Work vehicle with a ground-work unit

• US 8,888,133 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuchihashi, Hironori, Shiraga, Takahiro, Komatsu, Takafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US13/775,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 744/92, 744/93, 745/52, 180/89.13, 187/222, 280/775, 280/779, 345/156, 345/173
• US Class Current: 280/779
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/64 mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle A01D34/695 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/662 to the front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/82 Other details
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/685 Instruments movable with steering column
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/53 Movable instruments, e.g. slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/10 Arrangements for attaching the dashboard to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/16 Steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A work vehicle has a ground-work unit that is mounted under a frame supported by front wheels and rear wheels and disposed forwardly of the front wheels. The work vehicle includes a steering wheel supported to a steering post and consisting of spokes and a ring. A man-machine interface face formed in the steering post downwardly of the steering wheel and around a rotational axis of the steering wheel includes a display face having a flat panel display and an operation face having an operation input device. The steering wheel is greater in size than the flat panel display as seen in the direction of rotational axis of the steering wheel, and the operation face is greater in length than the flat panel display in the direction of vehicle width.

Claims

1. A work vehicle having a ground-work unit that is mounted under a frame supported by front wheels and rear wheels and disposed forwardly of the front wheels, the work vehicle comprising:

a steering post disposed upwardly of the frame;

a steering wheel supported to the steering post and consisting of spokes and a ring; and

a man-machine interface face formed in the steering post downwardly of the steering wheel and around a rotational axis of the steering wheel;

wherein the man-machine interface face includes a display face having a flat panel display and an operation face having an operation input device and disposed adjacent the display face, the display face being disposed on a front side of the steering post, the operation face including a left-side operation face disposed on a left side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel, and a right-side operation face disposed on a right side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel;

wherein the steering wheel is greater in size than the display face as seen in a direction of the rotational axis of the steering wheel, and the operation face is greater in length than the flat panel display in a direction of vehicle width; and

wherein, as seen in the direction of the vehicle width, an entire length from the left-side operation face across the steering post to the right-side operation face is greater than a length of the display face and smaller than a length of the steering wheel.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one opening delimited by the spokes and the ring of the steering wheel is formed larger than the flat panel display.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, as seen in the direction of the rotational axis of the steering wheel, at least one opening delimited by the spokes and the ring of the steering wheel is formed larger than the left-side operation face and the right-side operation face to secure a driver'"'"'s view through the opening to the left-side operation face and the right-side operation face.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the flat panel display is disposed with an inclination so that a normal line of the display face and the rotational axis of the steering wheel intersect each other upwardly of the steering wheel.

5. The work vehicle according to according to claim 1, wherein the steering post consists of a first steering post supported to the frame and a second steering post supported to the first steering post to be pivotable in a front/rear direction of a vehicle body and supporting the steering wheel.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the first steering post consists of a base panel fixed to a front end of the frame and an auxiliary panel fixed to the base panel in such a manner as to cover a front side of the base panel.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the display face is formed in an upper face of the auxiliary panel.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 6, wherein a lower portion of the auxiliary panel is formed as a skirt portion for covering a front end of the frame from a front side thereof.

9. A work vehicle having a ground-work unit that is mounted under a frame supported by front wheels and rear wheels and disposed forwardly of the front wheels, the work vehicle comprising:

a steering post disposed upwardly of the frame;

a steering wheel supported to the steering post and consisting of spokes and a ring, at least one opening being formed as being delimited by the spokes and the ring;

a man-machine interface face formed in the steering post downwardly of the steering wheel and around a rotational axis of the steering wheel;

wherein the man-machine interface face includes a display face having a flat panel display and an operation face having an operation input device and disposed adjacent the display face, the display face being disposed on a front side of the steering post, the operation face including a left-side operation face disposed on a left side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel and a right-side operation face disposed on a right side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel; and

wherein the opening of the steering wheel is larger than each of the flat panel display, the left-side operation face, and the right-side operation face to secure a driver'"'"'s view through the opening to the left-side operation face and the right-side operation face.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the flat panel display is disposed with an inclination so that a normal line of the display face and the rotational axis of the steering wheel intersect each other upwardly of the steering wheel at an angle of from 5 to 30 degrees.

11. A front mower having a mower unit that is mounted under a frame supported by front wheels and rear wheels and disposed forwardly of the front wheels, the front mower comprising:

a steering post disposed upwardly of the frame;

a steering wheel supported to the steering post and consisting of spokes and a ring, the steering wheel having at least one opening delimited by the spokes and the ring of the steering wheel; and

a man-machine interface face formed in the steering post downwardly of the steering wheel and around a rotational axis of the steering wheel,

wherein the man-machine interface face includes a display face having a flat panel display and an operation face having an operation input device and disposed adjacent the display face, the operation face including a left-side operation face disposed on a left side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel, and a right-side operation face disposed on a right side of the steering post and facing the steering wheel, and

wherein as seen in the direction of the vehicle width, an entire length from the left-side operation face across the steering post to the right-side operation face is greater than a length of the display face and smaller than a length of the steering wheel.