Operation control system for traveling vehicle

• US 5,609,220 A
• Filed: 02/02/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho (Komatsu Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagahama, Masayuki, Fujimura, Tetsuya, Hishiyama, Toru, Yamazaki, Kazuyuki, Moriya, Yukio, Koyanagi, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/379,603
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 180/252, 180/253, 180/199, 180/236, 180/65.1, 180/65.5, 180/65.8, 180/342, 180/7.1, 180/79.1, 180/79, 364/424.01
• US Class Current: 180/253
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 12/00 Steering specially adapted for vehicles operating in tandem or having pivotally connected frames steering endless tracks or the like B62D11/00; steering specially adapted for trailers B62D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/00 Steering not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/08 the pivotal axes being situated in a single plane transverse to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/142 specially adapted for particular vehicles, e.g. tractors, carts, earth-moving vehicles, trucks

Abstract

When a longitudinal straight traveling mode position A, an oblique traveling mode position B, a transverse traveling mode position C, or spin turning mode position D is selected by a traveling mode changeover switch 21, a signal corresponding to the selection is input to a controller 27. The controller outputs signals to turning actuators 15a and 15b for orienting driving wheels 11a and 11b toward the selected position. With this signal, the turning actuators 15a and 15b causes turning of the driving wheels 11a and 11b. At the same time, turning angle detection sensors 16a and 16b input signals indicative of turning angle of the driving wheels. When the turning angle becomes coincident with a preliminarily set angle, a signal for terminating turning is output to the turning actuators 15a and 15b. By this control, turning action of the turning actuators 15a and 15b is terminated with setting the driving wheels 11a and 11b at the position of the selected orientation.

Claims

1. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle having first and second driving wheels arranged along one diagonal line of a vehicle body for turning by means of respective turning actuators coupled to said driving wheels and idler wheels pivotally arranged along another diagonal line of the vehicle body, the operation control system comprising:

traveling mode selection changeover means for selecting a desired traveling mode among a plurality of traveling modes;

operation lever means for selecting a desired traveling direction in said desired traveling mode; and

control means for;

controlling driving of said turning actuators in response only to inputting of a traveling mode signal from said traveling mode selection changeover means for driving at least one of said turning actuators to turn the respective driving wheels of said at least one driven turning actuator to a predetermined initial position corresponding to said selected traveling mode, and

further controlling driving of only said first turning actuator in response to any turning direction selected as the traveling direction in said selected traveling mode.

2. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of traveling modes includes at least one of a longitudinal straight traveling mode, an oblique traveling mode, a lateral traveling mode, a turning traveling mode, and a spin turning mode.

3. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises angle detecting means for detecting a turning angle of at least one said driving wheel, and wherein said control means operates said driving wheels at the predetermined initial position in the selected traveling mode.

4. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein said plurality of traveling modes includes at least one of a longitudinal straight traveling mode, an oblique traveling mode, a lateral traveling mode, a turning traveling mode, and a spin turning mode.

5. A traveling vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

steering and driving wheels located at diagonally spaced positions arranged along one diagonal line of a vehicle body;

idler wheels located at diagonally spaced positions arranged along another diagonal line of the vehicle body;

a traveling motor for selectively driving said steering and driving wheels in forward and reverse directions;

a steering motor for steering said steering and driving wheels; and

an operation control system for controlling traveling of the traveling vehicle, the operation control system including;

an operation lever device arranged to be operated in an arbitrary direction of longitudinal and transverse directions and for outputting a signal corresponding to the operated direction of the operation lever device;

a traveling mode selection switch for selecting a traveling mode of the vehicle; and

a controller for outputting control signals to said traveling and steering motors on the basis of an output signal of said operation lever device and the traveling mode selected by said traveling mode selection switch.

6. A traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said controller includes a longitudinal straight traveling and turning traveling mode calculating portion, a transverse traveling and turning traveling mode calculating portion, an oblique traveling mode calculating portion and a spin turning mode calculating portion;

said traveling mode selection switch selects first, second, third and fourth positions; and

corresponding to selection by said traveling mode selection switch, said longitudinal straight traveling and turning traveling mode calculating portion, transverse traveling and turning traveling mode calculating portion, oblique traveling mode calculating portion and spin turning mode calculating portion is selected to output a speed command signal to a speed controller and a steering command signal to a steering driver which controls movement of said vehicle.

7. A traveling vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

steerable driving wheels mounted to the vehicle body, each of said steerable driving wheels being turnable for varying a toe orientation about a first axis extending in a substantially vertical direction and each of said steerable driving wheels being rotatable about a second axis extending in a substantially horizontal direction for travelling of the vehicle;

idler wheels mounted to the vehicle body;

turning actuators, each associated with a corresponding one of said steerable driving wheels for driving said corresponding steerable driving wheels to cause turning to vary the toe orientation;

driving mechanisms, each associated with one of said steerable driving wheels for controlling traveling of the vehicle; and

an operation control system for controlling traveling of the traveling. Vehicle, the operation control system including;

a manually operable mode selector switch for selecting a traveling mode of the vehicle among a plurality of mutually distinct traveling modes, said mode selector switch outputting a mode selection signal;

a manually operable operation lever for inputting an operation command for controlling traveling of the vehicle, said operation lever generating a traveling control signal; and

a controller operable in a plurality of mutually distinct operational modes and responsive to said mode selection signal of said mode selector switch to establish one of said operational modes and in conjunction therewith to generate a turning control signal for operating said turn actuators for setting toe orientations of said steerable driving wheels to a predetermined initial position corresponding to the selected operational mode, and said controller being further responsive to said traveling control signal from said operation lever for generating a travel control signal according to predetermined operational pattern in the selected operational mode to be supplied to said driving mechanism for controlling traveling behavior of the vehicle.

8. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle having first and second driving wheels arranged along one diagonal line of a vehicle body for turning by means of respective turning actuators coupled to said driving wheels, idler wheels pivotally arranged along another diagonal line of the vehicle body, and driving motors for rotatably driving said first and second driving wheels, the operation control system comprising:

traveling mode selection changeover means for selecting a desired traveling mode among a plurality of traveling modes;

operation lever means for selecting a desired traveling direction in said desired traveling mode; and

control means for;

controlling driving of said turning actuators in response only to inputting of a traveling mode signal from said traveling mode selection changeover means for driving at least one of said turning actuators to turn the respective driving wheels of said at least one driven turning actuator to a predetermined initial position corresponding to said selected traveling mode, and

further controlling driving of said driving motors to drive said first and second driving wheels at different speeds in response to any turning direction selected as the traveling direction in said selected traveling mode.

9. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said plurality of traveling modes includes at least one of a longitudinal straight traveling mode, an oblique traveling mode, a lateral traveling mode, a turning traveling mode, and a spin turning mode.

10. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 8, which further comprises angle detecting means for detecting a turning angle of at least one said driving wheel, and wherein said control means operates said driving wheels at the predetermined initial position in the selected traveling mode.

11. An operation control system for a traveling vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein said plurality of traveling modes includes at least one of a longitudinal straight traveling mode, an oblique traveling mode, a lateral traveling mode, a turning traveling mode, and a spin turning mode.