IP Library Granted Patent US 8,572,939
Granted Patent B2
US 8,572,939 · App. 13/241,981 · Granted Nov 5, 2013

Working vehicle

Inventors: Kazuo Koike (Kobe, JP); Hirokazu Ito (Izumisano, JP)
Assignee: Kubota Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,572,939
App. No.
13/241,981
Granted
Nov 5, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A riding work vehicle that includes a running electric motor unit running and driving a driving wheel unit; a speed setting operation unit operated by a driver to set a target running speed; a working electric motor driving a work device that performs work on a worked object around a vehicle body corresponding to running of the vehicle body; and an exceptional speed controller that performs exceptional speed control to control the running electric motor unit at an exceptional speed lower than the target running speed in a case where load of the working electric motor evaluated by a work load evaluator that evaluates load of the working electric motor is abnormal load higher than a threshold value.

Claims (34)

1. A riding work vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having a driver seat;

a driving wheel unit supporting the vehicle body;

a running electric motor unit which runs and drives the driving wheel unit;

a speed setting operation unit operated by a driver to set a target running speed of the vehicle body;

a running controller which controls the running electric motor based on the target running speed;

a work unit having a work device that performs work on a worked object adjacent the vehicle body corresponding to running of the vehicle body, and at least one working electric motor that drives the work device;

a work controller controlling the working electric motor;

a work load evaluator that evaluates load of the at least one working electric motor; and

an exceptional speed controller that performs exceptional speed control to control the running electric motor unit at an exceptional speed lower than the target running speed in a case where the load of the at least one working electric motor evaluated by the work load evaluator is an abnormal load higher than a threshold value,

wherein the target running speed by the speed setting operation unit is canceled until the value of the target running speed by the speed setting operation unit becomes equal or less than the exceptional speed when the exceptional speed control is performed.

2. The riding work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an alarm is provided to alert occurrence of the abnormal load to a driver, the target running speed is maintained, and, after a predetermined time period, the exceptional speed control is performed when the abnormal load is not solved even when the occurrence of the abnormal load is alerted by the alarm.

3. The riding work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold value is set based on a load evaluation value derived from a combination of the load on the worked object and one of the supply current value to the at least one working electric motor and the rotation number of the at least one working electric motor during running work of the electric motor.

4. The riding work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the work unit is a mower unit and the worked object is lawn grass.

5. The riding work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one working electric motor comprises a plurality of working electric motors, and wherein the exceptional speed control is performed when at least one of the plurality of working electric motors has load equal to or more than the threshold value.

6. The riding work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein a rotational speed of the at least one working electric motor is changed in correspondence with a movement into the exceptional speed control.

7. The riding work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the speed of the at least one working electric motor is increased so as to improve the mowing performance as the running speed decreases corresponding to operation of the exceptional speed control.

8. The riding work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the speed of the at least one working electric motor is decreased as the running speed decreases corresponding to operation of the exceptional speed control.

9. The riding work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein:

the at least one working electric motor comprises a plurality of working electric motors,

a working electric motor of the plurality of working electric motors that is arranged closest to a discharge outlet has a rotation torque larger than respective rotation torques of the other working electric motors of the plurality of working electric motors, and

each working electric motor has a respective threshold value to evaluate a respective status of work load.

10. A riding work vehicle comprising:

a front wheel unit having a pair of right and left free rotating caster-type front wheels;

a rear wheel unit having a pair of right and left driving rear wheels;

a vehicle body supported by the front wheel unit and the rear wheel unit;

a running electric motor unit which runs and drives the rear wheel unit;

a speed setting operation unit comprising a left steering lever and a right steering lever operated by a driver to set a target running speed of the vehicle body;

a running controller which controls the running electric motor based on the target running speed;

a work unit having a work device that performs work on a worked object adjacent the vehicle body corresponding to running of the vehicle body, and a working electric motor that drives the work device;

a work controller controlling the working electric motor;

a work load evaluator that evaluates load of the working electric motor; and

an exceptional speed controller that performs exceptional speed control to control the running electric motor unit at an exceptional speed lower than the target running speed in a case where the load of the working electric motor evaluated by the work load evaluator is an abnormal load higher than a threshold value,

wherein when the exceptional speed control is performed, the target running speed by the speed setting operation unit is canceled until the value of the target running speed by the speed setting operation unit determined by the position of the left and right steering levers becomes equal or less than the exceptional speed.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 026958 FRAME 0958. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE IS 2-47, SHIKITSUHIGASHI 1-CHOME, NANIWA-KU, OSAKA-CITY, OSAKA, JAPAN 556-8601. Recorded Nov 9, 2011
From: KOIKE, KAZUO; ITO, HIROKAZU
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027211/0788 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2011
From: KOIKE, KAZUO; ITO, HIROKAZU
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026958/0958 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2011-52004 · Mar 9, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120227368A1 · Sep 13, 2012