Work vehicle

• US 9,301,443 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hashima, Hiroaki, Wang, Hongkun
• Primary Examiner(s): Algahaim, Helal A
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOTT, GENNA M
• Application Number:
  US13/799,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/56 Driving mechanisms for the cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/58 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/60 fluid
• 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 34/76 Driving mechanisms for the cutters
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/78 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/80 fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/156 Ridable lawn mowers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/305 Power absorbed by auxiliaries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/30 Auxiliary equipments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1886 Controlling power supply to auxiliary devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/223 Ridable lawn mowers

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a driving wheel motor for driving at least one driving wheel, a working implement-related motor for driving at least one working implement, and at least one controller. The at least one controller sets, upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition set in advance, a relationship between vehicle speed of the work vehicle and working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor to a working travelling cooperative relationship according to which the working implement-related target rotational speed is increased according to an increase in the vehicle speed at least within a predetermined vehicle speed range of the work vehicle, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement a working travelling cooperative mode in which the working implement-related motor is driven at the working implement-related target rotational speed based on the working travelling cooperative relationship.

Claims

1. A work vehicle comprising:

a driving wheel motor structured to drive at least one driving wheel;

a working implement-related motor structured to drive at least one working implement;

at least one controller;

at least one operator sensor structured to detect an amount of operation of at least one operator;

a mode instruction device structured to instruct switching between a working travelling cooperative mode and at least one other drive mode based on a switching operation of a user; and

a working implement start switch structured to instruct start of the working implement-related motor based on a starting operation of the user,

wherein the at least one controller comprises;

a drive control unit structured to control operation of the driving wheel motor based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor;

a vehicle speed calculation unit structured to calculate a vehicle speed of the work vehicle; and

a working implement-related control unit structured to control operation of the working implement-related motor;

wherein the mode instruction device is structured to instruct switching between the working travelling cooperative mode and an economy mode based on the switching operation of the user, the working travelling cooperative mode and the economy mode, each of which sets a working implement-related target rotational speed employed when the working implement-related motor is driven;

wherein, when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed by the mode instruction device, the working implement-related control unit sets a relationship between a target vehicle speed and the working implement-related target rotational speed to a working travelling cooperative relationship in which the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is increased according to the increase in the target vehicle speed of the work vehicle at least in a predetermined vehicle speed range of the work vehicle, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement the working travelling cooperative mode; and

wherein, when switching to the economy mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the drive control unit changes allowable maximum speed of the target vehicle speed to economic maximum speed that is lower than when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed and controls rotational speed of the driving wheel motor, and the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant working implement-related rotational speed set in advance.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, comprising:

a rotational speed detection unit for detecting rotational speed of the driving wheel motor,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates the vehicle speed based on a detection signal from the rotational speed detection unit.

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

a rotational speed detection unit for detecting rotational speed of the driving wheel motor,

wherein the vehicle speed calculation unit calculates target vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor and calculates actual vehicle speed of the work vehicle based on a detection signal from the rotational speed detection unit, and when a speed difference between the target vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed is at or below a threshold speed for vehicle speed calculation, calculates the target vehicle speed or the actual vehicle speed as the vehicle speed to be used for setting of the working travelling cooperative relationship, and when the speed difference between the target vehicle speed and the actual vehicle speed exceeds the threshold speed for vehicle speed calculation, calculates the actual vehicle speed as the vehicle speed to be used for setting of the working travelling cooperative relationship.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the working traveling cooperative relationship is a relationship according to which the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is maintained to be constant when the vehicle speed of the work vehicle is below a threshold speed.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one controller determines a peripheral speed at the tip of the mower blade according to the rotational speed of the working implement-related motor, and controls the working implement-related motor such that the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is linearly increased by a constant predetermined coefficient in response to the increase in the vehicle speed when the vehicle speed is at or above the threshold speed, the predetermined coefficient being equal to a value of the peripheral speed divided by the vehicle speed.

2. A work vehicle comprising:

a driving wheel motor for structured to drive at least one driving wheel;

a working implement-related motor for structured to drive at least one working implement;

at least one controller;

at least one operator sensor for structured to detect an amount of operation of at least one operator;

a mode instruction device structured to instruct switching between a working travelling cooperative mode and at least one other drive mode based on a switching operation of a user; and

a working implement start switch structured to instruct start of the working implement-related motor based on a starting operation of the user,

wherein the at least one controller comprises;

a drive control unit structured to control operation of the driving wheel motor based on a signal from the at least one operator sensor;

a vehicle speed calculation unit structured to calculate a vehicle speed of the work vehicle; and

a working implement-related control unit structured to control operation of the working implement-related motor;

wherein the mode instruction device is structured to instruct switching between the working travelling cooperative mode, an economy mode and a user mode based on the switching operation of the user, the working travelling cooperative mode and the user mode, each of which sets a working implement-related target rotational speed employed when the working implement-related motor is driven;

wherein, when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed by the mode instruction device, the working implement-related control unit sets a relationship between a target vehicle speed and the working implement-related target rotational speed to a working travelling cooperative relationship in which the working implement-related target rotational speed of the working implement-related motor is increased according to the increase in the target vehicle speed of the work vehicle at least in a predetermined vehicle speed range of the work vehicle, and controls the working implement-related motor to implement the working travelling cooperative mode;

wherein, when switching to the economy mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the drive control unit changes allowable maximum speed of the target vehicle speed to an economic maximum speed that is lower than when switching to the working travelling cooperative mode is performed and controls rotational speed of the driving wheel motor, and the working implement-related control unit controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant first working implement-related rotational speed set in advance, and

wherein, when switching to the user mode is performed by the mode instruction device, and the working implement start switch is turned on, the at least one controller controls the working implement-related motor to rotate at a constant second working implement-related rotational speed set in advance.