Load control structure for work vehicle

• US 7,469,534 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Nishi, Eiji, Shinkai, Atsushi, Nishi, Keishiro, Nakatani, Yasunobu, Okamoto, Muneji, Sugihara, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazo; Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US11/520,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 603/68, 604/28, 604/31, 604/45, 604/87, 604/90
• US Class Current: 60/428
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/147 Transmission input torque, e.g. measured or estimated engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/6853 the state of the transmission units, i.e. motor or pump capacity, e.g. for controlled shifting of range gear
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/18 dependent on the position of the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/42 Input shaft speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/423 Motor capacity control by fluid pressure control means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/433 Pump capacity control by fluid pressure control means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/46 Automatic regulation in accordance with output requirements
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/462 for achieving a target speed ratio

Abstract

A load control structure for a work vehicle comprises: a device for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element; an engine load detection device for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle; a swash plate position detecting device for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device; a pump operating device for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump; a motor operating device for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; a control device for controlling the operations of the pump operating device and the motor operating device. The control device has a automatic pump swash plate control device for controlling the operation of the pump operating device, based on detected information from the load detection device and detected information from the swash plate position detecting device, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and a motor swash plate control device for controlling the motor operating device so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions.

Claims

1. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means further has automatic motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means such that the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the higher speed position to the lower speed position when the engine load rises beyond a first predetermined value and such that the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the lower speed position to the higher speed position when the engine load decreases below a second predetermined value.

2. A load control structure according to claim 1, wherein

the control means further has mode change-over means for commanding a change in a control mode and wherein.

the control means, based on a command from the mode change-over means, changes among a manual control mode wherein neither the automatic pump swash plate control means nor the automatic motor swash plate control means is operational, a semi-automatic control mode wherein the automatic pump swash plate control means is operational, and an automatic control mode wherein the automatic pump swash plate control means and the automatic motor swash plate control means are operational.

3. A load control structure according to claim 2, wherein

control sensitivity of the automatic pump swash plate control means is set to be less sensitive to the engine load in the automatic control mode compared with the sensitivity in the semi-automatic mode.

4. A load control structure according to claim 2, wherein

the control means changes the control mode from the automatic mode to the semi-automatic mode if the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the higher speed position to the lower speed position by the motor swash plate control means during the automatic mode.

5. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means controls the operation of the pump operating means and the motor operating means such that when the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the higher speed position to the lower speed position, the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is moved to a lower speed side before the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved, and thereafter, the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is moved to a higher speed side substantially simultaneously with the switching movement of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor.

6. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means controls the operation of the pump operating means and the motor operating means such that when the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the lower speed position to the higher speed position, the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is moved to a lower speed side substantially simultaneously with the switching operation of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor, and thereafter, after the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved, the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is moved to a speed position the pump swash plate was at before the motor swash plate was moved.

7. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position;

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

an interlocking mechanism for operatively connecting the speed change operating element with an accelerator mechanism; and

set engine rotational speed sensor for detecting a set engine rotational speed set by the accelerator mechanism, and an actual engine rotational speed sensor for detecting an actual engine rotational speed,

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means determines if there is a deviation between the set engine rotational speed detected by the set engine rotational speed sensor and the actual engine rotational speed detected by the actual engine rotational speed sensor, and controls the continuously variable speed change device based on a result of the determination and an operation position detected by the operation position detecting means.

8. A load contiol structure according to claim 7, wherein if the control means determines that there is substantially no deviation between the set engine rotational speed and the actual engine rotational speed, the control means sets a normal control target speed based on detected information from the operation position detecting means and controls the continuously variable speed change device such that the continuously variable speed change device shifts to the operation position corresponding to the normal control target speed, and wherein

if the control means determines that there is a deviation between the set engine rotational speed and the actual engine rotational speed, the control means sets a compensating control target speed, which is lower than the normal control target speed, based on detected information from the operation position detecting means, and controls the continuously variable speed change device such that the continuously variable speed change device shifts to the operation position corresponding to the compensating control target speed.

9. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means controls the operation of the motor operating means such that if the speed change control element is detected to be moved to a lower speed position based on detected information from the operation position detecting means while the control means detects that the engine load fell to a second predetermined value, the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is not changed from the lower speed position to the higher speed position.

10. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means controls the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side and

the control means further controls the motor operating means such that the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the higher speed position to the lower speed position when the engine load rises beyond first predetermined value and such that the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the lower speed position to the higher speed position when the engine load decreases below second predetermined value.

11. A load control structure according to claim 10, wherein

the control means changes a value of the first predetermined value to a predetennined value depending on the operation position of the speed change operating element such that the more the operation position of the speed change operating element is to a lower speed side, the smaller is the load at which the swash plate of the variable displacement motor is moved from the higher position to the lower position.

12. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the speed change operating element is a pedal.

13. A load control structure for a work vehicle comprising:

means for detecting operating position of a manually operated speed change operating element;

engine load detection means for detecting load on an engine of the work vehicle;

swash plate position detecting means for detecting an operating position of a swash plate of a variable displacement pump of a hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device;

pump operating means for steplessly operating the swash plate of the variable displacement pump;

motor operating means for operating a swash plate of a variable displacement motor of the hydrostatic continuously variable speed change device between at least two speed change positions including a higher speed position and a lower speed position; and

control means for controlling the operations of the pump operating means and the motor operating means;

wherein the control means has;

automatic pump swash plate control means for controlling the operation of the pump operating means, based on detected information from the load detection means and detected information from the swash plate position detecting means, such that the greater an engine load is, greater is the extent to which the swash plate of the variable displacement pump is operated to a low speed side; and

motor swash plate control means for controlling the motor operating means so as to change the position of the swash plate of the variable displacement motor between the at least two speed change positions, and

wherein the control means has a command means, separate from the speed change operating element, for issuing a command to move the swash plate of the variable displacement motor.