Work vehicle having overridable automatic engine stop circuit

• US 20060113139A1
• Filed: 01/04/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keishiro Nishi, Kenji Kato, Masao Takagi, Masashi Osuga, Satoshi Machida
• Original Assignee: Keishiro Nishi, Kenji Kato, Masao Takagi, Masashi Osuga, Satoshi Machida
• Inventors: Kato, Kenji, Nishi, Keishiro, Takagi, Masao, Machida, Satoshi, Osuga, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 25/00 Auxiliary drives B60K16/00 takes precedence; arrangements of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10; driving tyre-inflating pumps B60C; driving engine auxiliaries F02B
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/221 Tractors

Abstract

A work vehicle includes an engine, a PTO shaft driven by power from the engine, an operator'"'"'s seat, an operator'"'"'s presence sensor for detecting presence/absence of an operator at the operator'"'"'s seat, and an automatic engine stop unit operable to automatically stop the engine in response to detection of the operator'"'"'s absence at the operator'"'"'s seat. The work vehicle includes a utility member for the vehicle selectively movable between a use position and a non-use position, a non-use state detecting sensor for detecting movement of the utility member to the non-use position, and an override unit operable to override the automatic engine stop function of the automatic engine stop unit, the override unit providing an override signal to the automatic engine stop unit in response to detection by the non-use state detecting sensor of the movement of the utility member to the non-use position.

Claims

1. A work vehicle having an engine, a transmission, a PTO shaft driven by power from the engine, an operator'"'"'s seat and an automatic engine stop unit operable to automatically stop the engine in response to operator'"'"'s absence at the operator'"'"'s seat, the work vehicle comprising:

a traveling sensor for detecting a neutral position of the transmission;

a utility member selectively movable between a use position wherein the utility member is capable of performing a first function and a non-use position wherein the utility member is substantially not capable of performing the first function;

a non-use state detecting sensor, provided in addition and separately from the traveling sensor, for detecting the non-use position of the utility memeber; and

an override unit operable to override the automatic engine stop function of the automatic engine stop unit, in response to detection by the non-use state detecting sensor of the non-use position of the utility member.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member is provided in the vicinity of the operator'"'"'s seat and the utility member, at its non-use position, prevents the operator from being seated at the operator'"'"'s seat.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises an armrest provided at the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support an arm of the operator and wherein the armrest is pivotable to a reversed backward position as said non-use position thereof.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support the operator at a position suitable for driving the work vehicle, and wherein the operator'"'"'s seat being pivotable to a position inclined by a predetermined angle as said non-use position thereof, and a retainer member is provided for retaining the operator'"'"'s seat at said non-use position.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support the operator at a position suitable for driving the work vehicle, and wherein the operator'"'"'s seat is slidable in the fore-and-aft direction to a position near a steering wheel of the vehicle, as said non-use position thereof.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises a seat back of the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support the operator'"'"'s back, and wherein the seat back is pivotable to a laid-over position as said non-use position.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises a seat cushion of the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support the operator, and wherein the seat cushion is pivotable to an erect position as said non-use position.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises the steering wheel wherein the first function is to allow the operator to steer the work vehicle at a position suitable for driving the work vehicle, and wherein the steering wheel is movable to a position near the operator'"'"'s seat as said non-use position.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the non-use state detecting sensor is also adapted to detect presence or absence of the operator at the operator'"'"'s seat.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said utility member comprises the operator'"'"'s seat wherein the first function is to support the operator at a position suitable for driving the work vehicle, and wherein the operator'"'"'s seat is pivotable to a position where the seat faces away from the steering wheel as the non-use position.

11. A work vehicle having an engine, a transmission, a PTO shaft driven by power from the engine, an operator'"'"'s seat, an operator'"'"'s presence sensor for detecting presence/absence of an operator at the operator'"'"'s seat and an automatic engine stop unit operable to automatically stop the engine in response to detection of the operator'"'"'s absence at the operator'"'"'s seat, the work vehicle comprising:

a traveling sensor for detecting a neutral position of the transmission;

a utility member selectively movable between a use position wherein the utility member is capable of performing a first function and a non-use position wherein the utility member is substantially not capable of performing the first function;

a non-use state detecting sensor, provided in addition to and separate from the operator'"'"'s presence sensor and the traveling sensor, for detecting the non-use position of the utility memeber; and

an override unit operable to override the automatic engine stop function of the automatic engine stop unit, in response to detection by the non-use state detecting sensor of the non-use position of the utility member.