IP Library › Granted Patent US 12668946
Granted Patent B2
US 12668946 · App. 18/272,626 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Control device, operation device, control method, and work vehicle

Inventor: Yuki Arai (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
E02F9/2004E02F3/7668E02F3/7672E02F3/7677E02F3/7681
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12668946
App. No.
18/272,626
Filed
Jul 17, 2023
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3671
USPC
172/1
Abstract

The control device is a control device that controls a drawbar attached to a main frame of a grader, in which a movement of the drawbar is generated by at least three actuators, and the control device controls, based on an output signal from one operation lever having at least three degrees of freedom, the plurality of actuators such that a movement of the one operation lever corresponds to the movement of the drawbar.

Claims (30)

1 . A control device that controls a drawbar attached to a main frame of a grader,

wherein a movement of the drawbar is generated by at least three actuators, and

the control device controls, based on an output signal from one operation lever having at least three degrees of freedom, the plurality of actuators such that a movement of the one operation lever corresponds to the movement of the drawbar,

wherein the operation lever has a shape extending in an up-down direction, and includes a slide switch provided on a face of an upper tip side of the operation lever, wherein the face faces toward an operator side and the slide switch slides in a left-right direction within the face,

wherein the drawbar is restrained by the main frame and one ball shaft,

wherein an operation input of the operation lever in a rotation direction around an axis in the up-down direction is corresponded to a movement in a rotation direction of the drawbar about the ball shaft around an axis in the up-down direction,

wherein a sliding operation input of the slide switch provided to the operation lever in the left-right direction is corresponded to a movement of a blade attached to the drawbar in the left-right direction.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein a tilt of the operation lever corresponds to a tilt of the drawbar.

3 . An operation device comprising:

the control device according to claim 1 ; and

the operation lever.

4 . A control method for controlling a drawbar attached to a main frame of a grader,

in which a movement of the drawbar is generated by at least three actuators,

the control method comprising:

controlling, based on an output signal from one operation lever having at least three degrees of freedom, the plurality of actuators such that a movement of the one operation lever corresponds to the movement of the drawbar,

wherein the operation lever has a shape extending in an up-down direction, and includes a slide switch provided on a face of an upper tip side of the operation lever, wherein the face faces toward an operator side and the slide switch slides in a left-right direction within the face,

wherein the drawbar is restrained by the main frame and one ball shaft,

wherein an operation input of the operation lever in a rotation direction around an axis in the up-down direction is corresponded to a movement in a rotation direction of the drawbar about the ball shaft around an axis in the up-down direction,

wherein a sliding operation input of the slide switch provided to the operation lever in the left-right direction is corresponded to a movement of a blade attached to the drawbar in the left-right direction.

5 . A work vehicle comprising:

a main frame;

a drawbar attached to the main frame and restrained to the main frame by one ball shaft;

three actuators attached to the main frame to determine a posture of the drawbar;

one operation lever operated by an operator; and

a control device that controls the actuators based on an output signal from the operation lever,

wherein the control device controls the actuators such that a movement of the operation lever corresponds to the movement of the drawbar,

wherein the operation lever has a shape extending in an up-down direction, and includes a slide switch provided on a face of an upper tip side of the operation lever, wherein the face faces toward an operator side and the slide switch slides in a left-right direction within the face,

wherein the drawbar is restrained by the main frame and the ball shaft,

wherein an operation input of the operation lever in a rotation direction around an axis in the up-down direction is corresponded to a movement in a rotation direction of the drawbar about the ball shaft around an axis in the up-down direction,

wherein a sliding operation input of the slide switch provided to the operation lever in the left-right direction is corresponded to a movement of a blade attached to the drawbar in the left-right direction.