IP Library › Granted Patent US 12674302

Granted Patent B2

US 12674302 · App. 18/131,423 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Working machine

Inventors: Ryota Hamamoto (Osaka, JP); Yuji Fukuda (Osaka, JP); Tomoyuki Noguchi (Osaka, JP); Kohei Nagao (Osaka, JP)

Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION

E02F9/2228 E02F3/96 E02F9/2004 E02F9/2025 E02F9/2267 E02F9/26 F15B15/20 F15B19/00 E02F9/2285 E02F9/2292 E02F9/2296 F15B2211/426

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12674302
App. No.: 18/131,423
Granted: Jul 7, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

A working machine includes a controller to: select one of pieces of operation characteristics information corresponding to respective work attachments stored in a memory that corresponds to a work attachment attached to an attachment mount portion and fluidly connected to a hydraulic fluid port; and control, based on the selected one of the pieces of operation characteristics information, the speed of switching of a work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment.

Claims (49)

1 . A working machine comprising:

an attachment mount portion including a hydraulic fluid port;

a work-attachment-drive hydraulic circuit to supply hydraulic fluid to a work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion and fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid port, the work attachment including a hydraulic motor capable of rotating around a rotation axis;

a work-attachment-drive control valve to:

control a flow rate of hydraulic fluid supplied via the work-attachment-drive hydraulic circuit to the work attachment;

change a degree of opening of one or more ports thereof that are in communication with the work-attachment-drive hydraulic circuit by movement of a spool thereof; and

change a speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve, the speed of switching being a speed of movement of the spool;

a memory to store pieces of operation characteristics information corresponding to respective work attachments each for use as the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion and fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid port, the pieces of operation characteristics information each including information relating to the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve; and

a controller to

select one of the pieces of operation characteristics information corresponding to the respective work attachments stored in the memory that corresponds to the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion and fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid port; and

control, based on the selected one of the pieces of operation characteristics information, the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment, wherein

the information relating to the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve includes information relating to selection of whether to cause the work attachment fluidly connected to the hydraulic fluid port to operate at a first speed or a second speed slower than the first speed; and

the controller is configured or programmed to control, in a case where a centrifugal force around the rotation axis of the hydraulic motor is required when the hydraulic motor of the work attachment stops, control the work-attachment-drive control valve to operate at the first speed when stopping the work attachment.

2 . The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein:

the controller is configured or programmed to switch a mode relating to a flow rate of hydraulic fluid flowing from the work-attachment-drive control valve to the hydraulic fluid port via the work-attachment-drive hydraulic circuit between (i) a normal flow rate mode in which the flow rate is a normal flow rate and (ii) an increased flow rate mode in which the flow rate is an increased flow rate higher than the normal flow rate; and

the controller is configured or programmed to control, based on the information relating to the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve included in the selected one of the pieces of operation characteristics information, the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment, regardless of whether the mode relating to the flow rate is the normal flow rate mode or the increased flow rate mode.

3 . The working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a display to display a list of the work attachments to allow an operator to select one of the work attachments from the list; wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to, upon selection of one of the work attachments from the list displayed on the display, control the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment based on one of the pieces of operation characteristics information that corresponds to the selected one of the work attachments.

4 . The working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an attachment operating member to be operated by an operator to start or stop the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion, wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to, based on the selected one of the pieces of operation characteristics information, control the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when the attachment operating member is operated.

5 . The working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an information acquirer to, when the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion issues information, acquire the information, wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to:

when the information acquirer acquires the information issued by the work attachment and the information thus acquired includes identification information identifying the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion, select one of the pieces of operation characteristics information that corresponds to the work attachment identified by the identification information included in the information acquired by the information acquirer; and

based on the selected one of the pieces of operation characteristics information, control the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment.

6 . The working machine according to claim 5 , wherein the identification information identifying the work attachment includes information about a type, a specification, and/or optional equipment of the work attachment.

7 . The working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an information acquirer to, when the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion issues information, acquire the information, wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to, when the information acquirer acquires the information issued by the work attachment and the information thus acquired includes another piece of operation characteristics information that corresponds to the work attachment attached to the attachment mount portion and that includes information relating to the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve other than the pieces of operation characteristics information stored in the memory, control, based on the another piece of operation characteristics information included in the information acquired by the information acquirer, the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment.

8 . The working machine according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured or programmed to control the speed of switching of the work-attachment-drive control valve when starting the work attachment and/or when stopping the work attachment based on the another piece of operation characteristics information included in the information acquired by the information acquirer with higher priority than the pieces of operation characteristics information stored in the memory.

9 . The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured or programmed to control, in a case where a centrifugal force around the rotation axis of the hydraulic motor is required when the hydraulic motor of the work attachment starts, control the work-attachment-drive control valve to operate at the first speed when starting the work attachment.

10 . A working machine comprising: