Working machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12419206-B2
Application number	US-202217830476-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2022
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A working machine includes a machine body, a steering device capable of changing an orientation of the machine body, a first wheel on the machine body, a second wheel on the machine body and separated from the first wheel in a machine-body width direction, a rotational difference generator to cause a rotational difference between the first and second wheels and that is a braking device, and a controller configured or programmed to include a first control unit to set a steering angle of the steering device based on a planned traveling route, and a second control unit to control the rotational difference generator based on the planned traveling route to cause a rotational difference between the first and second wheels. Based on the planned traveling route, the second control unit is configured or programmed to cause the braking device to perform setting about braking of either the first or second wheels by performing pumping control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A working machine comprising:
a machine body;
a steering device capable of changing an orientation of the machine body;
a first wheel provided on the machine body;
a second wheel provided on the machine body and separated from the first wheel in a machine-body width direction;
a rotational difference generator to cause a rotational difference between the first wheel and the second wheel; and
a controller configured or programmed to include a first control unit to set a steering angle of the steering device based on a planned traveling route, and a second control unit to control the rotational difference generator based on the planned traveling route to cause a rotational difference between the first wheel and the second wheel; wherein
the rotational difference generator includes a braking device to cause the rotational difference between the first wheel and the second wheel by switching between a brake state in which at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is braked and a release state in which the at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel is not braked; and
the second control unit is configured or programmed to:
based on the planned traveling route, cause the braking device to perform setting about braking of either the first wheel or the second wheel by performing pumping control in which switching between the brake state and the release state is repeated; and
repeatedly perform switching between the brake state and the release state in a predetermined cycle in the pumping control and maintain the brake state for only a predetermined time and the release state for only a predetermined time on one cycle of the predetermined cycle.

2. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the planned traveling route includes a straight travel section in which the machine body travels straight and a turn section in which the machine body turns; and
the second control unit is configured or programmed to perform the pumping control when the machine body is positioned in the turn section.

3. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the second control unit is configured or programmed to set either the cycle at which the brake state and the release state are switched in the pumping control or a duty ratio which indicates a percentage of time for maintaining the brake state performed in the cycle.

4. The working machine according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a front wheel located at a front portion of the machine body and a steering angle of which is changeable by the steering device; and
a transmission to perform speed-shifting; wherein
the first wheel and the second wheel are each a rear wheel at a rear portion of the machine body;
the transmission is switchable between an equal speed drive in which power is transmitted to both the front wheel and the rear wheel causing both the front wheel and the rear wheel to be driven at an equal or approximately equal speed and an increased speed drive in which power is transmitted to both the front wheel and the rear wheel causing the front wheel to be driven faster than the rear wheel; and
the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio to be different between the equal speed drive and the increased speed drive.

5. The working machine according to claim 4 , wherein the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio for the increased speed drive to be higher than the duty ratio for the equal speed drive.

6. The working machine according to claim 5 , wherein, for the equal speed drive, the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio in accordance with a speed of the machine body.

7. The working machine according to claim 6 , wherein, for the equal speed drive, the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio when the steering angle caused by the steering device is more than or equal to a predetermined steering angle.

8. The working machine according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a front wheel at a front portion of the machine body and a steering angle of which is changeable by the steering device; and
a transmission to perform speed-shifting; wherein
the first wheel and the second wheel are each a rear wheel at a rear portion of the machine body;
the transmission is switchable between an equal speed drive in which power is transmitted to both the front wheel and the rear wheel causing both the front wheel and the rear wheel to be driven at an equal or approximately equal speed and an increased speed drive in which power is transmitted to both the front wheel and the rear wheel causing the front wheel to be driven faster than the rear wheel; and
the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the cycle to be different between the equal speed drive and the increased speed drive.

9. The working machine according to claim 8 , wherein the second control unit is confused or programmed to set the cycle for the increased speed drive to be shorter than the cycle for the equal speed drive.

10. The working machine according to claim 3 , wherein
the first wheel and the second wheel are of a tire type or a crawler type; and
the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio to be different between the tire type and the crawler type.

11. The working machine according to claim 10 , wherein the second control unit is configured or programmed to set the duty ratio for the tire type to be higher than the duty ratio for the crawler type.

12. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first control unit is configured or programmed to perform automated traveling in which a speed of the machine body is changed based on the planned traveling route.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Yoshimura Fumiya
• Takeda Keisuke
• Kuroishi Junki
• Takahashi Yusuke
• Okuyama Yuji

Classifications

• B62D11/24

  Endless track steering specially adapted for vehicles having both steerable wheels and endless track · CPC title

• B60W2720/406

  between left and right wheel · CPC title

• B60W2720/28

  Wheel speed · CPC title

• B60W2540/18

  Steering angle · CPC title

• B60W30/18145

  Cornering · CPC title