Work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524735-B2
Application number	US-201816496012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a plurality of traveling devices for driving traveling, a plurality of articulated link mechanisms having at least two or more joints and supporting the plurality of traveling devices to a vehicle body, with allowing the plurality of traveling devices to be elevated/lowered independently of each other, a driving mechanism capable of changing respective postures of the plurality of articulated link mechanisms independently of each other, and a plurality of turning mechanisms configured to support the respective plurality of the articulated link mechanisms, with allowing the link mechanisms to be orientation-changeable about a vertical axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a plurality of traveling devices for driving traveling;
a plurality of articulated link mechanisms having at least two or more joints and supporting the plurality of traveling devices to the vehicle body while allowing the plurality of traveling devices to be elevated and lowered independently of each other;
a driving mechanism capable of changing respective postures of the plurality of articulated link mechanisms independently of each other; and
a plurality of turning mechanisms configured to support the respective plurality of the articulated link mechanisms to the vehicle body, while allowing the link mechanisms to be orientation-changeable about a vertical axis,
wherein the turning mechanisms each include:
a vehicle side support member detachably supported by a frame of the vehicle body; and
a hydraulic cylinder for a turning operation, the hydraulic cylinder connected to a base end portion of the articulated link mechanism, for changing the orientation of the articulated link mechanism about a vertical axis, and
the base end portion of the articulated link mechanism is supported to the vehicle side support member to be pivotable about the vertical axis, and an end portion of the hydraulic cylinder that is on an opposite side to an end portion of the hydraulic cylinder connected to the base end portion is directly connected to the vehicle side support member.

2. The work vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the articulated link mechanisms each include a base end portion supported to the vehicle body, a first link having one end portion thereof pivotally connected to the base end portion to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, and a second link having one end portion thereof pivotally connected to the other end portion of the first link to be pivotable about a horizontal axis and having the other end portion thereof supporting the traveling device.

3. The work vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein:
the driving mechanism includes a first hydraulic cylinder capable of changing the pivotal posture of the first link relative to the vehicle body, and a second hydraulic cylinder capable of changing the pivotal posture of the second link relative to the first link.

4. The work vehicle as defined in claim 2 , wherein:
an idle wheel is supported to a connecting portion between the first link and the second link; and
the traveling device and the idle wheel are changeable in their orientations together about the vertical axis.

5. The work vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the articulated link mechanisms each are disposed to be located on a more lateral outer side than a lateral outer end portion of the vehicle body; and
as seen in a plan view, the turning mechanisms each are disposed to be located between the vehicle body and the respective articulated link mechanism.

6. The work vehicle as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the turning mechanisms each are provided in a state of being located more upwards than the articulated link mechanism as seen in a side view.

7. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a plurality of traveling functional portions provided on a left and a right side, at both a front and a rear portion of the vehicle body, the traveling functional portions being drivable for traveling;
a vehicle body support portion for supporting the traveling functional portions respectively while allowing changes in height positions thereof relative to the vehicle body and allowing also maintaining of the posture of the vehicle body; and
a driving operational portion operable to change the vehicle support portion;
wherein the traveling functional portions and the vehicle body support portion are supported to the vehicle body to be turnable about a vertical axis;
wherein one pair of the traveling functional portions are turned closer to each other to clamp an object therebetween;
wherein the plurality of traveling functional portions respectively includes a wheel for travel driving and an idle wheel corresponding to the wheel;
the traveling functional portion is arranged such that, as the wheel and the idle wheel both come into contact with the ground surface, the vehicle body is supported with a front/rear width extending between the wheel and the idle wheel;
the vehicle body support portion comprises a bending link mechanism, the bending link mechanism including a first link having one end portion thereof supported to the vehicle body to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, and a second link having one end portion thereof supported to the other end portion of the first link to be pivotable about a horizontal axis;
the wheel is supported to the other end portion of the second link; and
the idle wheel is supported to a connecting portion between the first link and the second link.

8. The work vehicle as defined in claim 7 , wherein:
when either one of the traveling functional portions on the left and right opposed sides, which are located on a vehicle front side, and the traveling functional portions on the left and right sides, which are located on a vehicle rear side, are placed in contact with the ground surface for maintaining the posture of the vehicle body, the other thereof are elevated off the ground surface and are turned closer to each other to clamp the object therebetween.

9. The work vehicle as defined in claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of turning mechanisms configured to support the respective plurality of vehicle body support portions to the vehicle body to be turnable about a vertical axis.

10. The work vehicle as defined in claim 9 , wherein:
the driving operational portion includes a first hydraulic cylinder capable of changing the pivotal posture of the first link relative to the vehicle body, and a second hydraulic cylinder capable of changing the pivotal posture of the second link relative to the first link; and
the turning mechanisms each include a hydraulic cylinder for a turning operation for changing the orientation of the bending link mechanism about the vertical axis.

11. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a plurality of traveling devices for driving traveling;
a plurality of articulated link mechanisms having at least two or more joints and supporting the plurality of traveling devices to the vehicle body while allowing the plurality of traveling devices to be elevated and lowered independently of each other;
a driving mechanism capable of changing respective postures of the plurality of articulated link mechanisms independently of each other; and
a plurality of turning mechanisms configured to support the respective plurality of the articulated link mechanisms to the vehicle body while allowing the link mechanisms to be orientation-changeable about a vertical axis,

wherein:
the articulated link mechanisms each include a base end portion supported to the vehicle body, a first link having one end portion thereof pivotally connected to the base end portion to be pivotable about a horizontal axis, and a second link having one end portion thereof pivotally connected to the other end portion of the first link to be pivotable about a horizontal axis and having the other end portion thereof supporting the traveling device;
the turning mechanisms are each supported to a frame of the vehicle body, and include a vehicle side support member that supports the base end portion pivotally about a vertical axis;
an idle wheel is supported to a connecting portion between the first link and the second link; and
the traveling device and the idle wheel are changeable in their orientations together about the vertical axis.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ishikawa Junichi
• Hiraoka Minoru

Classifications

• B62D61/12 Primary

  with variable number of ground engaging wheels, e.g. with some wheels arranged higher than others, or with retractable wheels (for manoeuvring purposes only B60S) · CPC title

• B62D61/10 Primary

  with more than four wheels {(tractors of the low ground pressure type B62D49/002)} · CPC title

• B60G2300/083

  Boom carrying vehicles, e.g. for crop spraying · CPC title

• B60G3/20

  all arms being rigid · CPC title

• B62D15/00

  Steering not otherwise provided for · CPC title