IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,702,135
Granted Patent B2
US 11,702,135 · App. 16/882,891 · Granted Jul 18, 2023

Work vehicle

Inventor: Ryo Ikeda (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: Kubota Corporation
B62D11/001A01D34/006A01D34/824A01D34/828B60Q5/005B62D11/04A01D34/64A01D34/78A01D2101/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,702,135
App. No.
16/882,891
Granted
Jul 18, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A brake control unit configured to control a brake to a braked state in response to a brake position sensor having detected that a steering lever has been operated to a stop position and to a released state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated from the stop position toward a travel operation pathway and a travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a neutral position, at which the steering lever is placeable to stop travel.

Claims (52)

1. A work vehicle, comprising:

at least one traveling device;

a brake configured to brake the traveling device;

at least one steering lever configured to operate travel by the traveling device;

an operation pathway within which the steering lever is operable, the operation pathway including:

a travel operation pathway corresponding to a traveling speed of the traveling device; and

a stop operation pathway extending from a stop position, at which the steering lever is placeable to set the brake to a braked state, to the travel operation pathway;

a travel position sensor configured to detect an operation position of the steering lever within the travel operation pathway;

a brake position sensor configured to detect an operation position of the steering lever within the stop operation pathway;

a drive unit configured to drive the traveling device;

a travel control unit configured to control the drive unit on a basis of a detected value from the travel position sensor; and

a brake control unit configured to control the brake to the braked state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated to the stop position and to control the brake to a released state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated from the stop position toward the travel operation pathway and the travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a neutral position, at which the steering lever is placeable to stop the travel,

wherein the brake control unit is configured to maintain the braked state as long as the travel position sensor does not detect, in the braked state, that the steering lever is at the neutral position, even if the steering lever has become apart from the stop position.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the traveling device is configured to travel forward and rearward;

the stop operation pathway is in contact with the travel operation pathway at the neutral position;

the stop position is far from the travel operation pathway; and

the travel operation pathway includes a forward travel operation pathway and a rearward travel operation pathway with the neutral position therebetween.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the neutral position is a position of a predetermined range within the travel operation pathway.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the traveling device is a pair of left and right traveling devices;

the steering lever is a pair of steering levers in one-to-one correspondence with the pair of left and right traveling devices; and

the brake control unit is configured to set the brake to the released state only in response to the travel position sensor having detected that each of the pair of steering levers is at the neutral position.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

an alarm device, wherein

the brake control unit is configured to cause the alarm device to function in an event of the travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a position other than the neutral position while the brake position sensor has detected that the steering lever is at the stop position.

6. A work vehicle, comprising:

at least one traveling device;

a brake configured to brake the traveling device;

at least one steering lever configured to operate travel by the traveling device;

an operation pathway within which the steering lever is operable, the operation pathway including:

a travel operation pathway corresponding to a traveling speed of the traveling device; and

a stop operation pathway extending from a stop position, at which the steering lever is placeable to set the brake to a braked state, to the travel operation pathway;

a travel position sensor configured to detect an operation position of the steering lever within the travel operation pathway;

a brake position sensor configured to detect an operation position of the steering lever within the stop operation pathway;

a drive unit configured to drive the traveling device;

a travel control unit configured to control the drive unit on a basis of a detected value from the travel position sensor; and

a brake control unit configured to control the brake to the braked state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated to the stop position and to control the brake to a released state in response to the brake position sensor having detected that the steering lever has been operated from the stop position toward the travel operation pathway and the travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a neutral position, at which the steering lever is placeable to stop the travel; and

an alarm device,

wherein the brake control unit is configured to cause the alarm device to function in an event of the travel position sensor having detected that the steering lever is at a position other than the neutral position while the brake position sensor has detected that the steering lever is at the stop position.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein

the traveling device is configured to travel forward and rearward;

the stop operation pathway is in contact with the travel operation pathway at the neutral position;

the stop position is far from the travel operation pathway; and

the travel operation pathway includes a forward travel operation pathway and a rearward travel operation pathway with the neutral position therebetween.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein

the neutral position is a position of a predetermined range within the travel operation pathway.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein

the traveling device is a pair of left and right traveling devices;

the steering lever is a pair of steering levers in one-to-one correspondence with the pair of left and right traveling devices; and

the brake control unit is configured to set the brake to the released state only in response to the travel position sensor having detected that each of the pair of steering levers is at the neutral position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2021
From: IKEDA, RYO
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056508/0710 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-173044 · Sep 24, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210086831A1 · Mar 25, 2021