such, in some embodiments, machine 1 may be provided with a plurality of joints, wherein different joints are driven by different types of actuators. In general, each joint of the machine 1 may be a rotatable joint or a sliding joint. As shown in Fig. 1, the greasing system 10 comprises a plurality of grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18. In the greasing system of Fig. 1, a first set of grease ports 12 are provided. The first set of grease ports 12 may be configured to apply grease to one or more joints associated with a boom of the machine 1. In Fig. 1, a second set of grease ports 14 is also provided. The second set of grease ports 14 may be configured to apply grease to one or more joints associated with a swing bearing of the machine 1. The system of Fig. 1 also comprises a third set of grease ports 16. The third set of grease ports 16 may be configured to apply grease to one or more joints associated with a stick of the machine 1. The greasing system of Fig. 1 also comprises a fourth set of grease ports 18. The fourth set of grease ports 18 may be configured to apply grease to one or more joints associated with a linkage of the machine 1 Each grease port 12, 14, 16, 18 may be configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine 1. That is to say, each grease port 12, 14, 16, 18 may be connected to, or positioned proximal to, a respective joint of the machine 1 in order to deliver grease to the joint. In some embodiments, a grease port 12, 14, 16, 18 may be associated with a respective joint of the machine (i.e. one to one relationship). In other embodiments, a plurality of grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18 may be associated with a single joint (i.e. a many to one relationship). The arrangement of the grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18 relative to a given joint will depend on the type of joint to which grease is to be applied. Each grease port 12, 14, 16, 18 may be defined by an opening in a respective grease conduit. The grease conduit may provide a flow path for grease to flow from a grease reservoir 20 to the respective grease port 12, 14, 16, 18. As shown in Fig. 1, the greasing system 10 also comprises a grease reservoir 20. The grease reservoir 20 may be configured to hold grease to be supplied to the plurality of grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18. The greasing system 10 also comprises a grease pump 30. The grease pump 30 may be configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir 20 to the plurality of grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18. The grease pump 30 may be any pump suitable for pumping the grease present in the grease reservoir 20 to the plurality of joints. In order to control the flow of grease to the grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18, the greasing system 10 may comprise at least one grease actuator which may be configured to control the flow of grease to a respective grease port, wherein operation of the grease actuator is controlled by the controller 50. As shown in Fig. 1, the grease pump 30 pumps grease to a plurality of pistons 40 (i.e. grease injectors), which each act as a grease actuator. Each of the plurality of pistons 40 may be configured to control the flow of grease to one of a plurality of grease distribution manifolds 42, 44, 46, 48, and in turn on to the plurality of grease port 12, 14, 16, 18. That is, each piston 40 may be configured to inject a quantity of grease towards a respective distribution manifold 42, 44, 46, 48. Each piston 40 may be controlled by an associated solenoid, or other means of interfacing with the controller 50. Various types of pistons 40 for injecting grease into an open loop system known to the skilled person may be suitable for use in the greasing system 10. In other embodiments, one or more grease actuators may be provided by a cam or other form of valve controlled by the controller 50. Each cam or valve may be controlled, e.g. by a respective solenoid, to control the flow of grease from the grease pump to one or more grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18 or to a grease distribution manifold 42, 44, 46, 48. As such, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments the greasing system 10 comprises a plurality of grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18, and a grease actuator may be configured to control the flow of grease to at least two of the plurality of grease ports. Each grease distribution manifold 42, 44, 46, 48 receives grease from an associated piston 40. Each grease distribution manifold may be configured to distributes grease to a set of grease ports 12, 14, 116, 18 associated with the grease distribution manifold 42, 44, 46, 48. For example, a first grease distribution manifold 42 may be configured to distribute grease to the first set of grease ports 12, a second grease distribution manifold 42 may be configured to distribute grease to the second set of grease ports 44 and so on. A first grease actuator (first cylinder 40) may be configured to control the flow of grease to the first set of grease ports 12 via the first grease distribution manifold 42, a second grease actuator (second cylinder 40) may be configured to control the flow of grease to the second set of grease ports 14 via the second grease distribution manifold 42 and so on. In some embodiments, the quantity of grease delivered to the each of the grease ports 12 of the first set of grease ports may be the same. In other embodiments, each of the grease ports 12 of the first set of grease ports may be designed to deliver different quantities of grease to different joints / different areas of a joint. For example, the first set of grease ports 12 may comprise a first grease port and a second grease port, wherein the first and second grease ports may be configured to supply grease to a respective joint at a different rate. That is to say, where a quantity of grease is provided to the first set of grease ports, the quantity of grease applied at the first grease port may be different to the quantity of grease applied at the second grease port. For example, to adjust the amount of grease applied, the first grease port may have a first port area and a second the grease port having a second port area, wherein the first and second port areas are different such that grease is applied to a respective joint of the machine at different rates. Further, while each grease port 12 of a set of grease ports may be selected to deliver a specific grease quantity, the overall quantity of grease delivered by a set of grease ports by also be controlled by the greasing system. As such, the first grease actuator (first cylinder 40) may be configured to deliver a first quantity of grease to the first set of grease ports 12. The second grease actuator (second grease cylinder 42) may be configured to deliver a second quantity of grease to the second set of grease ports 14. In some embodiments, the first and second quantities of grease may be the same or may be different. As shown in Fig. 1, the greasing system 10 also comprises a controller 50. As shown in Fig. 1, the controller 50 may be configured to receive signals from a machine controller 60 (e.g. an engine control unit of the machine 1). The controller 50 may also receive signals from one or more joint sensors 62 of the machine 1. Each joint sensor 62 may be configured to sense information related to the movement of a joint of the machine 1. In some embodiments, a plurality of joint sensors 62 may be configured to detect information relating the motion of the same joint. The joint sensors 62 may comprise one or more Inertial Measurement Units (IMU). An IMU may be connected to a member extending from a joint. The IMU may be configured to measure a one or more of a specific force, angular rate, and orientation of the member extending form the joint. Typically, an IMU comprises one or more accelerometers and / or gyroscopes in order to determine positional / movement information pertaining to the member extending from the joint. In some embodiments, the joint sensors 62 may comprise one or more Anisotropic Magneto Resistance (AMR) sensors. An AMR sensor may output a signal indicative of a linear position, or a rotational position of a joint. In some embodiments, an AMR sensor may be used to sense a rotational position of a bucket of the excavator. In some embodiments, the joint sensors 62 may comprise one or more speed pickups. A speed pickup may be configured to sense a rotation of a swing system of the excavator for example. The controller 50 may also receive signals from one or more grease pressure sensors 64. Grease pressure sensors 64 may be associated with one or more of the lines which transport grease from the grease reservoir 20 to the grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18. The grease pressure sensors 50 may be used by the controller 50 to determine that the greasing system 10 is operating as intended. As such, the grease pressure sensors 64 may be used to detect when one or more grease ports 12, 14, 16, 18 has become blocked, or a grease line is leaking, or that grease is not flowing as expected at some point in the greasing system 10. Upon determining an anomalous pressure, the controller 50 of the greasing system 10 may issue an alert to an operator of the greasing system 10. The controller 50 may receive signals directly from the sensors 62 and the pressure sensors 64. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the sensors 62 and the pressure sensors 64 may each be configured to communicate with controller 50 via the machine controller 60. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the controller 50 of the greasing system may be a physically separate controller to the machine controller 60. That is to say, the greasing system 10 may be suitable to be retrofitted to an existing machine 1 not previously including a greasing system 10. In other embodiments, the functionality of the controller 50 of the greasing system 10 may be integrated with the machine controller 60. It will be appreciated that the controller 50 of the greasing system 10 may be provided by any suitable processor. The controller 50 may be configured to implement a method 100 of greasing one or more joints of a machine 1 using the greasing system 10. Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the method 100. In step 101, the controller 50 is configured to receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine 1. It will be appreciated that grease may be applied to the joint to provide lubrication for the joint. Where the joint is moved repeatedly, grease may be displaced from the joint, such that it may be desirable to reapply grease to the joint. The controller 50 may receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from a variety of sources. As indicated in Fig. 1, the controller 50 may receive information from a machine controller 60 and joint sensors 62. These information sources are discussed in more detail below. In step 102, the controller is configured to determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information. The cumulative motion of the joint is a parameter which reflects the amount of movement (and therefore grease displacement) the joint has undergone. In some embodiments, the cumulative motion of the joint may reflect the number of discrete movements the joint has undergone, or the total distance / angle travelled by the joint. In some embodiments, the cumulative motion of the joint may reflect the type of movements performed by the joint (e.g. whether the joint moves under load or not), with different types of movement incrementing the cumulative motion parameter at different rates. In step 103, the controller 50 is configured to compare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint. The joint motion threshold effectively defines an amount of joint motion that the joint may undergo before a reapplication of grease is desirable. The joint motion threshold may be a predetermined value which is available to the controller 50. The joint motion threshold may be calibrated by a user of the greasing system 10 depending on the joint to which grease is to be applied. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 where the machine comprises a plurality of joints, the controller 50 may determine a cumulative motion for each joint, and may also compare the cumulative motion for each joint to a respective joint motion threshold. In the event that the controller 50 determines that the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds a joint motion threshold, the controller 50 is configured to cause the greasing system 10 to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port. The method 100 may then be repeated. Where a quantity of grease is delivered, the cumulative motion of the joint may be reset. The cumulative motion of the joint may be determined by the controller 50 based on information received by the controller 50 from the machine 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the controller 50 and the inputs of a machine which may be available to the controller for determining the motion of one or more joints of the machine 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the controller 50 may receive information indicative of the ambient conditions of the machine (e.g. air temperature, air pressure, humidity, altitude and the like). Information indicative of the ambient conditions of the machine 1 may be received from the machine controller 60. The controller 50 may also receive information indicative of the motion of the joint (i.e. linkage operation information). The different types of information indicative of the motion of a joint (or linkage) of the machine 1 is discussed in more detail below. The controller 50 may also receive information indicative of a load associated with a joint or linkage (linkage load) of the machine 1. A load associated with a joint or linkage may be determined by the controller 50 or machine controller 60 based on data indicative of a motion of one or more actuators associated with the joint / linkage. In some embodiments, information from the grease pressure sensors 64 may be used to determine a “greasing system status” for the greasing system 10. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the greasing system status may be used to enable (or disable) the grease pump 20 (or grease cylinders 40. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period. The angle through which a joint rotates may be determined by, for example, a rotational position sensor connected to the joint. In some embodiments, the angle through which a joint rotates may be determined by the controller 50 based on information from one or more joint sensors 62 connected to the machine 1. For example, rotational information from one or more IM Us may be used to measure and track the relative movement of one or more joints of the machine 1 over time. In some embodiments, the angle through which a joint rotates may be determined based on the motion of one or more actuators associated with a joint. For example, in the embodiment of Fig. 1 where the joint is a joint between the boom (not shown) and the chassis (not shown) of the excavator, the motion of an actuator (e.g. a hydraulic actuator) which moves the boom may be used to determine the angle through which the joint moves. According to this disclosure, the angle through which a joint moves may be considered to be defined by the change in angular position of one member (e.g. the boom) connected to the joint, relative to another member connected to the joint (e.g. the chassis). Where the information indicative of the motion of the joint is based on the angular motion of the joint, the relative angular positions of members connected to the joint may be monitored repeatedly. As such, the time period over which the angular motion of the joint is monitored may be relatively small, e.g. no greater than 1 s, 500 ms, 200 ms or 100 ms to ensure that all angular motion of the joint is detected by the controller 50. The controller 50 may then determine the cumulative motion of the joint based on the information indicative of the angular position of the joint over time. In effect, changes in the angular position of the joint may be summed together (that is, both clockwise and anticlockwise rotations of the joint increment the sum) in order to determine the cumulative motion of the joint. The cumulative motion of the joint may be updated over a plurality of time periods as the machine 1 is operated. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle. According to this disclosure, a movement cycle may be considered to be a movement, or series of movements performed by a joint, wherein the movement, or series of movements are repeated a number of times. For example, a movement cycle may be based on the movement of one or more actuators connected to a joint. For example, a movement cycle for a joint may be defined by an extension and retraction (i.e. back to a starting position) of a hydraulic actuator associated with the joint. Where the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of a movement cycle, the cumulative motion of the joint may comprise a sum, or a running total of the number of movement cycles performed by the joint. In some embodiments, the cumulative motion of the joint may be based on the number of movement cycles performed by the joint and an intensity parameter indicative of the intensity of each movement cycle. For example, the intensity parameter may affect the amount the cumulative motion value is incremented for each movement cycle. The intensity parameter may be determined based on a rate at which the movement cycles are being performed (e.g. number of movement cycles performed per hour) or a load (e.g. a linkage load) associated with the joint. Higher intensity movements (e.g. relative high number of movement cycles per hour, or relatively high linkage loads) may increment the cumulative motion of the joint at a faster rate than relative lower intensity movements. In some embodiments, a linkage load may be calculated based on an actuator force and positional information of the linkage. It will be appreciated that the calculation of a linkage load may depend on the geometry of the linkage and the type of actuator used. For example, for a linkage or joint comprising a hydraulic actuator, a linkage load may be calculated based on a hydraulic cylinder force of the hydraulic actuator and positional information of the hydraulic actuator relative to the linkage / joint. The positional information of the hydraulic actuator relative to the linkage / joint may be used to transform the hydraulic cylinder force to a load at the linkage / joint. Hydraulic cylinder force may be calculated based on a hydraulic cylinder pressure and the dimensional information of the hydraulic cylinder to calculate the hydraulic cylinder force and then use machine pose to transform this load information back to estimate the load at the linkage joint. For electromechanical actuators, a similar force calculation may be performed based on the current and voltage provided to the electromechanical actuator. Positional information of the electromechanical actuator may then be used to transform the force back to the joint / linkage. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint may comprise one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint. For example, control inputs from an operator of the machine 1 (e.g. an input from the operator to move the boom of the excavator) may be used to determine the motion of the joint. As such, a machine controller 60 may provide control inputs associated with one or more joints of the machine 1 to the controller 50 of the greasing system 10. The greasing system may interpret the control inputs to determine an angular position (or a change in angular position) of the joint over time, data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle, or another metric quantifying an amount of movement of the joint such as distance travelled and the like. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint may comprise operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint. As such, where the machine controller 60 issues commands (actuator commands) to cause one or more actuators associated with a joint of the machine 1 to move, the machine controller 60 may relay said commands to the controller 50 of the greasing system 10. The greasing system 10 may interpret the actuator commands to determine an angular position (or a change in angular position) of the joint over time, data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle, or another metric quantifying an amount of movement of the joint such as distance travelled and the like. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint may comprise information from one or more joint sensors 62 associated with the joint. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the controller 50 of the greasing system may receive information from joint sensors 62. In some embodiments, the controller 50 of the greasing system may combine information from one or more information sources discussed above in order to determine a work activity associated with a movement of the joint. A work activity may be one movement, or a series of movements performed by one or more joints of the machine 1. For example, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, an excavator may perform a digging operating comprising the movement of the boom, arm, stick and bucket actuators. A machine 1 may be capable of performing a plurality of different work activities. For example, the excavator may be also capable of performing a loading operation, an idle operation, a loaded swinging operation, and an unloaded swinging operation. Other work activities for an excavator may be defined by a user of the greasing system 10 depending on the tasks performed by the excavator. Other machines 1 may have other work activities which reflect the usage of the various joints of different work machines 1. The controller 50 of the greasing system 10 may determine when the machine 1 is performing one or more work activities based on the information received from the machine controller 60. Accordingly, the controller 50 may then determine a cumulative motion for a joint of the machine based on the work activities performed involving the joint. As such, the cumulative motion of the joint may be determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period. In some embodiments, the cumulative motion of the joint may be a sum of the number of work activities performed by a joint. In other embodiments, each work activity may have a cost associated with it, with different work activities having different associated costs. As such, work activities which have a greater impact on grease displacement (e.g. work activities involving operation of the joint under load such as digging and loading operations) may have a relatively high associated cost. Work activities which have a lower impact on grease displacement (e.g. work activities where the joint operates substantially unloaded) may have a relatively lower associated cost. Thus, the cumulative motion of the joint may be an accumulated cost score which reflects the different amount of grease displacement caused by different work activities of the machine 1. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint may comprise information indicative of the motion of the joint from an actuator associated with the joint. In some embodiments, the information may comprise one or more of: information indicative of a motion of the actuator, and information indicative of the work done by the actuator. For example in the embodiment of Fig. 1, the machine may comprise a plurality of hydraulic actuators (not shown in Fig. 1). For each hydraulic actuator, the controller 50 may receive information indicative of one the motion of a hydraulic actuator from machine controller 60 which may be configured to control the motion of the hydraulic actuator. The controller 50 may receive information indicative of or more of: a position of the actuator, a motion of the actuator, a cylinder pressure of the hydraulic actuator, and a cylinder velocity of the hydraulic actuator. For example, the controller 50 may monitor the motion, or position of the actuator over time. Based on predetermined knowledge of the geometric relationship between the actuator and the joint, the controller 50 may then determine a motion of the joint based on the motion / change in position of the actuator over time. In some embodiments, the controller 50 may receive information indicative of a motion and / or position of the actuator and a cylinder pressure of the hydraulic actuator. In such cases, the controller 50 may determine the work done by the actuator based on the motion and / or position of the actuator and a cylinder pressure of the hydraulic actuator. Accordingly, the controller 50 may subsequently determine the cumulative motion of the associated joint based on the work done by the hydraulic actuator. That is, the controller 50 may increment the cumulative motion of the joint may at a faster rate for motions of the joint where the work done exceeds a specified threshold. Other relationships between the work done and the rate at which the cumulative motion of the joint may be incremented may also be provided. It will be appreciated from the diagram of Fig. 1 that the greasing system 10 may allow for the application of grease to different joints of the machine 1, wherein the rate of grease application is effectively tailored to the usage of the different joints. That is, the greasing system 10 allows for grease to be applied to a first set of one or more joints at a different rate to a second set of joints. For example, for the first set of one or more joints the controller 50 is configured to receive information indicative of the motion of the first set of one or more joints from the machine. The controller 50 may then determine a cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints based on the information. The controller 50 may then compare the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints to a first joint motion threshold for the first set of one or more joints. If the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints exceeds the first joint motion threshold, the controller 50 is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a first quantity of grease to the first set of grease ports. Similarly, for the second set of one or more joints the controller 50 is configured to receive information indicative of the motion of the second set of one or more joints from the machine. The controller 50 may then determine a cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints based on the information and compare the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints to a second joint motion threshold for the second set of one or more joints. If the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints exceeds the second joint motion threshold, the controller 50 is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a second quantity of grease to the second set of grease ports, wherein the second quantity is different to the first quantity. In some embodiments, the greasing system 10 may also comprise a grease return line. The grease return line may be connected to the grease reservoir 20 and configured to provide a return path for grease pumped by the grease pump 30 to the grease reservoir 20. For example, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, the grease return line may be provided between the grease reservoir 20 and each of the cylinders 40. Each grease return line may comprise a relief valve such grease flows through the grease return line when grease is not being directed on to the cylinders 40 / grease ports. That is, when the greasing system is in a first configuration, the grease pump is configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port. When the greasing system is in a second configuration, the grease pump 30 is configured to circulate grease from the grease reservoir 20 back to the grease reservoir 20 via the grease return line. Other configurations for a grease return line will be apparent to the skilled person. Industrial applicability According to embodiments of this disclosure a greasing system 10 and a method 100 of applying grease for one or more joints of a machine 1 are provided. The greasing system 10 automatically provides grease to one or more joints of a machine. As such, the greasing system 10 reduces or eliminates manual greasing of the joints of a machine. The greasing system 10 of this disclosure monitors the cumulative motion of the one or more joints of a machine, wherein grease is applied in accordance with the cumulative usage of the joints. As such, the greasing system 10 can apply grease at an appropriate frequency, thereby reducing or eliminating manual calibration and / or estimation of work cycle frequency for the machine 1. Accordingly, greasing systems 10 of this disclosure ensure that sufficient, but not excessive, grease is applied to a joint (or joints) of the machine. In order to provide the desired control of the greasing system, the controller 50 of the greasing system 10 receives information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine. For example, the controller 50 may receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from an engine control unit, or user controls of the machine. The controller 50 may then determine a cumulative motion of the machine, which is compared to a threshold value in order to determine when additional grease should be applied to the joint. As such, the controller 50 may monitor the actual usage of the joint in order to determine an appropriate greasing frequency / quantity. In particular, the rate at which the cumulative motion of the machine 1 increases may depend on the machine application cycles. As such, grease may be applied at an appropriate time and in a manner which is responsive to the actual usage of the machine 1. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period. Determining the cumulative motion of the joint then comprises determining a sum of the angles through which the joint of the machine has rotated over respective time periods. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosure may track the amount of usage of a rotational joint over time in order to determine an appropriate interval for re-applying grease to the joint. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle (e.g. a set of sliding movements or a set of rotational movements). In general, the controller 50 may monitor the joint and detect when the movement cycle is repeated. Accordingly, determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the movement cycles performed by the joint. The controller 50 may then re-apply grease in accordance with the amount of movement cycles performed by the machine 1. In some embodiments, the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises one or more of: one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint, one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of an actuator associated with the joint, operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint, and information from one or more joint sensors 62 (e.g. IMUs) associated with the joint. As such, the information indicative of the motion of the joint may be determined from a plurality of information sources available to the controller 50. In particular, information regarding the linkage load, and / or intensity of the work being performed by the joint may be determined by the controller 50. Based on the information, determining the cumulative motion of the joint may comprise determining a work activity associated with the information indicative of the motion of the joint. Different work activities such digging, loading, idle, loaded swinging, unloaded swinging, dumping, and the like may be determined by the controller 50 based on the capabilities of the machine 1. The cumulative motion of the joint may then be determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period. Accordingly, the controller 50 may determine a greasing interval based on the nature of the work being performed by the machine 1. In particular, the controller 50 may be configured to detect work activities which have a relatively high grease consumption rate and increment the cumulative movement parameter at a relative high rate when such activities are detected.

Claims

1. A greasing system for a machine having one or more joints, the greasing system comprising:at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine;a grease reservoir;a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port;a controller configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint;wherein if the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port.

2. A greasing system according to claim 1, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the angles through which the joint of the machine has rotated over respective time periods.

3. A greasing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the movement cycles performed by the joint.

4. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 3, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises one or more of: one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint,one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of an actuator associated with the joint;operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint; and information from one or more sensors associated with the joint, wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a work activity associated with the information indicative of the motion of the joint, andthe cumulative motion of the joint is determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period.

5. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 4, whereinthe controller is configured to receive information indicative of a motion of the joint from an actuator associated with the joint, the information comprising one or more of:information indicative of a motion of the actuator, andinformation indicative of the work done by the actuator.

6. A greasing system according to claim 5, whereinthe actuator is a hydraulic actuator, wherein the controller receives information indicative of one or more of:a motion of the actuator;a cylinder pressure of the hydraulic actuator, anda cylinder velocity of the hydraulic actuator.

7. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprisingat least one grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to a respective grease port, wherein operation of the grease actuator is controlled by the controller.

8. A greasing system according to claim 7, whereinthe greasing system comprises a plurality of grease ports, anda grease actuator is configured to control the flow of grease to at least two of the plurality of grease ports.

9. A greasing system according to claim 8, whereinthe greasing system comprises:a first set of grease ports associated with a first set of one or more joints of the machine;a first grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to the first set of grease ports;a second set of grease ports associated with a second set of one or more joints of the machine; anda second grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to the second set of grease ports.

10. A greasing system according to claim 9 wherein,the first set of grease ports comprise a first grease port having a first port area and a second grease port having a second port area, wherein the first and second port areas are different such that grease is applied to a respective joint of the machine at different rates.

11. A greasing system according to claim 9 or claim 10, whereinfor the first set of one or more joints the controller is configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the first set of one or more joints from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints to a first joint motion threshold for the first set of one or more joints;wherein if the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints exceeds the first joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a first quantity of grease to the first set of grease ports.

12. A greasing system according to claim 11, whereinfor the second set of one or more joints the controller is configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the second set of one or more joints from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints to a second joint motion threshold for the second set of one or more joints;wherein if the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints exceeds the second joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing systemto pump a second quantity of grease to the second set of grease ports, wherein the second quantity is different to the first quantity.

13. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 12, further comprisinga grease return line connected to the grease reservoir;wherein when the greasing system is in a first configuration, the grease pump is configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port; andwhen the greasing system is in a second configuration, the grease pump is configured to circulate grease from the grease reservoir back to the grease reservoir via the grease return line.

14. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 13, whereinthe one or more joints of the greasing system comprises one or more of:a first set of one or more joints associated with a boom of the machine;a second set of one or more joints associated with a swing bearing of the machine;a third set of one or more joints associated with a stick of the machine; anda fourth set of one or more joints associated with a linkage of the machine.

15. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 14, whereinwhere the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, a quantity of grease is pumped to the grease port and the cumulative motion of the joint determined by the controller is reset.

16. A machine comprisingone or more joints,a greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 14,wherein the greasing system is configured to apply grease to the one or more joints, wherein optionally the machine is a work vehicle such as an excavator, a dump truck, a telehandler, a skid loader, or a dozer.

17. A method of greasing one or more joints of a machine using a greasing system, the greasing system comprising:at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine;a grease reservoir;a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port; anda controller,wherein the method comprises causing the controller to:receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint;wherein if the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port.

18. A method according to claim 17, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the angles through which the joint of the machine has rotated over respective time periods.

19. A method according to claim 17 or claim 18, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the movement cycles performed by the joint.

20. A method according to any of claims 17 to 19, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises one or more of: one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint, one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of an actuator associated with the joint;operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint; and information from one or more sensors associated with the joint, wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a work activity associated with the information indicative of the motion of the joint, andthe cumulative motion of the joint is determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period.5AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWS:-CLAIMS:10152025301. A greasing system for a machine having one or more joints, the greasing systemcomprising:at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine;a grease reservoir;a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port;a controller configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint;wherein if the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port; anda grease return line connected to the grease reservoir;wherein when the greasing system is in a first configuration, the grease pump is configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port; andwhen the greasing system is in a second configuration, the grease pump is configured to circulate grease from the grease reservoir back to the grease reservoir via the grease return line.

2. A greasing system according to claim 1, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the angles through which the joint of the machine has rotated over respective time periods.

3. A greasing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the movement cycles performed by the joint.

4. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein5 the information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises one or more of:one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint, one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of an actuator associated with the joint;operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint; and10 information from one or more sensors associated with the joint,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a work activity associated with the information indicative of the motion of the joint, and the cumulative motion of the joint is determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period.I PlU / 15CM5. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 4, whereinCO the controller is configured to receive information indicative of a motion of the jointfrom an actuator associated with the joint, the information comprising one or more of: information indicative of a motion of the actuator, and1 20 information indicative of the work done by the actuator.

6. A greasing system according to claim 5, whereinthe actuator is a hydraulic actuator, wherein the controller receives information indicative of one or more of:25 a motion of the actuator;a cylinder pressure of the hydraulic actuator, anda cylinder velocity of the hydraulic actuator.

7. A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 6, further comprising30 at least one grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to a respectivegrease port, wherein operation of the grease actuator is controlled by the controller.

8. A greasing system according to claim 7, whereinthe greasing system comprises a plurality of grease ports, anda grease actuator is configured to control the flow of grease to at least two of the plurality of grease ports.

9. A greasing system according to claim 8, wherein5 the greasing system comprises:a first set of grease ports associated with a first set of one or more joints of the machine;a first grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to the first set of grease ports;10 a second set of grease ports associated with a second set of one or more joints ofthe machine; anda second grease actuator configured to control the flow of grease to the second set of grease ports.15253010. A greasing system according to claim 9 wherein,the first set of grease ports comprise a first grease port having a first port area and a second grease port having a second port area, wherein the first and second port areas are different such that grease is applied to a respective joint of the machine at different rates.

11. A greasing system according to claim 9 or claim 10, whereinfor the first set of one or more joints the controller is configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the first set of one or more joints from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints based on the information; andcompare the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints to a first joint motion threshold for the first set of one or more joints;wherein if the cumulative motion of the first set of one or more joints exceeds the first joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a first quantity of grease to the first set of grease ports.

12. A greasing system according to claim 11, whereinfor the second set of one or more joints the controller is configured to:receive information indicative of the motion of the second set of one or more joints from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints based on the information; and5 compare the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints to asecond joint motion threshold for the second set of one or more joints;wherein if the cumulative motion of the second set of one or more joints exceeds the second joint motion threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a second quantity of grease to the second set of grease ports, wherein the second 10 quantity is different to the first quantity.A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the one or more joints of the greasing system comprises one or more of: a first set of one or more joints associated with a boom of the machine; a second set of one or more joints associated with a swing bearing of the machine; a third set of one or more joints associated with a stick of the machine; and a fourth set of one or more joints associated with a linkage of the machine.A greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein where the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion threshold, aquantity of grease is pumped to the grease port and the cumulative motion of the joint determined by the controller is reset.

15. A machine comprising25 one or more joints,a greasing system according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the greasing system is configured to apply grease to the one or more joints, wherein optionally the machine is a work vehicle such as an excavator, a dump truck, a telehandler, a skid loader, or a dozer.3016. A method of greasing one or more joints of a machine using a greasing system, the greasing system comprising:at least one grease port configurable to apply grease to a respective joint of the machine;35 a grease reservoir;a grease pump configured to pump grease from the grease reservoir to the at least one grease port; anda controller,wherein the method comprises causing the controller to:5 receive information indicative of the motion of the joint from the machine;determine a cumulative motion of the joint based on the information; and compare the cumulative motion of the joint to a joint motion threshold for the joint;wherein if the cumulative motion of the joint exceeds the joint motion10 threshold, the controller is configured to cause the greasing system to pump a quantity of grease to the grease port.152017. A method according to claim 16, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises an angle through which the joint of the machine has rotated over a time period,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the angles through which the joint of the machine has rotated over respective time periods.

18. A method according to claim 16 or claim 17, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises data indicative of the joint performing a movement cycle,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a sum of the movement cycles performed by the joint.2519. A method according to any of claims 16 to 18, whereinthe information indicative of the motion of the joint comprises one or more of: one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of the joint, one or more control inputs of the machine which causes a motion of an actuator30 associated with the joint;operational data of the one or more actuators associated with the joint; and information from one or more sensors associated with the joint,wherein determining the cumulative motion of the joint comprises determining a work activity associated with the information indicative of the motion of the joint, andthe cumulative motion of the joint is determined based on a plurality of work activities performed by the joint over a time period.LDCM

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