Wheel loader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10801183-B2
Application number	US-201715753806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

The work vehicle includes: a clutch device including a forward-travel clutch and a backward-travel clutch configured to cause, when being in an engagement state, the work vehicle to travel in a forward travel direction and a backward travel direction; a forward-backward travel instruction device configured to instruct the work vehicle to travel in the forward travel direction or the backward travel direction; a clutch state detection device configured to detect whether the forward-travel clutch and the backward-travel clutch are each in the engagement state; and a torque restriction section configured to restrict a maximum absorbing torque of the hydraulic pump to be low when a restriction condition holds, the restriction condition including a condition that a traveling direction of the work vehicle, which corresponds to an engagement state of the clutch device, and a traveling direction of the work vehicle, which is instructed by the forward-backward travel instruction device are opposite to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel loader including a variable-capacity hydraulic pump driven by an engine, a work device driven by hydraulic oil discharged from the variable-capacity hydraulic pump, and a travel drive device configured to transfer drive power of the engine to wheels through a transmission including a machine transmission unit, the wheel loader comprising:
a forward-travel clutch configured to cause, when being in an engagement state, the wheel loader to travel in a forward travel direction, and a backward-travel clutch configured to cause, when in an engagement state, the wheel loader to travel in a backward travel direction;
a forward-backward travel switching lever configured to instruct the wheel loader to travel in the forward travel direction or the backward travel direction;
a clutch sensor configured to detect whether the forward-travel clutch and the backward-travel clutch are each in the engagement state; and
a controller configured to restrict a maximum absorbing torque of the variable-capacity hydraulic pump to be low at a stage before control in which the backward-travel clutch is switched to the forward-travel clutch, when a restriction condition holds, the restriction condition including a condition that the backward-travel clutch is in the engagement state while the forward-backward travel switching lever performs the instruction to put the forward-travel clutch into the engagement state.

2. The wheel loader according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed of the wheel loader,
wherein
the controller is configured to execute clutch switching control to release the backward-travel clutch and put the forward-travel clutch into the engagement state when the forward-backward travel switching lever performs the instruction to put the forward-travel clutch into the engagement state while the backward-travel clutch is in the engagement state and when the vehicle speed of the wheel loader becomes lower than a clutch switch threshold, and
the restriction condition includes a condition that the vehicle speed of the wheel loader is equal to or lower than a torque restriction threshold set to be higher than the clutch switch threshold.

3. The wheel loader according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotational speed sensor configured to detect an actual rotational speed of the engine; and
an engine controller configured to control the engine so that the actual rotational speed of the engine becomes equal to the required rotational speed which is determined by the controller,
wherein
the controller is further configured to cancel restriction of the maximum absorbing torque of the variable-capacity hydraulic pump when a cancellation condition holds, the cancellation condition including a condition that a traveling direction of the wheel loader, which corresponds to engagement states of the forward-travel clutch and the backward-travel clutch, and a traveling direction of the wheel loader, which is instructed by the forward-backward travel switching lever are same, and a condition that a difference between the required rotational speed and the actual rotational speed is smaller than a predetermined value.

4. The wheel loader according to claim 3 , wherein the controller cancels restriction of the maximum absorbing torque of the variable-capacity hydraulic pump when a time in which the cancellation condition holds exceeds a predetermined time.

Assignees

• Hitachi Construction Mach Co

Inventors

• Takeda Kazuya
• Aoki Isamu
• Ishida Kazuo

Classifications

• F16H61/478

  for preventing overload, e.g. high pressure limitation · CPC title

• F16H61/433

  Pump capacity control by fluid pressure control means · CPC title

• F02D29/04

  peculiar to engines driving pumps · CPC title

• F02D29/02

  peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers · CPC title

• E02F9/226

  Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating · CPC title