Work equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267385-B2
Application number	US-201716472110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

Work equipment configured to unload a collected article from the storage container and resistant to tipping over when unloading the collected article. The work equipment includes a vehicle body; a storage container provided on the vehicle body so as to be moveable between a horizontal position for storing a collected article and an inclined position for unloading the collected article; a drive unit provided between the vehicle body and the storage container and configured to change a container inclination angle defined as an angle of the storage container with respect to the vehicle body; an inclination angle sensor detecting a vehicle body inclination angle defined as an inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to a horizontal plane; and a control unit configured to control a driving operation of the drive unit according to the vehicle body inclination angle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Work equipment, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a storage container provided on the vehicle body so as to be moveable between a horizontal position for storing a collected article and an inclined position for unloading the collected article;
a drive unit provided between the vehicle body and the storage container and configured to change a container inclination angle defined as an angle of the storage container with respect to the vehicle body;
an inclination angle sensor configured to detect a vehicle body inclination angle defined as an inclination angle of the vehicle body with respect to a horizontal plane; and
a control unit configured to control a driving operation of the drive unit, the control unit controlling the drive unit according to the vehicle body inclination angle,
wherein, when the drive unit is performing the driving operation to increase the container inclination angle, and a time change rate of the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit causes the drive unit to decrease the container inclination angle.

2. The work equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit prohibits the driving operation of the drive unit when the vehicle body inclination angle is equal to or greater than a first inclination angle determination value.

3. The work equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit changes a driving speed of the drive unit in dependence on the vehicle body inclination angle.

4. The work equipment according to claim 3 , wherein when the vehicle body inclination angle is smaller than a second inclination angle determination value smaller than the first inclination angle determination value, the control unit sets the driving speed of the drive unit to a predetermined first driving speed, and when the vehicle body inclination angle is equal to or greater than the second inclination angle determination value and smaller than the first inclination angle determination value, the control unit sets the driving speed of the drive unit to a predetermined second driving speed lower than the first driving speed.

5. The work equipment according to claim 1 , wherein when the drive unit is performing the driving operation to increase the container inclination angle, and the time change rate of the vehicle body inclination angle exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the control unit causes the drive unit to decrease the container inclination angle at a driving speed equal to or lower than the first driving speed.

6. The work equipment according to claim 5 , wherein when the control unit causes the drive unit to perform the driving operation so as to decrease the container inclination angle following an event where the time change rate of the vehicle body inclination angle has exceeded the predetermined threshold value, the control unit causes the drive unit to perform the driving operation so as to increase the container inclination angle upon the vehicle body inclination angle becoming equal to or smaller than the first inclination angle determination value.

7. The work equipment according to claim 3 , wherein when the vehicle body inclination angle is equal to or smaller than the first inclination angle determination angle, the control unit causes the drive unit to perform the driving operation until the container inclination angle has become equal to a prescribed angle.

8. The work equipment according to claim 7 , wherein when the control unit causes the drive unit to perform the driving operation so as to decrease the container inclination angle following an event where the storage container has been moved to the inclined position, the control unit causes the drive unit to perform the driving operation at a maximum speed.

9. The work equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises a fore and aft inclination angle defined as an angle in a fore and aft direction of the vehicle body relative to a horizontal plane, and a lateral inclination angle defined as an angle in a lateral direction relative to the horizontal plane.

10. The work equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises an inclination angle defined as an angle in a tilting direction of the storage container tilted by the drive unit relative to a horizontal plane of the vehicle body.

11. The work equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises a fore and aft inclination angle defined as an angle in a fore and aft direction of the vehicle body relative to a horizontal plane, and a lateral inclination angle defined as an angle in a lateral direction relative to the horizontal plane.

12. The work equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises an inclination angle defined as an angle in a tilting direction of the storage container tilted by the drive unit relative to a horizontal plane of the vehicle body.

13. The work equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises a fore and aft inclination angle defined as an angle in a fore and aft direction of the vehicle body relative to a horizontal plane, and a lateral inclination angle defined as an angle in a lateral direction relative to the horizontal plane.

14. The work equipment according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle body inclination angle comprises an inclination angle defined as an angle in a tilting direction of the storage container tilted by the drive unit relative to a horizontal plane of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuriyagawa Koji
• KANEKO Runa

Classifications

• B60P1/045 Primary

  Levelling or stabilising systems for tippers (suspensions with levelling or stabilising means for vehicles in general B60G17/00, B60G21/00, using ground-engaging vehicle fittings B60S9/00) · CPC title

• A01D75/28

  Control mechanisms for harvesters or mowers when moving on slopes; Devices preventing lateral pull · CPC title

• G01C9/00

  Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels · CPC title

• B60P3/00

  Vehicles adapted to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects (ambulances or other vehicles with special provisions for transporting patients or disabled persons, or their personal conveyances A61G3/00; hearses A61G21/00; fire-fighting land vehicles A62C27/00; refuse-collecting vehicles B65F3/00, B65F7/00; snow-removing vehicles E01H; armoured or armed vehicles F41H7/00; self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles F41H11/16) · CPC title

• A01D43/0631

  Control devices specially adapted therefor · CPC title