Work vehicle with a speed change device

• US 7,458,917 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2005
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Kenji, Okabe, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, HA DINH
• Application Number:
  US11/221,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20060185457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 743/35, 744/731.8, 477/115, 701/52
• US Class Current: 477/115
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/006 Overriding automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0243 with push buttons, e.g. shift buttons arranged on steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2300/18 Determining the range
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/14 Inputs being a function of torque or torque demand
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/702 using electric or electrohydraulic control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism

Abstract

A work vehicle with a speed change device, comprises, a plurality of wheels including at least one driven wheel; an engine for driving the driven wheel; a speed change device provided between the driven wheel and the engine; and automatic shifting mechanism. The automatic shifting mechanism is capable of operating the speed change device to a lower speed position within an automatic shifting range having a predetermined range and is capable of operating the speed change device up to a speed position which the speed change device was in before an operation to the lower speed position was effected, in response to load on the engine. The entirety of the automatic shifting range is changeable to a low speed side and to a high speed side, or the automatic shifting range can be widened to include more speed positions and narrowed to include less speed positions.

Claims

1. A work vehicle with a speed change device, comprising:

a plurality of wheels including at least one driven wheel;

an engine for driving said at least one driven wheel;

the speed change device provided between said at least one driven wheel and said engine; and

an automatic shifting means for operating said speed change device to a lower speed position within an automatic shifting range defined by a low speed limit position (RL) and a high speed limit position (RH) and for operating said speed change device up to a speed position said speed change device was in before an operation to the lower speed position was effected, in response to load on said engine, said automatic shifting means preventing an automatic shift to a speed position lower than the low speed limit position (RL) and to a speed position higher than the high speed limit position (RH), wherein an entirety of said automatic shifting range is changeable to a low speed side by shifting both the low speed limit position (RL) and the high speed limit position (RH) to the low speed side and is changeable to a high speed side by shifting both the low speed limit position (RL) and the high speed limit position (RH) to the high speed side.

2. A work vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a manually operated control; and

a manual shifting means for operating said speed change device based on operation of said manually operated control;

said manual shifting means overriding said automatic shifting means;

wherein, when, with said speed change device operated to a high speed limit position in the automatic shifting range, said speed change device is operated by said manual shifting means to the high speed side, the entirety of the automatic shifting range is changed to the high speed side; and

when, with said speed change device operated to a low speed limit position in the automatic shifting range, said speed change device is operated by said manual shifting means to the low speed side, the entirety of the automatic shifting range is changed to the low speed side.

3. A work vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein

said automatic shifting range can be widened to include more speed positions or narrowed to include less speed positions.

4. A work vehicle with a speed change device, comprising:

a plurality of wheels including at least one driven wheel;

an engine for driving said at least one driven wheel;

the speed change device provided between said at least one driven wheel and said engine;

a control device for controlling said speed change device, said control device having a control mode for operating said speed change device to a lower speed position and to a higher speed position in an automatic shifting range defined by a low speed limit position (RL) and a high speed limit position (RH), in response to load on said engine, said control device preventing an automatic shift to a speed position lower than the low speed limit position (RL) and to a speed position higher than the high speed limit position (RH); and

a manually operated control for shifting an entirety of said automatic shifting range to a lower speed side by shifting both the low speed limit position (RL) and the high speed limit position (RH) to the low speed side and to a higher speed side by shifting both the low speed limit position (RL) and the high speed limit position (RH) to the higher speed side.

5. A work vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein:

said manually operated control being operable to shift said speed change device;

wherein, when, with said speed change device operated to a high speed limit position in the automatic shifting range, said speed change device is operated by said manual shifting means to the high speed side, the entirety of the automatic shifting range is changed to the high speed side; and

when, with said speed change device operated to a low speed limit position in the automatic shifting range, said speed change device is operated by said manual shifting means to the low speed side, the entirety of the automatic shifting range is changed to the low speed side.

6. A work vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein

said automatic shifting range can be widened to include more speed positions or narrowed to include less speed positions.

7. A work vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein

said control device is operable to change the speed change device to a higher position up to a speed position before an operation to the lower speed position was effected.

8. A work vehicle with a speed change device, comprising:

a plurality of wheels including at least one driven wheel;

an engine for driving said at least one driven wheel;

the speed change device disposed between said at least one driven wheel and said engine, the speed change device having a first speed position which is a lowest speed position and a plurality of higher speed positions that are higher speed positions than the first speed position and that includes a highest speed position of the speed change device; and

an automatic shifting means for operating said speed change device to a lower speed position within an automatic shifting range defined by a low speed limit position (RL) and a high speed limit position (RH) and for operating said speed change device up to a speed position said speed change device was in before an operation to the lower speed position was effected, in response to load on said engine, the automatic shifting means preventing an automatic shift to a speed position lower than the low speed limit position (RL) and to a speed position higher than the high speed limit position (RH);

wherein said automatic shifting range can be widened to include more speed positions and narrowed to include less speed positions with any one of the plurality of higher speed positions kept within the automatic shifting range.

9. A work vehicle as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

a manually operated control;

a manual shifting means for operating said speed change device based on operation of said manually operated control, wherein a manual mode where said manual shifting means is in operation and an automatic mode where said automatic shifting means is in operation are provided; and

a manual selector for manually selecting one of said manual mode and said automatic mode;

wherein said automatic shifting range can be widened to include more speed positions and narrowed to include less speed positions by said manual selector.

10. A work vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein

an entirety of said automatic shifting range is changeable to a low speed side and to a high speed side.