Tractor Transmission Feedback Control for Power Hopping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tractors with pneumatic tires experience significant vertical vibrations, known as 'power hopping', which reduce ground grip, cause premature wear, and affect tractive force, necessitating time-consuming tire pressure adjustments to mitigate.

Innovation Solution

A tractor system with a control device that detects vibrations through a sensor system, adjusting drive torque and gear ratio to reduce or eliminate power hopping by controlling the drive unit and transmission, optionally with a driver assistance system for automatic or dialog-based adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If tire pressure is adjusted to reduce vehicle vibrations and eliminate power hopping, then vehicle vibrations are reduced or eliminated, but work process efficiency is reduced due to required interruptions and time consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle vibrationsVSAvoidwork process efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device detects vibrations in the sensor signal from the drive transmission and proactively adjusts drive torque or gear ratio before the vibrations escalate into full power hopping, eliminating the need for work interruptions and tire pressure adjustments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor system continuously monitors operating parameters of the drive transmission, providing real-time feedback to the control device which automatically adjusts drive parameters to maintain stable operation and prevent vibration escalation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Force

If tire pressure is increased or decreased to optimize tractive force and reduce slip, then tractive force is optimized, but time is lost due to required tire pressure adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetractive forceVSAvoidtime for tire pressure adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts drive torque and gear ratio in real-time based on detected vibrations and operating conditions, providing continuous optimization of tractive force without the need for static tire pressure changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control device changes operational parameters (drive torque, gear ratio) of the transmission system to optimize performance, replacing the need to change physical tire pressure parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4614031A1Tractor
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 CLAAS SELBSTFAHRENDE ERNTEMASCHINEN GMBH
  • EP4614031A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4614031A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4614031A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The present invention relates to a tractor (1) with a drive unit (8) and a transmission (10) interacting with the drive unit (8) for driving front wheels (3) and/or rear wheels (5) arranged on axles (2, 4) of the tractor (1). The tractor (1) comprises a control device (17) for controlling the drive unit (8) and the transmission (10). The tractor (1) is characterized in that the transmission (10) comprises a sensor system (16) for detecting at least one operating parameter (BG) of the transmission (10). The control device (17) is provided and configured to receive a sensor signal (SG) representing the operating parameter (BG) from the sensor system (16) of the transmission (10) and to detect vibrations (SP) in the sensor signal (SG) that are induced by vehicle vibrations of the tractor (1).The control device (17) is provided and configured to control the drive unit (8) and/or the transmission (10) in order to reduce the vehicle vibrations of the tractor (1) when vibrations (SP) are detected in the sensor signal (SG).