IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,186,312
Granted Patent B2
US 11,186,312 · App. 16/469,650 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Work vehicle

Inventors: Keishiro Nishi (Sakai, JP); Atsushi Shinkai (Sakai, JP); Tomofumi Fukunaga (Sakai, JP); Takahiro Nakatsuka (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
B62D5/062B62D5/08B62D6/00B62D49/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,186,312
App. No.
16/469,650
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work vehicle includes a wheel supporting member 11 that is supported by a vehicle body frame 1 that includes left and right side members 80 ; left and right steerable wheels that are supported by the wheel supporting member 11 so as to be steerable; and a steering mechanism 25 that includes a power steering unit 24 and steers the left and right steerable wheels. The power steering unit 24 is located near the wheel supporting member 11 such that at least a portion of the power steering unit 24 is located between the left and right side members 80.

Claims (24)

1. A work vehicle comprising:

a wheel supporting member that is supported by a vehicle body frame that includes left and right side members;

left and right steerable wheels that are supported by the wheel supporting member so as to be steerable;

a steering mechanism that includes a power steering unit and that steers the left and right steerable wheels;

a steering wheel for manual steering; and

an automatic driving electronic control system for automatically driving the vehicle body,

wherein the power steering unit is located near the wheel supporting member such that at least a portion of the power steering unit is located between the left and right side members,

wherein the power steering unit includes a hydraulic steering cylinder that is linked to the left and right steerable wheels, and an oil pressure control unit that controls oil pressure that is applied to the steering cylinder,

wherein the oil pressure control unit is supported by the vehicle body frame so as to be located between the left and right side members, and

wherein the oil pressure control unit includes a pilot steering valve that controls the flow of oil to the steering cylinder, a manual first pilot valve that controls the pilot flow amount for the steering valve according to the amount of operation performed to rotate the steering wheel, and an electric second pilot valve that controls the pilot flow amount for the steering valve based on a control instruction from the electronic control system.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a partition plate that is located so as to cover the oil pressure control unit from above;

a bonnet that provides a cooling air path between the bonnet and the upper surface of the partition plate; and

a radiator that is coupled to a downstream end portion of the partition plate in a cooling direction,

wherein an opening, above which a harness connection coupler included in the second pilot valve faces the opening, is formed in the partition plate, and a shielding member that blocks a gap formed between the opening and the coupler is attached to the partition plate.

3. A work vehicle comprising:

a wheel supporting member that is supported by a vehicle body frame that includes left and right side members;

left and right steerable wheels that are supported by the wheel supporting member so as to be steerable;

a steering mechanism that includes a power steering unit and that steers the left and right steerable wheels; and

a plurality of pipe fittings that are L-shaped and are screwed into, and are thus connected to, a plurality of connection ports that are provided in the oil pressure control unit,

wherein the power steering unit is located near the wheel supporting member such that at least a portion of the power steering unit is located between the left and right side members,

wherein the power steering unit includes a hydraulic steering cylinder that is linked to the left and right steerable wheels, and an oil pressure control unit that controls oil pressure that is applied to the steering cylinder,

wherein the oil pressure control unit is supported by the vehicle body frame so as to be located between the left and right side members, and

wherein pipe fittings that extend from the oil pressure control unit and are connected to connection ports that are adjacent to each other, of the plurality of pipe fittings, have extension lengths that are different from each other such that one of the pipe fittings that are adjacent to each other is located on the inner side of the other pipe fitting when the pipe fittings are connected to the connection ports.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT INVENTORS NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 051529 FRAME: 0170. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 19, 2020
From: NISHI, KEISHIRO; SHINKAI, ATSUSHI; FUKUNAGA, TOMOFUMI; NAKATSUKA, TAKAHIRO
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051966/0408 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2020
From: NISHI, KEISHIRO; SHINKAI, ATSUSHI; TOMOFUMI, TOMOFUMI; NAKATSUKA, TAKAHIRO
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051529/0170 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-008345 · Jan 20, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190315393A1 · Oct 17, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,268,111 US 12,631,764