OFF-ROAD VEHICLE

• US 20160075305A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: KAWAKATSU, Hitoshi, Tsumiyama, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 9,499,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/02 including electrically actuated servomechanism including an electric control system or a servomechanism in which the vehicle velocity affecting element is actuated electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4808 Sensing means arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/20 Off-Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/02 Control of vehicle driving stability

Abstract

An off-road vehicle according to the present invention is equipped with a driver'"'"'s seat; a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat; a seat belt detecting means for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s sear; and a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle, wherein the controller has a rotation speed control mode for controlling the rotation speed of the engine to a predetermined rotation speed or less, and the controller releases the rotation speed control mode when the seat belt detecting means detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat.

Claims

1. An off-road vehicle comprising a driver'"'"'s seat;

a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat;

a seat belt detecting means for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat; and

a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle, wherein

the controller has a rotation speed control mode for controlling the rotation speed of the engine to a predetermined rotation speed or less, and

the controller releases the rotation speed control mode when the seat belt detecting means detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat.

2. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1,

further comprising passenger seats positioned on the side of the driver'"'"'s seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, wherein

the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, and

when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, the controller releases the rotation speed control mode.

3. The off-road vehicle according to claim 2,

further comprising rear passenger seats positioned behind the driver'"'"'s seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, wherein

the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, and

when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat, the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, the controller releases the rotation speed control mode.

4. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1,

further comprising a transmission sensor for detecting the state of the transmission, wherein

when the transmission sensor recognizes the gear engagement of the transmission, the controller shifts to the rotation speed control mode.

5. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

in the case that the seat belt detecting means cannot detect whether the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat has been set, the controller maintains the rotation speed control mode.

6. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1,

further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of the driver on the driver'"'"'s seat, wherein

in the case that the driver'"'"'s seat detecting means has detected the sitting of the driver, when the seat belt detecting means detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat, the controller releases the rotation speed control mode.

7. The off-road vehicle according to claim 2,

further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of the driver on the driver'"'"'s seat and passenger seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of passengers on the passenger seats, wherein

in the case that the driver'"'"'s seat detecting means has detected the sitting of the driver and the passenger seat detecting means have detected the sitting of the passengers, when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, the controller releases the rotation speed control mode.

8. The off-road vehicle according to claim 3,

further comprising a driver'"'"'s seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of the driver on the driver'"'"'s seat, passenger seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of passengers on the passenger seats and rear passenger seat detecting means for detecting the sitting of rear passengers on the rear passenger seats, wherein

in the case that the driver'"'"'s seat detecting means has detected the sitting of the driver, the passenger seat detecting means have detected the sitting of the passengers and the rear passenger seat detecting means have detected the sitting of the rear passengers, when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat, the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, the controller releases the rotation speed control mode.

9. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

while the off-road vehicle is travelling at an engine rotation speed exceeding the predetermined rotation speed, if the seat belt detecting means detects that the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat has been released, the controller gradually decreases the engine rotation speed, and when the engine rotation speed is decreased to the predetermined rotation speed or less, the mode is shifted to the rotation speed control mode.

10. The off-road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

in the case that the predetermined rotation speed is a first rotation speed and

while the off-road vehicle is travelling at an engine rotation speed equal to or less than the first rotation speed, if the seat belt detecting means detects that the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat has been released, the controller gradually decreases the engine rotation speed to a second rotation speed, that is, a predetermined rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed, and when the engine rotation speed is decreased to the second rotation speed or less, the controller shifts to the rotation speed control mode.

11. An off-road vehicle comprising a driver'"'"'s seat;

a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat;

a seat belt detecting means for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat;

a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle; and

a GPS receiver, wherein

the controller calculates the speed of the off-road vehicle on the basis of the position information obtained from the GPS receiver,

the controller is equipped with a speed control mode in which the calculated vehicle speed is controlled to a predetermined speed or less, and

when the seat belt detecting means detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat, the controller releases the speed control mode.

12. The off-road vehicle according to claim 11,

further comprising passenger seats positioned on the side of the driver'"'"'s seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, wherein

the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats,

when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, the controller releases the speed control mode.

13. The off-road vehicle according to claim 12,

further comprising rear passenger seats positioned behind the driver'"'"'s seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, wherein

the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, and

when the seat belt detecting means detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver'"'"'s seat, the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats and the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, the controller releases the speed control mode.