Hydraulic traveling vehicle and control method for hydraulic traveling vehicle

• US 7,931,099 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamada, Takeo, Koizumi, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler; Anne Marie M
• Application Number:
  US12/282,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20090057040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 180/305, 180/306, 180/307, 180/308, 180/6.48, 604/20, 604/21, 604/84
• US Class Current: 180/6.48
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/001 control systems B62D11/183 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/003 Electric or electronic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/005 Hydraulic control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/06 by means of a single main power source
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2207 for reducing or compensating oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2214 for reducing the shock generated at the stroke end
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2228 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2242 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2285 Pilot-operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/087 Control strategy, e.g. with block diagram

Abstract

With a hydraulic traveling vehicle, a controller is configured and arranged to switch a merging/diverging valve to a merging state when a working equipment is driven with the merging/diverging valve being in a diverging state and with turning of the hydraulic traveling vehicle being carried out, and when a required flow rate parameter for pressurized oil of the working equipment is greater than or equal to a prescribed threshold value, and to maintain the merging/diverging valve in the diverging state when the required flow rate parameter is less than the prescribed threshold value.

Claims

1. A hydraulic traveling vehicle comprising:

a right-travel motor arranged in a first hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a left-travel motor arranged in a second hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a working equipment arranged in one of the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a hydraulic pump having a first hydraulic oil supply unit configured and arranged to supply the pressurized oil to the first hydraulic circuit and a second hydraulic oil supply unit configured and arranged to supply the pressurized oil to the second hydraulic circuit;

a merging/diverging valve configured and arranged to switch between a merging state to merge the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit and a diverging state to separate the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit; and

a control unit configured to control the merging/diverging valve when the working equipment is driven, the merging/diverging valve is in the diverging state, and the hydraulic traveling vehicle is traveling in a turning condition, such that

the merging/diverging valve is switched to the merging state when a required flow rate parameter corresponding to a required flow rate for the pressurized oil of the working equipment is greater than or equal to a prescribed threshold value, and

the merging/diverging valve is maintained in the diverging state when the required flow rate parameter is lower than the prescribed threshold value.

2. The hydraulic traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is further configured to control the merging/diverging valve to be maintained in the merging state regardless of the required flow rate parameter when the hydraulic traveling vehicle is switched from a straight line traveling condition to the turning condition with the working equipment being driven and the merging/diverging valve being in the merging state.

3. The hydraulic traveling vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is further configured to control the merging/diverging valve to be maintained in the merging state regardless of the required flow rate parameter when the hydraulic traveling vehicle is switched from a stationary state to the turning condition with the working equipment being driven and the merging/diverging valve being in the merging state.

4. The hydraulic traveling vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a working equipment valve configured and arranged to regulate the pressurized oil supplied to the working equipment,

a working equipment operation unit configured and arranged to regulate pilot pressure supplied to the working equipment valve according to an operation amount of the working equipment, and

a pilot pressure detector configured and arranged to detect the pilot pressure supplied to the working equipment valve,

the control unit being configured to compare the pilot pressure detected by the pilot pressure detector as the required flow rate parameter with the prescribed threshold value.

5. A hydraulic traveling vehicle comprising:

a right-travel motor arranged in a first hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a left-travel motor arranged in a second hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a working equipment arranged in one of the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit to be driven by pressurized oil;

a hydraulic pump having a first hydraulic oil supply unit configured and arranged to supply the pressurized oil to the first hydraulic circuit and a second hydraulic oil supply unit configured and arranged to supply the pressurized oil to the second hydraulic circuit;

a merging/diverging valve configured and arranged to switch between a merging state to merge the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit and a diverging state to separate the first hydraulic circuit and the second hydraulic circuit; and

a control unit configured to control the merging/diverging valve when the working equipment is stopped from a state where the hydraulic traveling vehicle is in a turning condition, the working equipment is being driven, and the merging/diverging valve is in the merging state, such that

the merging/diverging valve is maintained in the merging state while the hydraulic traveling vehicle is maintained in the turning condition, and

the merging/diverging valve is switched to the diverging state when the hydraulic traveling vehicle is switched from the turning condition to a straight line traveling condition.