IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,617,479
Granted Patent B2
US 12,617,479 · App. 18/037,369 · Granted May 5, 2026

Work vehicle

Inventors: Minoru Hiraoka (Sakai, JP); Tomoyoshi Sakano (Sakai, JP); Junichi Ishikawa (Sakai, JP)
Assignee: Kubota Corporation
B62D55/04B62D55/0655B62D55/084B62D55/116B62D61/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,617,479
App. No.
18/037,369
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A work vehicle includes a body 1 ; a plurality of travel wheels 2 at front and back portions of the body 1 on each of left and right sides; a plurality of holder mechanisms A held by the body 1 and holding the respective travel wheels 2 in such a manner as to be capable of moving the travel wheels 2 independently of one another relative to the body 1 ; and a plurality of crawler travel devices E attachable to and detachable from the respective holder mechanisms A.

Claims (27)

1 . A work vehicle, comprising:

a body;

a plurality of travel wheels at front and back portions of the body on each of left and right sides;

a plurality of holder mechanisms held by the body and holding the respective travel wheels in such a manner as to be capable of moving the travel wheels independently of one another relative to the body;

a plurality of auxiliary wheels disposed at front and back portions of the body on each of the left and right sides and held by the respective holder mechanisms; and

a plurality of crawler travel devices attachable to and detachable from the respective holder mechanisms, each of the crawler travel devices comprising a driving sprocket, a driven sprocket, and a belt wound around the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket,

wherein with each crawler travel device attached to a corresponding one of the holder mechanisms, the driven sprocket is coaxial with a corresponding one of the auxiliary wheels.

2 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:

the holder mechanisms each comprise a hydraulic motor configured to drive a corresponding one of the travel wheels, and

the crawler travel devices are each drivable by a corresponding one of the hydraulic motors while the crawler travel device is attached to a corresponding one of the holder mechanisms.

3 . The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:

with each crawler travel device attached to a corresponding one of the holder mechanisms, the driving sprocket is coaxial with a corresponding one of the travel wheels and drivable by a corresponding one of the hydraulic motors.

4 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:

the driving sprocket has an axis apart from an outer surface of the belt by a first distance, whereas a corresponding one of the travel wheels has an axis apart from an outer surface of the corresponding travel wheel by a second distance, the first distance is equal to or smaller than the second distance.

5 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:

the holder mechanisms each comprise:

a bendable link mechanism; and

an orientation changer configured to change an orientation of the bendable link mechanism independently, and

the bendable link mechanism has a leading end provided with a corresponding one of the travel wheels.

6 . The work vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein:

the orientation changer is a hydraulic cylinder.

7 . The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:

the body comprises:

a back body section; and

a front body section swingable in a left-right direction of the body relative to the back body section,

the front body section holds each holder mechanism holding a front one of the travel wheels, and

the back body section holds each holder mechanism holding a rear one of the travel wheels.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2023
From: HIRAOKA, MINORU; SAKANO, TOMOYOSHI; ISHIKAWA, JUNICHI
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064508/0633 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-206227 · Dec 11, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230415829A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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