UTILITY VEHICLE

• US 20160185218A1
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ITOO, Seiji, TANAKA, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,849,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes a diesel engine, a two-four wheel drive switcher provided on a driving power transmission path from the diesel engine and configured to switch transmission of driving power to driving wheels between a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode, and a vehicle control unit configured to control the two-four wheel drive switcher. The utility vehicle further includes a rollover sensor configured to detect rollover of the utility vehicle, and a fuel cutoff valve configured to cut off fuel supply to the diesel engine. The vehicle control unit determines whether or not the utility vehicle is being rolled over in accordance with detection by the rollover sensor and controls the fuel cutoff valve to cut off the fuel supply when the vehicle control unit determines that the utility vehicle is being rolled over.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising a diesel engine, a two-four wheel drive switcher provided on a driving power transmission path from the diesel engine and configured to switch transmission of driving power to driving wheels between a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode, and a vehicle control unit configured to control the two-four wheel drive switcher, the utility vehicle further comprising:

a rollover sensor configured to detect rollover of the utility vehicle; and

a fuel cutoff valve configured to cut off fuel supply to the diesel engine;

wherein

the vehicle control unit determines whether or not the utility vehicle is being rolled over in accordance with detection by the rollover sensor and controls the fuel cutoff valve to cut off the fuel supply when the vehicle control unit determines that the utility vehicle is being rolled over.

2. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the vehicle control unit is accommodated at an upper portion in a front chamber that has a top covered with a hood and right and left sides surrounded with right and left front fenders, and

the rollover sensor is located adjacent to the vehicle control unit.

3. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a seat belt sensor configured to detect that an on-board crew does not fasten a seat belt;

wherein

the vehicle control unit does not start the engine of the utility vehicle when the seat belt sensor detects that the seat belt is not fastened.