Motor vehicles – Steering by driving – Combined with manual steering
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2002-08-20
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
Steering by driving
Combined with manual steering
C180S006480, C180S333000, C180S315000, C180S006700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435289
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination altering apparatus for altering combinations of corresponding relationships between operation lever operation directions and actuator drive directions. The present invention also relates to an operation lever apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to an operation lever apparatus that can hold an operation lever in an operation position or release that condition of holding.
2. Description of the Related Art
In hydraulic shovels in general, four working members, namely an upper revolving superstructure, a boom, an arm, and a bucket, are actuated by operating left and right operation levers deployed to the left and right of the operator's seat.
Until now, the combinations of corresponding relationships between the operation directions of the two (left and right) operation levers, on the one hand, and the actuation directions of the four working members noted above, on the other (hereinafter called operation patterns) have differed from one hydraulic shovel manufacturing company to another.
Accordingly, when an operator accustomed to the control operations of a hydraulic shovel made by company A operates hydraulics shovels manufactured by company B and company C, fatigue is increased because the operator is not accustomed to the control operations thereof. An enormous burden is also placed on the operator because he or she must perform control operations while bearing in mind the differences in operation patterns.
That being the case, inventions and models relating to;operation pattern switching for switching operation patterns in hydraulic shovels have been devised previously.
In Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 38935/1994 is described a model for switching hydraulic shovel operation patterns by switching hydraulic fluid paths.
In contrast therewith, the working members in a skid steer loader are comprised of a boom and a bucket. Left and right running bodies (wheels or crawlers) are actuated by two (i.e. left and right) running actuators deployed on the left and right of the vehicle body. The left and right running bodies are driven independently by hydraulic motors deployed on the left and right, respectively, of the vehicle body. The running body on the left side of the vehicle body is independently driven and the speed thereof independently changed by a drive mechanism provided exclusively for the left side. Similarly, the running, body on the right side of the vehicle body is independently driven and the speed thereof, independently changed by a drive mechanism provided exclusively for the right side. Each of these drive mechanisms is configured by a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor.
In a skid steer loader, four running bodies or working members consisting of a boom, a bucket, and two (left and right) running bodies are actuated by the operation of left and right operation levers deployed on the left and right of the operator's seat.
The combinations of corresponding relationships between the directions of operation of the left and right operation levers and the actuation directions of the four running bodies and working members (i.e. the operation patterns) differ according to the manufacturer of the, skid steer loader. Operation patterns are diagrammed in FIGS.
12
(
a
),
12
(
b
), and
12
(
c
).
As diagrammed in
FIG. 12
, a left operation lever
6
L and a right operation lever
6
R are deployed to the left and right of an operator's seat
80
.
In the operation pattern diagrammed in FIG.
12
(
a
), the operation directions of the left operation lever
6
L, the operation directions of the actuation directions of the running body on the left side (left running forward, left running back), and the actuation directions of the boom (boom up, boom down) correspond, while the operation directions of the right operation lever, the actuation directions of the running body on the right side (right running forward, right running back), and the actuation directions of the bucket (bucket dump, bucket excavation) correspond. In other words, the left and right running bodies are actuated by operations of the left and right operation levers
6
L and
6
R.
In the operation patterns diagrammed in FIGS.
12
(
b
) and
12
(
c
), the operation directions of the left operation lever
6
L and the actuation directions of the left and right running bodies (forward, backward, turn right, turn left) correspond, while the operation directions of the right operation lever and the actuation directions of the boom and the bucket (boom up, boom down, bucket dump, bucket excavation) correspond. In other words, the left and right running bodies are actuated merely by the operations of the left operation lever
6
L.
In the operation pattern diagrammed in FIG.
12
(
b
), moreover, the left and right running bodies are driven to turn by a rotating operation of the left operation lever
6
L, and the bucket is actuated by a rotating operation of the right operation lever
6
R.
FIG. 13
is a hydraulic circuit diagram for the case where the left and right running bodies are actuated merely by operating the left operation lever
6
L (cf. FIGS.
12
(
b
),
12
(
c
)).
As diagrammed in
FIG. 13
, a left operation lever device
5
L comprises a left operation lever
6
L, a bridge circuit
45
wherein four shuttle valves
41
,
42
,
43
, and
44
are connected in a ring, and hydraulic lines
11
,
12
,
13
, and
14
that connect the left operation lever
6
L to the bridge circuit
45
. The lines
11
,
12
,
13
, and
14
are lines wherein hydraulic signals (pilot pressures) are generated according to operations of the left operation lever in the forward, backward, right, and left directions, respectively.
The lines
11
,
12
,
13
, and
14
are connected to the inflow port for the shuttle valves
41
and
42
, the inflow port for the shuttle valves
43
and
44
, the inflow port for the shuttle valves
42
and
43
, and the inflow port for the shuttle valves
44
and
41
, respectively.
The outflow ports of the shuttle valves
41
,
42
,
43
, and
44
are connected to the forward position port
32
F of a control valve
32
for the right running body, the forward position port
31
F of a control valve
31
for the left running body, the backward position port
32
R of the control valve
32
for the right running body, and the backward position port
31
R of the control valve
31
for the left running body, respectively. The volume of a hydraulic pump
33
for the left running body is changed by the left running body control valve
31
, and the volume of a hydraulic pump
34
for the right running body is changed by the right running body control valve
32
.
The left running body hydraulic pump
33
actuates the left running body through a hydraulic motor. When a hydraulic signal (pilot pressure) acts on the forward position port
31
F of the left running body control valve
31
, the volume of the left running body hydraulic pump
33
is changed on the forward side, and the left running body is actuated in the forward direction. And when a hydraulic signal acts on the backward position port
31
R of the left running body control valve
31
, the volume of the left running body hydraulic pump
33
is changed on the backward side, and the left running body is actuated in the backward direction. Similarly, when a hydraulic signal acts on the forward position port
32
F of the right running body control valve
32
, the volume of the right running body hydraulic pump
34
is changed on the forward side, and the right running body is actuated in the forward direction. And when a hydraulic signal acts on the backward position port
32
R of the right running body control valve
32
, the volume of the right running body hydraulic pump
34
is changed on the backward side, and the right running body is actuated in the backward direction.
Accordingly, when the left operation lever
6
L is operated in the forward direction, the vehicle is made to “running forward,” and w
Hori Shuuji
Ishizaki Naoki
Mototani Masayoshi
Sato Yasuhiro
Komatsu Ltd.
Lum L.
Swann J. J.
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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