Working machine

• US 9,316,310 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Kinugawa, Ryosuke, Miura, Keisuke, Arii, Kazuyoshi, Tanaka, Isao, Fukuda, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiehe, Nathaniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin T
• Application Number:
  US13/570,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 604/31, 604/33, 604/43, 604/44, 604/49, 604/72, 604/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/411 Bulldozers, Graders
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/421 Motor capacity control by electro-hydraulic control means, e.g. using solenoid valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/468 for achieving a target input torque

Abstract

A pressure control valve for controlling a travel primary side pressure that is a pressure of a primary side of a travel operation device is controlled by a control unit, thus the travel primary side pressure is controlled, and thereby a traveling speed is intended to be increased, preventing an engine stall.

Claims

1. A working machine comprising:

an engine;

a travelling device;

a hydro static transmission (HST) pump composed of a tilted-plate type variable capacity pump driven by the engine;

an HST motor connected to the HST pump and a pair of gear-changing oil passages to form a closed circuit with the HST pump and the pair of gear-changing oil passages, the HST motor being configured to be driven by a discharge oil from the HST pump to drive the travelling device;

a pilot pump driven by the engine;

a travel operation device configured to control a tilted plate of the HST pump due to a pilot oil discharged by the pilot pump;

a pressure control valve configured to control a travel primary side pressure, the travel primary side pressure being a pressure of a primary side of the travel operation device;

an acceleration operating member for increasing and decreasing an engine speed of the engine to determine a target engine speed; and

a control unit configured to control the pressure control valve, the control unit including;

a no-load characteristic line showing a relationship, under a condition where the engine is unloaded, between the travel primary side pressure and a real engine speed that is an actual speed of the engine; and

a drop characteristic line provided for each of the target engine speeds determined by the acceleration operating member, the drop characteristic line showing a relationship, under a condition where a predefined load or more is applied to the engine, between the travel primary side pressure and the real engine speed, and the drop characteristic line including;

a first characteristic line portion used for decreasing the travel primary side pressure on a basis of a difference between the real engine speed and the target engine speed, the target engine speed being a speed of the engine determined by the acceleration operating member; and

a second characteristic line portion used for decreasing the travel primary side pressure on a basis of a difference between the real engine speed and the target engine speed and at a rate smaller than a rate for decreasing the travel primary side pressure in the first characteristic line portion,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the pressure control valve on a basis of the no-load characteristic line when the engine is unloaded and to control the pressure control valve on a basis of the first characteristic line portion and the second characteristic line portion when a predetermined load or more is applied to the engine.

2. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein, upon an operation of the acceleration operating member, the control unit delays switching from an applied drop characteristic line of the plurality of drop characteristic lines to another drop characteristic line of the plurality of drop characteristic lines in accordance with a response delay of the real engine speed caused upon the operation of the acceleration operating member, the applied drop characteristic line being set before the operation of the acceleration operating member, the another drop characteristic line being provided for the target engine speeds determined by the operation of the acceleration operating member.

3. The working machine according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to provide a first speed for switching from the applied drop characteristic line to the another drop characteristic line when the acceleration operating member is operated to increase the target engine speed, and a second speed for switching from the applied drop characteristic line to the another drop characteristic line when the acceleration operating member is operated to decrease the engine speed, the second speed being higher that the first speed.

4. The working machine according to claim 1, wherein the no-load characteristic line is used for decreasing the travel primary side pressure in synchronization with the real engine speed dropping from a maximum speed to an idling speed, the maximum speed being obtained when the acceleration operating member is operated to a maximum extent.