WORK VEHICLE

• US 20130268165A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HASHIMA, Hiroaki, WANG, Hongkun
• Granted Patent: US 9,301,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/56 Driving mechanisms for the cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/58 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/60 fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/64 mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle A01D34/695 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/76 Driving mechanisms for the cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/78 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/80 fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/156 Ridable lawn mowers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1886 Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/223 Ridable lawn mowers

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a driving wheel motor for driving at least one driving wheel, a working implement-related motor for driving at least one working implement, and at least one controller. The at least one controller sets, upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition set in advance, a relationship between vehicle speed of the work vehicle and working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor to a working travelling cooperative relationship according to which the working implement-related target rotational speed is increased according to an increase in the vehicle speed at least within a predetermined vehicle speed range of the work vehicle, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement a working travelling cooperative mode in which the working implement-related motor is driven at the working implement-related target rotational speed based on the working travelling cooperative relationship.

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising:

a driving wheel motor for driving at least one driving wheel;

a working implement-related motor for driving at least one working implement; and

at least one controller,

wherein the at least one controller sets, upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition set in advance, a relationship between vehicle speed of the work vehicle and working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor to a working travelling cooperative relationship according to which the working implement-related target rotational speed is increased according to an increase in the vehicle speed at least within a predetermined vehicle speed range of the work vehicle, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement a working travelling cooperative mode in which the working implement-related motor is driven at the working implement-related target rotational speed based on the working travelling cooperative relationship.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

at least one operator sensor for detecting an amount of operation of at least one operator; and

a mode instruction device for instructing switching between the working travelling cooperative mode and at least one other drive mode based on an operation of a user,

wherein the at least one controller includes

a drive control unit for controlling operation of the driving wheel motor based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor,

a vehicle speed calculation unit for calculating the vehicle speed of the work vehicle, and

a working implement-related control unit for controlling operation of the working implement-related motor, and

wherein, when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed by the mode instruction device, the working implement-related control unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, sets the relationship between the vehicle speed and the working implement-related target rotational speed to the working travelling cooperative relationship, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement the working travelling cooperative mode.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the working travelling cooperative relationship is a relationship according to which the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is maintained to be constant when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle is below a threshold speed and the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is increased according to the increase in the vehicle speed of the work vehicle when the vehicle speed is at or above the threshold speed.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

a working implement start switch for instructing start of the working implement-related motor based on an operation of a user,

wherein the mode instruction device instructs switching between the working travelling cooperative mode and an economy mode based on an operation of a user,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates a target vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor, and

wherein, when switching to the economy mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the drive control unit changes allowable maximum speed of the target vehicle speed to economic maximum speed that is lower than when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed and controls rotational speed of the driving wheel motor, and the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant speed set in advance.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

a working implement start switch for instructing start of the working implement-related motor based on an operation of a user,

wherein the mode instruction device instructs switching between the working travelling cooperative mode and a user mode based on an operation of a user, and

wherein, when switching to the user mode is performed based on input of an instruction signal from the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant speed set in advance.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

a working implement start switch for instructing start of the working implement-related motor based on an operation of a user,

wherein the mode instruction device instructs switching between the working travelling cooperative mode, an economy mode and a user mode based on an operation of a user,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates target vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor,

wherein, when switching to the economy mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the drive control unit changes allowable maximum speed of the target vehicle speed to an economic maximum speed that is lower than when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed and controls rotational speed of the driving wheel motor, and the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant speed set in advance, and

wherein, when switching to the user mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant speed set in advance.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates the vehicle speed based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

a rotational speed detection unit for detecting rotational speed of the driving wheel motor,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates the vehicle speed based on a detection signal from the rotational speed detection unit.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 2, comprising:

a rotational speed detection unit for detecting rotational speed of the driving wheel motor,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates target vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor and calculates actual vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a detection signal from the rotational speed detection unit, and when a speed difference between the target vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed is at or below a threshold speed for vehicle speed calculation, calculates the target vehicle speed or the actual vehicle speed as the vehicle speed to be used for setting of the working travelling cooperative relationship, and when the speed difference between the target vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed for vehicle speed calculation, calculates the actual vehicle speed as the vehicle speed to be used for setting of the working travelling cooperative relationship.

10. A work vehicle comprising:

a driving wheel motor for driving at least one driving wheel;

a working implement-related motor for driving at least one working implement;

at least one controller;

at least one operator sensor for detecting an amount of operation of at least one operator;

a mode instruction device for instructing switching between an economy mode and at least one other drive mode based on an operation of a user; and

a working implement start switch for instructing start of the working implement-related motor based on an operation of a user,

wherein the at least one controller includes

a vehicle speed calculation unit for calculating target vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor,

a drive control unit for controlling operation of the driving wheel motor based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor, and

a working implement-related control unit for controlling operation of the working implement-related motor, and

wherein, when switching to the economy mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the drive control unit changes allowable maximum speed of the target vehicle speed of the work vehicle to an economic maximum speed that is lower than when switching to the other drive mode is performed, and controls rotational speed of the driving wheel motor, and the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant speed set in advance.