Travelling vehicle equipped with obstacle detector sensors

• US 4,546,840 A
• Filed: 05/12/1983
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Kuroiwa, Yoshizo, Yukishige, Yoshifumi, Toyokuni, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dukes, Mark C.
• Application Number:
  US06/494,017
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 180/169, 180/274, 180/275, 180/277, 180/279, 293/2, 293/4, 293/117, 200/61.44, 200/61.43, 200/DIG. 10, 200/DIG. 46, 200/264
• US Class Current: 180/169
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/223 Ridable lawn mowers

Abstract

A travelling vehicle equipped with obstacle detector sensors having, at the front of the vehicle body (1), a noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor (A) and a contact-type obstacle detector sensor (B), and a vehicle speed control device (20) adapted to automatically reduce the vehicle speed from a preset vehicle speed (v.sub.)0) to a predetermined vehicle speed (v₁) when the noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor (A) detects an obstacle, adapted to automatically reset the vehicle speed to said preset speed (v₀) when the sensor (A) does not detect the obstacle any more during such speed reduction, and adapted to automatically stop the travelling of the vehicle immediately when the contact-type obstacle detector sensor (B) detects the obstacle.

Claims

1. A travelling vehicle equipped with obstacle detector sensors comprising:

a noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor;

a contact-type obstacle detector sensor including an electrically conductive rubber member having opposing faces, an electrically grounded metallic film covering one face of said rubber member, and an electrode plate having an electrode face in surface contact with another one of said faces of said rubber member; and

vehicle speed control means for automatically (a) reducing the vehicle speed from a preset vehicle speed (v₀) to a predetermined vehicle speed (v₁) when said noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor detects an obstacle, (b) resetting the vehicle speed to said present vehicle speed (v₀) when said noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor ceases detection of the obstacle and (c) stopping said vehicle immediately when said contact-type obstacle detector sensor detects the obstacle.

2. A travelling vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said noncontact-type obstacle detector sensor includes an ultrasonic sensor.

3. A travelling vehicle as in claim 1, wherein said electrode plate includes means for dividing said electrode plate into a plurality of discrete electrode surfaces in surface-contact with said conductive rubber member.

4. A travelling vehicle as in claim 1 further comprising mounting means for mounting said contact-type obstacle sensor forwardly of said vehicle.

5. A travelling vehicle as in claim 4 wherein said mounting means includes linkage means pivotally mounting said contact-type obstacle sensor to said vehicle, said linkage means for permitting said contact-type obstacle sensor means to be rearwardly displaced relative to said vehicle in response to contacting the obstacle.

6. A vehicle comprising:

contact-type obstacle sensor means carried by said vehicle for sensing the presence of an obstacle in a path of movement of said vehicle when said obstacle comes into contact with said obstacle sensor means and including (a) an electrically grounded metallic film, (b) an electrode plate, and (c) electrically conductive rubber means sandwiched between said film and electrode plate, said electrically conductive rubber means for exhibiting a decrease in electrical resistance in response to said obstacle sensing means coming into contact with the obstacle; and

control means connected to said obstacle sensor means for sensing said decrease in electrical resistance of said electrically conductive rubber means and for stopping movement of said vehicle along said path in response thereto.

7. A vehicle as in claim 6 further comprising a noncontact-type sensor means connected to said control means, and wherein said control means includes means for reducing travelling speed of said vehicle in response to said noncontact-type sensor sensing an obstacle.

8. A vehicle as in claim 6 further comprising mounting means to mount said contact-type obstacle sensor means forwardly of said vehicle.

9. A vehicle as in claim 6 wherein said contact-type obstacle sensor means includes position-determining means to determine the position of contact of the obstacle with said contact-type obstacle sensor means.

10. A vehicle as in claim 9 wherein said position-determining means includes means dividing said electrode plate into a plurality of discrete electrode surfaces such that the position of the obstacle is determined in dependence upon the decrease of electrical resistance of that portion of said electrically conductive rubber means which opposes a respective one of said electrode surfaces, said respective one thereby being indicative of the contact position of said obstacle with said contact-type obstacle sensor means.

11. A vehicle comprising:

means for supplying a reference voltage;

a contact-type obstacle sensor means for sensing an obstacle in the vehicle'"'"'s path of travel, said sensor means being carried by said vehicle and operatively connected to said reference voltage supplying means and including switching means for switching said reference voltage to ground in response to said sensor means coming into contact with an obstacle in the vehicle'"'"'s path of travel; and

control means connected to said switching means for sensing said reference voltage being switched to ground and for stopping travel of said vehicle in response thereto, wherein

said switching means includes an electrically-grounded metallic film, an electrode plate connected to said reference voltage supplying means, and an electrically conductive rubber member means sandwiched between and in contact with said metallic film and said electrode plate, said rubber member means decreasing in electrical resistance in response to said sensor means coming into contact with an obstacle to thereby cause said reference voltage to be switched from said electrode plate to said electrically-grounded metallic film by allowing said reference voltage to be conducted therethrough.