IP Library Granted Patent US 12,680,611
Granted Patent B2
US 12,680,611 · App. 18/664,345 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Work vehicle

Inventors: Hiroaki Nagai (Sakai, JP); Daisuke Nakayama (Sakai, JP); Hironobu Nogami (Sakai, JP); Ryo Masuda (Sakai, JP); Keiji Takahashi (Sakai, JP); Tatsuya Sakai (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
F16H63/062B62D49/06F16H61/32F16H61/435B60Y2200/221F16H61/439
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,680,611
App. No.
18/664,345
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work vehicle includes a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission to output power, an electric motor to perform shifting, a linkage mechanism to link a shifting shaft of the electric motor with a trunnion shaft of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission the linkage mechanism, including a first linkage section linked with the shifting shaft, and a second linkage section linked with the trunnion shaft, and a biasing mechanism to press and bias a second gear of the second linkage section that meshes with a first gear of the first linkage section against the first gear such that a tooth flank of the second gear abuts with a tooth flank of the first gear in a rotation direction reverse to a rotation direction of the first gear.

Claims (32)

1 . A work vehicle, comprising:

a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission to output power;

an electric motor to perform shifting;

a linkage mechanism to link a shifting shaft of the electric motor with a trunnion shaft of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage section linked with the shifting shaft, and a second linkage section linked with the trunnion shaft; and

a biasing mechanism to press and bias a second gear of the second linkage section, which meshes with a first gear of the first linkage section, against the first gear such that a tooth flank of the second gear abuts with a tooth flank of the first gear in a rotation direction reverse to a rotation direction of the first gear; wherein

the biasing mechanism includes:

a swing arm swingable together with the trunnion shaft; and

an operation body swingable around an axial center parallel or substantially parallel to an axial center of the trunnion shaft;

the swing arm includes a cam;

the operation body includes a cam follower;

the biasing mechanism further includes a biasing spring to bias the cam follower toward the cam; and

the swing arm is swingable in a swinging direction causing the tooth flank of the second gear to approach the tooth flank of the first gear, in response to the biasing spring and the cam follower pressing the cam.

2 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the second gear and the cam are provided in the swing arm, at different positions in an axial-center direction of the trunnion shaft.

3 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the operation body includes a swing fulcrum in an interval between a line segment passing through the axial center of the trunnion shaft and a line segment passing through an axial center of the shifting shaft in a direction perpendicular to a virtual line segment connecting the trunnion shaft to the shifting shaft.

4 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission includes an external wall to which a casing housing the linkage mechanism and the biasing mechanism is attached.

5 . The work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the electric motor is supported on an outer portion of the casing.

6 . The work vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising a sensor supported on the casing to detect a swashplate angle of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission.

7 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission includes a pump as a main transmission mechanism for a tractor; and

the trunnion shaft is operable to change a swashplate angle of the pump.

8 . The work vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission includes a motor as a secondary transmission mechanism for the tractor.

9 . A work vehicle, comprising:

a hydrostatic continuously variable transmission to output power;

an electric motor to perform shifting;

a linkage mechanism to link a shifting shaft of the electric motor with a trunnion shaft of the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission, the linkage mechanism including a first linkage section linked with the shifting shaft, and a second linkage section linked with the trunnion shaft; and

a biasing mechanism to press and bias a second gear of the second linkage section, which meshes with a first gear of the first linkage section, against the first gear such that a tooth flank of the second gear abuts with a tooth flank of the first gear in a rotation direction reverse to a rotation direction of the first gear; wherein

the hydrostatic continuously variable transmission includes an external wall to which a casing housing the linkage mechanism and the biasing mechanism is attached;

the biasing mechanism includes:

an operation body swingable around an axial center parallel or substantially parallel to an axial center of the trunnion shaft; and

a biasing spring to bias a cam follower of the operation body toward a cam of a swing arm swingable together with the trunnion shaft; and

the biasing spring is a torsion spring wound on a shaft supporting the operation body and housed in the casing.

10 . The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the torsion spring includes an end portion supported on the casing to receive a reaction force acting on the cam follower.