Work vehicle and work vehicle control method

• US 9,133,780 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Asami, Satoshi, Koizumi, Jun, Ishii, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Rodney P
• Application Number:
  US13/577,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50, 180/65.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/248 for measuring, indicating or displaying the weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1886 Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/431 for bucket-arms, front-end loaders, dumpers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2029 Controlling the position of implements in function of its load, e.g. modifying the attitude of implements in accordance to vehicle speed control for hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2203, E02F9/2221 and E02F9/2253 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2079 Control of mechanical transmission for hydrostatic transmission or hydraulic torque converter E02F9/2253
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2246 Control of prime movers, e.g. depending on the hydraulic load of work tools
• 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: E02F 9/2289 Closed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2292 Systems with two or more pumps
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/265 with follow-up actions (e.g. control signals sent to actuate the work tool)
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/04 peculiar to engines driving pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/472 for achieving a target output torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a drive source, a travel device, a hydraulic pump, a work implement, a traction force detector, a lift force detector and a controller. The traction force detector is configured to detect traction force of the work vehicle. The lift force detector is configured to detect lift force for raising the work implement. The controller is configured to compare a predetermined threshold and a ratio between the lift force and the traction force, and to execute traction force reduction control for reducing the traction force when an increase in the lift force is required.

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising:

a drive source;

a travel device configured to cause the work vehicle to travel by drive force from the drive source;

a hydraulic pump driven by drive force from the drive source;

a work implement driven by hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump;

a traction force detector configured to detect traction force of the work vehicle;

a lift force detector configured to detect a lift force for raising the work implement; and

a controller configured to

calculate a ratio of the traction force detected by the traction force detector with respect to the lift force detected by the lift force detector, or a ratio of the lift force detected by the lift force detector with respect to the traction force detected by the traction force detector,

compare the calculated ratio to a prescribed threshold value, and

execute traction force reduction control for reducing the traction force upon a first execution condition being satisfied, the first execution condition being satisfied when the calculated ratio of the traction force with respect to the lift force is larger than the predetermined threshold value, or when the calculated ratio of the lift force with respect to the traction force is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a work implement operation member configured to operate the work implement; and

a work implement operation detector configured to detect an amount of operation of the work implement operation member,

the controller being configured to change the predetermined threshold in accordance with the amount of operation of the work implement operation member.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the predetermined threshold is set so that the traction force decreases in correspondence with an increase in the amount of operation of the work implement operation member for raising the work implement.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a work implement attitude detector configured to detect an attitude of the work implement,

the controller being configured to change the predetermined threshold in accordance with the attitude of the work implement.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the work implement attitude detector is configured to detect a height position of the work implement;

and

the predetermined threshold is set so that the traction force increases in correspondence with an increase in the height position of the work implement.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine whether a work phase of the work vehicle is excavation from a state of actuation of the travel device and the work implement;

and

the controller is configured to execute the traction force reduction control upon the first execution condition and a second execution condition being satisfied, the second execution condition being satisfied when the work phase of the work vehicle is determined to be excavation.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerator operation member operated by an operator; and

an accelerator operation detector configured to detect an amount of operation of the accelerator operation member,

the controller being configured not to execute the fraction force reduction control when the amount of operation of the accelerator operation member is less than a predetermined operation amount threshold.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a vehicle speed detector configured to detect a vehicle speed,

the controller being configured not to execute the traction force reduction control when the vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined speed threshold.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising

a height position detector configured to detect a height position of the work implement,

the controller being configured not to execute the traction force reduction control when the height position of the work implement is greater than a predetermined height threshold.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine whether the hydraulic pump is in a stalled state, and, when the first execution condition and the second execution condition are satisfied, to reduce the traction force so that the traction force assumes a fixed target value that is less than a target value for when the traction force is not reduced.

11. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine whether the hydraulic pump is in a stalled state, and not to reduce the traction force when the hydraulic pump is not in the stalled state and the work implement operation member is in a non-operation state.

12. A method for controlling a work vehicle including a drive source, a travel device for causing the work vehicle to travel by a drive force from the drive source, a hydraulic pump driven by the drive force from the drive source, and a work implement driven by hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump, the method comprising:

detecting traction force of the work vehicle;

detecting a lift force for raising the work implement;

calculating a ratio of the traction force with respect to the lift force, or a ratio of the lift force with respect to the traction force;

comparing the calculated ratio to a prescribed threshold value; and

executing traction force reduction control for reducing traction force when the ratio of the traction force with respect to the lift force is larger than the predetermined threshold value or the ratio of the lift force with respect to the traction force is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.