Work machine

• US 8,495,870 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Sumiyoshi, Ryohei, Suzuki, Kunihiro, Arii, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazo, Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US12/724,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20100236233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 604/44, 604/45, 604/84, 604/86
• US Class Current: 60/444
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2232 using one or more variable displacement pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2235 including an electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2253 Controlling the travelling speed of vehicles, e.g. adjusting travelling speed according to implement loads, control of hydrostatic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20561 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/20576 with multiple pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/3116 the pump port being open in the centre position, e.g. so-called open centre
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/6355 having valve means
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2211/7058 Rotary output members
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/4104 Flushing, e.g. by using flushing valves or by connection to exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/433 Pump capacity control by fluid pressure control means

Abstract

Disclosed is a work machine having a traveling apparatus and a work implement driven by an engine. A hydraulic system mounted on the work machine includes an HST pump comprising a swash plate, variable displacement pump driven by the engine, an HST motor connected in a closed circuit to the HST pump and a pair of speed-changing oil passageways, the HST motor being driven by an amount of oil supplied by the HST pump, thereby to drive the traveling apparatus, a main pump driven by the engine, the main pump supplying pressure oil to the work implement, a pilot pump driven by the engine, a swash plate positioning circuit configured to effect positioning of a swash plate of the HST pump with pilot oil supplied from the pilot pump, and a bleed circuit configured to drain, via a throttle, a portion of the pilot oil supplied to the swash plate positioning circuit.

Claims

1. A work machine having a traveling apparatus and a work implement driven by an engine,

wherein a hydraulic system mounted on the work machine comprises:

an HST pump comprising a swash plate, variable displacement pump driven by the engine,

an HST motor connected in a closed circuit to the HST pump and a pair of speed-changing oil passageways, the HST motor being driven by an amount of oil supplied by the HST pump, thereby to drive the traveling apparatus,

a main pump driven by the engine, the main pump supplying pressure oil to the work implement,

a pilot pump driven by the engine,

a swash plate positioning circuit configured to effect positioning of a swash plate of the HST pump with pilot oil supplied from the pilot pump, and

a bleed circuit configured to drain, via a throttle, a portion of the pilot oil supplied to the swash plate positioning circuit.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic system further comprises:

a charge relief valve for determining the circuit pressure of a charge circuit for supplementing an amount of oil from the pilot pump to the speed-changing oil passageways, and

a flushing throttle incorporated in a flushing relief oil passageway for draining oil from a flushing valve configured to allow escape of a portion of work oil in the low-pressure side oil speed-changing passageway of the speed-changing oil passageways.

3. The work machine according to claim 2, wherein the flushing relief oil passageway incorporates a flushing relief valve disposed between the flushing valve and the flushing throttle.

4. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the HST motor comprises a swash plate, variable displacement motor switchable between a first speed state and a second speed state, according to the positioning of the swash plate by pilot oil, and

for switching over the HST motor from the first speed state to the second speed state, there is provided a second bleed circuit for draining, through a throttle, a portion of pilot oil supplied from the pilot pump.

10. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein:

the work implement comprises a bucket capable of effecting a scooping/dumping action; and

the hydraulic system includes a bucket cylinder for causing the bucket to effect a scooping/dumping action and a bucket control valve for controlling the bucket cylinder;

the bucket control valve includes two pump ports for inputting the pressure oil from the main pump, two cylinder ports for supplying/discharging pressure oil to/from a rod side oil chamber and a bottom side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder, and a tank port communicated to a tank;

at the scooping position of the bucket control valve, one of the pump ports becomes communicated to the tank port via the bucket bleed circuit and also the other of the pump ports becomes communicated to the cylinder port connected to the rod side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder.

11. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein

there is provided a traveling operating apparatus for controlling pilot oil in the swash plate positioning circuit;

there is provided a work implement operating apparatus for controlling the pilot pressure to a control valve for controlling the work implement;

a hydraulic passageway is branched so as to supply the discharge oil from the pilot pump to the traveling operating apparatus and the work implement operating apparatus, and in a hydraulic circuit between this branching point and the traveling operating apparatus, there is provided a pressure compensating valve for ensuring a primary pressure for the work implement operating apparatus, and

on the upstream side of the pressure compensating valve, there is provided a work implement bleed circuit for draining, through a throttle, a portion of the pressure oil discharged by the pilot pump and supplied to the work implement operating apparatus.

12. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein

there is provided a traveling operating apparatus for controlling pilot oil in the swash plate positioning circuit;

there is provided a work implement operating apparatus for controlling the pilot pressure to a control valve for controlling the work implement;

a hydraulic passageway is branched so as to supply the discharge oil from the pilot pump to the traveling operating apparatus and the work implement operating apparatus, and in a hydraulic circuit between this branching point and the traveling operating apparatus, there is provided a pressure compensating valve for ensuring a primary pressure for the work implement operating apparatus, and

on the upstream side of the work implement operating apparatus, there is provided a pressure reducing valve capable of pressure adjustment so as to allow drop of the primary pressure of the work implement operating apparatus.

13. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein:

there is provided a traveling operating apparatus for controlling the pilot oil in the swash plate positioning circuit;

the HST pump includes a pair of pressure receiving portions for receiving the pilot pressure from the traveling operating apparatus via a shock relieving throttle, and the angle of the swash plate is controlled by pressure difference between these pressure receiving portions, in the course of which in association with reduction in the rotational speed of the engine, the primary pressure of the traveling operating apparatus drops and the swash plate of the HST pump returns to the neutral side, thus preventing engine stall; and

there is provided an escape oil passageway having one end thereof communicated to a primary side hydraulic passageway of the traveling operating apparatus and the other end thereof communicated to a hydraulic passageway between the shock relieving throttle and one of the pressure receiving portions, and the escape oil passageway incorporates a check valve which is opened when the pressure of the one pressure receiving portion to which the other end of the escape oil passageway is communicated is greater than the primary pressure of the traveling operating apparatus.

5. The work machine according to clam 1, wherein:

the work implement comprises a bucket capable of effecting a scooping/dumping action; and

the hydraulic system includes a bucket cylinder for causing the bucket to effect a scooping/dumping action and a bucket control valve for controlling the bucket cylinder; and

wherein in a hydraulic circuit at a scooping position where the bucket is caused to effect a scooping action by the bucket control valve, there is provided a bucket bleed circuit for draining, through a throttle, a portion of the pressure oil supplied from the main pump to the bucket cylinder.

6. The work machine according to claim 5, wherein at the scooping position of the bucket control valve, the pressure oil from the main pump is supplied to a rod side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder.

7. The work machine according to claim 6, wherein:

the bucket control valve includes two pump ports for inputting the pressure oil from the main pump, two cylinder ports for supplying/discharging pressure oil to/from the rod side oil chamber and a bottom side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder, and a tank port communicated to a tank; and

at the scooping position of the bucket control valve, one of the pump ports becomes communicated to the tank port via the bucket bleed circuit and also the other pump port becomes communicated to the cylinder port connected to the rod side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder.

8. The work machine according to claim 7, wherein the bucket control valve includes a return oil passageway for returning the oil discharged from the bottom side oil chamber of the bucket cylinder to the upstream side of the throttle of the bucket bleed circuit via a check valve, at the scooping position.

9. The work machine according to claim 5, wherein:

the work implement includes the bucket at a leading end of an arm which is pivoted up/down by a lift cylinder operable by the pressure oil from the main pump; and

the hydraulic system further comprises;

a lift cylinder for pivoting up/down the arm with the pressure oil from the main pump,

an arm control valve for controlling the lift cylinder;

a work implement operating apparatus for operating the arm control valve and the bucket control valve;

pressure reducing means for reducing a primary pressure of the work implement operating apparatus for preventing full stroke action of the arm control valve, in response to drop in rotational speed of the engine;

wherein said arm control valve and said bucket control valve are disposed in series in a work implement supplying oil passageway for supplying the pressure oil discharged from the main pump, with the arm control valve being disposed on the upstream side of the bucket control valve.