Utility vehicle

• US 9,849,781 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Itoo, Seiji, Tanaka, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US14/585,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20160185218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 340429, 340436, 340438, 340440, 340463
• 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 mechanically powered diesel engine without an engine control unit and no electrical control, the diesel engine being configured to be mechanically supplied with fuel by a fuel injection pump that is driven and rotated directly by rotation of a crank shaft, an amount of the supplied fuel is mechanically adjusted by a centrifugal spark advancer, and the supplied fuel is ignited by compressed self-ignition;

a drive unit including 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/or a differential locking device; and

a vehicle control unit mainly configured to control the drive unit, 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 attached to a rear surface of an electrical equipment storage box located 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;

the rollover sensor is accompanied in the electrical equipment storage box, and

the vehicle control unit and the rollover sensor are located adjacent to each other on the front and rear surface of the electrical equipment storage box.

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

a seat belt sensor configured to detect that an on-board crew has not fastened 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.