Working machine

• US 20050097788A1
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Norikazu, Kawakami, Toshiaki, Wakitani, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 37/348
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/04 Apparatus propelled by animal or engine power; Apparatus propelled by hand with driven dislodging or conveying levelling elements, conveying pneumatically for the dislodged materialE01H5/10, E01H5/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/042 for stopping the engine

Abstract

A working machine has an engine, a working part driven by motive power from the engine, and a control part for controlling the engine. When operation of the working part has been stopped for a pause in work and the engine is idling, the control part performs control so that the engine automatically stops when a number of conditions are satisfied.

Claims

1. A working machine, comprising:

left and right transporting parts such as wheels or crawlers;

a working part;

an engine for driving at least the working part;

a main switch for turning the engine on and off;

a locomotion preparation switch for producing a command to make possible locomotion by the transporting parts when on and producing a stop command when off;

a locomotion speed setting member for ordering a target locomotion speed of the left and right transporting parts;

a work switch for switching on and off the working part; and

a control part for stopping the engine when a first condition that the main switch is on, a second condition that the locomotion preparation switch is off, a third condition that the left and right transporting parts have stopped or the target locomotion speed ordered by the locomotion speed setting member is zero, and a fourth condition that the work switch is off, are satisfied.

2. A working machine according to claim 1, wherein the left and right transporting parts are deemed to have stopped locomotion when the actual speed of the transporting parts is less than a preset fixed lower limit threshold value.

3. A working machine according to claim 2, wherein the lower limit threshold value is a value consisting of a locomotion speed such that the transporting parts are stopped or in effect nearly stopped.

4. A working machine according to claim 1, further comprising electric motors for supplying motive power to the transporting parts and a battery for supplying electrical power to the electric motors, wherein under the fourth condition the control part performs control to stop the engine when a detected voltage of the battery is greater than a preset lower limit threshold value.

5. A working machine according to claim 1, wherein after the engine has stopped, among the states where the main switch is on, the locomotion preparation switch is on, and the work switch is on, the control part performs control to restart the engine at least when the locomotion preparation switch is turned on.