US-12624713-B2 - Hydraulic system for a vehicle or a container, and vehicle or container having such a hydraulic system

US12624713B2US 12624713 B2US12624713 B2US 12624713B2US-12624713-B2

Abstract

Hydraulic system and vehicles and containers having such a hydraulic system. The hydraulic system has at least two supporting cylinders for extending ground supports, and at least two hydraulic pumps connected to a hydraulic main line, and at least one supporting cylinder is provided on each of the two hydraulic main lines. The hydraulic system also has a main valve via which the two hydraulic main lines can be connected to one another or disconnected from one another.

Inventors

Frank Paul GROOTERS

Assignees

E & P HYDRAULICS B.V.
STS INDUSTRIES GMBH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20211103
Priority Date: 20201124

Claims (19)

1 . A hydraulic system for supporting a vehicle or a container on a substrate, the hydraulic system comprising: at least two supporting cylinders for extending ground supports; at least two hydraulic main lines; at least two hydraulic pumps, each being connected to one of the two hydraulic main lines; a first electric motor connected to one of the two hydraulic pumps; a second electric motor connected to another of the two hydraulic pumps; at least a first one of the two supporting cylinders being connected for fluid communication with a first of the two hydraulic main lines such that the first one of the two supporting cylinders is supplied with fluid by the first hydraulic main line; at least a second one of the two supporting cylinders being connected for fluid communication with a second of the two hydraulic main lines such that the second one of the two supporting cylinders is supplied with fluid by the second hydraulic main line; and a switchable main valve disposed to selectively fluidly connect or disconnect the first and second hydraulic main lines to one another or from one another, respectively.
2 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured such that when the main valve is closed at least the first one of the two supporting cylinders is fed exclusively by one of the two hydraulic pumps and the first hydraulic main line and at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders is fed exclusively by the other of the two hydraulic pumps and the second hydraulic main line.
3 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least the first one of the two supporting cylinders connected with the first hydraulic main line comprises a front supporting cylinder for extending a front ground support, and the at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders connected with the second hydraulic main line comprises a rear supporting cylinder for extending rear ground supports.
4 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein: the at least the first one of the two supporting cylinders connected to the first hydraulic main line comprises two front supporting cylinders connected to the first hydraulic main line, and the at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders connected to the second hydraulic main line comprises two rear supporting cylinders connected to the second hydraulic main line; or the at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders connected to the second hydraulic main line comprises two rear supporting cylinders connected to the second hydraulic main line.
5 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic system comprises at least two hydraulic motors or two working cylinders for driving a common unit or a common system, and the two hydraulic motors or the two working cylinders are provided on different ones of the two hydraulic main lines.
6 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: the hydraulic system comprises at least two supporting cylinder valves, each of the at least the first one and at the at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders being associated with one of the two supporting cylinder valves, and each of the at least the first one and the at least the second one of the two supporting cylinders being individually connectable to or individually disconnectable from, by the associated one of the two supporting cylinder valves, the first or second hydraulic main line connected thereto; or the hydraulic system comprises two working cylinders for driving a common unit or a common system and at least two control valves, each of the two working cylinders being associated with one of the two control valves, and each of the two working cylinders being individually connectable to or disconnectable from, by the associated one of the two control valves, to one of the first or second hydraulic main lines.
7 . A hydraulic system for supporting a vehicle or a container on a substrate, the hydraulic system comprising: at least two supporting cylinders for extending ground supports; at least two hydraulic main lines; at least two hydraulic pumps, each being connected to one of the two hydraulic main lines; at least one of the two supporting cylinders being associated with a first of the two hydraulic main lines; at least one of the two supporting cylinders being associated with a second of the two hydraulic main lines; a main valve for connecting or disconnecting the first and second hydraulic main lines to one another or from one another, respectively; at least one hydraulic motor or a further working cylinder; the at least one hydraulic motor or the further working cylinder is configured for controlling movement of an extendable space of the vehicle or the container, an interior of the vehicle or the container being able to be enlarged thereby; or the at least one hydraulic motor or the further working cylinder is configured for controlling a closing element of a storage space or an interior of the vehicle or the container; or the at least one hydraulic motor or the further working cylinder is configured for controlling a lifting platform provided on the vehicle or on the container; or the at least one hydraulic motor or the further working cylinder is configured for controlling an entry system; or the at least one hydraulic motor is configured for driving a movement system for moving the vehicle.
8 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising two separate return lines and the two supporting cylinders each include at least one pressure chamber, each of the separate return lines connecting the at least one pressure chamber of at least one of the two supporting cylinders, or connecting the further working cylinder, acting in a retracting direction, to one of the two hydraulic pumps.
9 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein: the hydraulic system comprises a common hydraulic fluid tank for feeding the two hydraulic pumps; or the hydraulic system comprises an outflow pressure compensator configured to provide a synchronous outflow of at least two of the supporting cylinders.
10 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a second main valve, the second main valve connecting the two separate return lines to one another or disconnecting the two separate return lines from one another.
11 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured such that when the main valve is closed the at least one of the two supporting cylinders associated with the first hydraulic main line is fed exclusively by one of the two hydraulic pumps and the at least one of the two supporting cylinders associated with the second hydraulic main line is fed exclusively by the other of the two hydraulic pumps.
12 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one of the two supporting cylinders associated with the first hydraulic main line comprises a front supporting cylinder for extending a front ground support, and the at least one of the two supporting cylinders associated with the second hydraulic main line comprises a rear supporting cylinder for extending rear ground supports.
13 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic system comprises at least two hydraulic motors or two further working cylinders for driving a common unit or a common system, and the two hydraulic motors or the two further working cylinders are provided on different ones of the two hydraulic main lines.
14 . The hydraulic system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein: the hydraulic system comprises at least two supporting cylinder valves, each of the two supporting cylinders being associated with one of the two supporting cylinder valves, and each of the two supporting cylinders being individually connectable to or individually disconnectable from, by the associated one of the two supporting cylinder valves, the first or second hydraulic main line associated therewith; or the hydraulic system comprises two further working cylinders for driving a common unit or a common system and at least two control valves, each of the two further working cylinders being associated with one of the two control valves, and each of the two further working cylinders being individually connectable to or disconnectable from, by the associated one of the two control valves, to one of the first or second hydraulic main lines.
15 . A vehicle comprising: at least two extendable ground supports; and a hydraulic system for supporting the vehicle and extending and retracting the ground supports, the hydraulic system comprising: at least two supporting cylinders for extending the respective ground supports; at least two hydraulic main lines; at least two hydraulic pumps each being connected to one of the two hydraulic main lines; a first electric motor connected to one of the two hydraulic pumps; a second electric motor connected to another of the two hydraulic pumps; at least a first one of the two supporting cylinders being connected for fluid communication with a first of the two hydraulic main lines such that the first one of the two supporting cylinders is supplied with fluid by the first hydraulic main line; at least a second one of the two supporting cylinders being connected for fluid communication with a second of the two hydraulic main lines such that the second one of the two supporting cylinders is supplied with fluid by the second hydraulic main line; and a switchable main valve disposed to selectively fluidly connect or disconnect the first and second hydraulic main lines to one another or from one another, respectively.
16 . The vehicle as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the vehicle comprises a movement system for moving the vehicle, the hydraulic system comprises at least one hydraulic motor or at least one working cylinder to drive the movement system.
17 . The vehicle as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the hydraulic system comprises a working cylinder and the vehicle further comprises an extendable space, a closing element, a lifting platform or an entry system movable by the working cylinder of the hydraulic system.
18 . A method for operating a hydraulic system as claimed in claim 1 , the method comprising the following steps: opening the main valve; while the main valve is open, initially the at least one supporting cylinder associated with the first hydraulic main line is partially extended; subsequently, while the main valve is open, the at least one supporting cylinder associated with the second hydraulic main line is partially extended; subsequently the main valve is closed; and the supporting cylinders associated with the first and second hydraulic main lines are extended further simultaneously by the respective hydraulic pumps.
19 . The method for operating a hydraulic system as claimed in claim 18 , comprising at least one of the following steps: during the extension of a supporting cylinder this supporting cylinder is fed during a partial phase by both hydraulic pumps and during a different partial phase by only one of the hydraulic pumps; or if a malfunction of one of the hydraulic pumps is ascertained, the main valve is opened so that the remaining functional hydraulic pump can feed all of the supporting cylinders; or a pumping capacity of the hydraulic pumps is adapted by changing a rotational speed of the hydraulic pumps or deactivating one of the hydraulic pumps.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND The invention relates to a hydraulic system for supporting a vehicle or a container on a substrate. In particular, it is known from the field of caravan trailers and mobile homes that ground supports are extended during stationary mode in order to orientate the vehicle, in particular in order to orientate the floor of an interior horizontally. The same is also known in the case of containers, for example residential containers, which cannot be driven on their own. The extension of the ground supports is carried out in many cases by means of a hydraulic drive system which extends the ground supports by means of supporting cylinders. Hydraulic systems of the type in question which are provided for this purpose generally have a hydraulic pump which is able to extend all of the ground supports simultaneously. Depending on the substrate and the vehicle or container, the simultaneous extension of all of the ground supports by the supporting cylinders being simultaneously pressurized by a hydraulic fluid does not lead to a uniform extension, however, since the hydraulic fluid extends those supports to a greater extent which are subjected to the smallest load. In particular in the case of a load distribution which is very uneven, such as for example as can be caused by the engine block of a vehicle, the common pressurization of the supporting cylinders leads to an asymmetrical lifting of the vehicle. This is because the individual supporting cylinders can generally be pressurized by hydraulic fluid by closing the valves. A sequential extension of the supporting cylinders, however, can lead to high structural loads on the vehicle. It is already known to provide separate hydraulic systems for the individual ground supports so that they can be controlled simultaneously, but individually. A plurality of hydraulic systems, however, leads to high costs and also to a significant space requirement. It is an object of the invention to provide a hydraulic system and a vehicle or a container and an operating method for the use thereof, which permits a rapid and accurate extension of the support system and which can be constructed in an advantageously small size. According to one aspect of the invention, to this end a hydraulic system for supporting the vehicle or the container on a substrate is proposed, the hydraulic system having at least two supporting cylinders for extending ground supports and for retracting the ground supports. Preferably, however, there are three or four supporting cylinders for three or four ground supports. In particular in caravan trailers, a design with six supporting cylinders and six ground supports is also expedient. According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicle or a container is also proposed with at least two, but preferably three or four extendable ground supports. A vehicle according to the invention can be designed, in particular, as a caravan trailer or as a mobile home. However, the vehicle can also be a utility vehicle. According to a further aspect of the invention, containers can be designed as freight containers or other types of utility containers. In particular, however, the vehicle can be a residential container which is generally moved by means of a pick-up vehicle or a truck. In particular, two ground supports with in each case at least one supporting cylinder are preferably provided at the rear of the vehicle or container, while either one ground support or two ground supports with in each case at least one supporting cylinder are preferably provided at the front of the vehicle. The hydraulic system has at least two hydraulic pumps which are connected in each case to a hydraulic main line. At least one supporting cylinder is assigned to a first of the hydraulic main lines, so that it can be directly fed by the hydraulic pump connected to these hydraulic main lines. At least one further supporting cylinder is assigned to the other hydraulic main lines so that it can be directly fed by the other hydraulic pump. The two hydraulic main lines can be connected together so that the hydraulic pumps also can indirectly feed the respective other supporting cylinder, as it were. This connection, however, can be interrupted by an electronic hydraulic controller. To this end, the hydraulic system has a switchable main valve via which the two hydraulic main lines can be connected to one another or disconnected from one another. If the main valve is opened, both hydraulic pumps feed both hydraulic main lines. If the main valve is closed, in each case both hydraulic pumps feed only the hydraulic main line assigned thereto in each case. In addition to the main valve, preferably one respective separate supporting cylinder valve is also assigned to each supporting cylinder, the supporting cylinder being able to be individually connected thereby to the hydraulic main line assigned thereto or disconnected therefrom. Alternatively or additionally, it can also