Motor vehicles – Manually actuated controlling devices – Multiple vehicle functions controllable by single device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-19
2003-08-05
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Manually actuated controlling devices
Multiple vehicle functions controllable by single device
C180S324000, C180S334000, C180S006300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601670
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination changing apparatus for changing combinations of relationships between manipulation directions of control levers, pedals and the like and drive directions of actuators.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a hydraulic shovel, the four working machines such as an upper rotary body, a boom, an arm, and a bucket are typically actuated by manipulating the left and right control levers provided at the left and right side of an operator's seat.
Conventionally, combinations of relationships (referred to as operation patterns hereinbelow) between manipulation directions of the two, left and right, control levers and actuation directions of the four working machines differed depending on manufacturers of hydraulic shovel.
Therefore, when an operator who got used to operating a hydraulic shovel manufactured by company A operated a hydraulic shovel manufactured by other companies B or C, his fatigue was increased because he had no experience in operating such shovels. Furthermore, a large burden was placed on the operator because he had to operate while being aware of the difference between the operation patterns.
Accordingly, inventions and devices relating to operation pattern switching for switching the operation patterns in hydraulic shovels have been created.
In Japanese Utility Model Gazette No. 6-38935, a device (an idea) was disclosed of switching operation patterns of a hydraulic shovel by switching the path of hydraulic fluid.
By contrast, in skid steer loaders, the working machine is comprised of a boom and a bucket. The left and right traveling bodies (wheels or crawlers) are actuated by actuators for the two, left and right, traveling bodies, which are provided at the left and right side of the vehicle. The left and right traveling bodies are independently driven by hydraulic motors respectively provided at the left and right side of the vehicle. The left traveling body of the vehicle is independently driven by a drive mechanism specially provided at the left side of the vehicle body and a speed thereof is changed independently. Similarly, the right traveling body of the vehicle is independently driven by a drive mechanism specially provided at the right side of the vehicle body and a speed thereof is changed independently. The drive mechanisms are composed of respective hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors.
In a skid steer loader, four traveling bodies and working machines, namely, a boom, a bucket and two, left and right, traveling bodies are actuated by manipulation of left and right control levers provided to the left and right of the operator's seat.
The combinations of relationships (operation patterns) between manipulation directions of the two, left and right, control levers and actuation directions of the four traveling bodies and working machines differ depending on the manufacturer of skid steer loader. Various operation patterns are shown in FIGS.
18
(
a
) to
18
(
d
).
As shown in FIGS.
18
(
a
) to
18
(
d
), a left control lever
6
L and a right control lever
6
R are provided to the left and right of the operator's seat
80
.
In the operation pattern shown in FIG.
18
(
a
), the manipulation directions of the left control lever
6
L correspond to the actuation directions (left-forward, left-rearward) of the left traveling body and actuation directions (boom up, boom down) of the boom, and the manipulation directions of the right control lever correspond to the actuation directions (right-forward, right-rearward) of the right traveling body and actuation directions (bucket dumping, bucket excavation) of the bucket. Thus, the left and right traveling bodies are actuated by manipulation of the left and right control levers
6
L,
6
R.
In the operation pattern shown in FIGS.
18
(
b
) and
18
(
c
), the manipulation directions of the left control lever
6
L correspond to the actuation directions (forward, rearward, right turn, left turn) of the left and right traveling bodies, and the manipulation directions of the right control lever correspond to the actuation directions (boom up, boom down, bucket dumping, bucket excavation) of the boom and bucket. Thus, the left and right traveling bodies can be actuated by manipulation of only the left control lever
6
L.
In the operation pattern shown in FIG.
18
(
b
), the left and right traveling bodies are turned by rotation manipulation of the left control lever
6
L and the bucket is actuated by rotation manipulation of the right control lever
6
R.
FIG. 19
illustrates a hydraulic circuit diagram relating to a case (FIGS.
18
(
b
) and
18
(
c
)) in which the left and right traveling bodies are actuated only by manipulation of the left control lever
6
L.
As shown in
FIG. 19
, the left control lever device
5
L is composed of the left control lever
6
L, a bridge circuit
45
in which four shuttle valves
41
,
42
,
43
,
44
are connected in a ring-like fashion, and hydraulic passages
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
linking the left control lever
6
L and bridge circuit
45
. Passages
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
are passages in which hydraulic signals (pilot pressure) are generated according to manipulation of the left control lever
6
L in the frontward, rearward, rightward, or leftward direction, respectively.
Passages
11
,
12
,
13
,
14
are linked to inlet openings of shuttle valves
41
,
42
, inlet openings of shuttle valves
43
,
44
, inlet openings of shuttle valves
42
,
43
, and inlet openings of shuttle valves
44
,
41
, respectively.
The outlet openings of shuttle valves
41
,
42
,
43
,
44
are linked to a forward movement side port
32
F of right traveling body control valve
32
, forward movement side port
31
F of left traveling body control valve
31
, rearward movement side port
32
R of right traveling body control valve
32
, and rearward movement side port
31
R of left traveling body control valve
31
, respectively. The capacity of a hydraulic pump
33
for the left traveling body is changed by the left traveling body control valve
31
and the capacity of a hydraulic pump
34
for the right traveling body is changed by the right traveling body control valve
32
.
The hydraulic pump
33
for the left traveling body actuates the left traveling body via a hydraulic motor. If a hydraulic signal (pilot pressure) acts upon the forward movement side port
31
F of left traveling body control valve
31
, the capacity of the hydraulic pump
33
for the left traveling body changes to the forward side and the left traveling body is actuated in the forward direction. Furthermore, if a hydraulic signal acts upon the rearward movement side port
31
R of left traveling body control valve
31
, the capacity of the hydraulic pump
33
for the left traveling body changes to the rearward side and the left traveling body is actuated in the rearward direction.
Likewise, if a hydraulic signal acts upon the forward movement side port
32
F of right traveling body control valve
32
, the capacity of the hydraulic pump
34
for the right traveling body changes to the forward side and the right traveling body is actuated in the forward direction.
Furthermore, if a hydraulic signal acts upon the rearward movement side port
32
R of right traveling body control valve
32
, the capacity of the hydraulic pump
34
for the right traveling body changes to the rearward side and the right traveling body is actuated in the rearward direction.
Thus, if the left control lever
6
L is manipulated in the forward direction, the vehicle “moves forward”, if it is manipulated in the rearward direction, the vehicle “moves rearward”, if it is manipulated in the rightward direction, the vehicle “turns right”, and if it is manipulated in the leftward direction, the vehicle “turns left”.
On the other hand, the right control lever device
5
R is composed of the right control lever
6
R and hydraulic passages
15
,
16
,
17
,
18
linked to the right control lever
6
R. Passages
15
,
16
,
17
,
18
are passages in which hydrauli
Hori Shuuji
Kaneda Tomohisa
Dickson Paul N.
Draper Deanna
Komatsu Ltd.
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
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