Work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12193359-B2
Application number	US-202117531272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A self-driving work vehicle includes: a front wheel unit; a rear wheel unit including a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel; a variable traveling power supply apparatus that supplies rotational drive power to the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel independently; a left operation implement movable along a first path to adjust a rate of the rotational drive power to be supplied to the left rear wheel from the variable traveling power supply apparatus; a right operation implement movable along a second path to adjust a rate of the rotational drive power to be supplied to the right rear wheel from the variable traveling power supply apparatus; a parking brake provided for the variable traveling power supply apparatus; and a controller configured or programmed to cause a parking brake operating module to operate the parking brake.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A self-driving work vehicle comprising:
a front wheel unit;
a rear wheel unit including a left rear wheel and a right rear wheel;
a variable traveling power supply apparatus that supplies rotational drive power to the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel independently;
a left operation implement movable along a first path to adjust a rate of the rotational drive power to be supplied to the left rear wheel from the variable traveling power supply apparatus;
a right operation implement movable along a second path to adjust a rate of the rotational drive power to be supplied to the right rear wheel from the variable traveling power supply apparatus;
a parking brake provided for the variable traveling power supply apparatus; and
a controller configured or programmed to cause a parking brake operating module to operate the parking brake in response to (i) the left operation implement being moved to a third path branching from the first path and (ii) the right operation implement being moved to a fourth path branching from the second path,
wherein in an operational state of the parking brake, the parking brake becomes released in response to at least either of (i) the left operation implement being moved from a neutral position to exceed a predetermined movement rate along the first path and (ii) the right operation implement being moved from a neutral position to exceed a predetermined movement rate along the second path.

2. The self-driving work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein movement of the left operation implement along the third path and movement of the right operation implement along the fourth path expand an exit passage for a driver to exit the self-driving work vehicle.

3. The self-driving work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the third path has a first detection position, the fourth path has a second detection position, and the controller is configured or programmed to cause the parking brake operating module to operate the parking brake in response to (i) the left operation implement being moved to the first detection position and (ii) the right operation implement being moved to the second detection position.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Manji Yasuhiro
• Hisakuni Tomohiko

Classifications

• B62D11/183

  Control systems therefor · CPC title

• B60T11/04

  transmitting mechanically · CPC title

• A01D2034/6843

  Control levers on the handle of the mower · CPC title

• A01D34/66

  with two or more cutters · CPC title

• A01D34/64

  mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle (A01D34/695 takes precedence) · CPC title