Work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625033-B2
Application number	US-201414903316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2014
Priority date	Aug 20, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A hydraulic oil supply circuit of a work vehicle is configured to supply hydraulic oil to a transmission. A hydraulic oil warming circuit is configured to warm up the hydraulic oil. A control unit is configured to control the transmission, the hydraulic oil supply circuit, and the hydraulic oil warming circuit. The transmission includes a hydraulic clutch and a clutch control valve. The clutch control valve is configured to control the pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic clutch according to a command from the control unit. When the control unit determines that the temperature of the hydraulic oil is low, it is configured to output a warming up command for operation of a warming up function. The hydraulic oil warming circuit is configured to warm up the hydraulic oil by causing a pressure loss in a flow path for the hydraulic oil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work vehicle, comprising:
an engine;
a transmission configured to convert a driving force from the engine;
a hydraulic oil supply circuit configured to supply hydraulic oil to the transmission;
a hydraulic oil warming circuit configured to warm up the hydraulic oil; and
a control unit configured to control the transmission, the hydraulic oil supply circuit, and the hydraulic oil warming circuit,
the transmission including
a hydraulic clutch; and
a clutch control valve configured to control a pressure of the hydraulic oil supplied to the hydraulic clutch according to a command from the control unit, the control unit being configured to output a warming up command to cause the warming up function to be performed when the control unit determines that the temperature of the hydraulic oil is low; and

the hydraulic oil warming circuit being configured to warm up the hydraulic oil by causing a pressure loss in a flow path for the hydraulic oil.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydraulic oil supply circuit includes
a connection circuit connected to the clutch control valve; and
a transmission pump,

the hydraulic oil warming circuit includes
a logic valve; and
a pilot circuit for the logic valve,

the logic valve includes
a P port connected to a hydraulic circuit from the transmission pump; and
an R port connected to the connection circuit,

upon receipt of the warming up command, the hydraulic oil warming circuit is configured to raise the hydraulic pressure in the pilot circuit, generate a pressure difference between the hydraulic pressure at the P port and the hydraulic pressure at the R port, and warm up the hydraulic oil by flowing the hydraulic oil from the P port to the R port using the pressure loss due to the pressure difference.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2 , the hydraulic oil warming circuit including
a drain circuit;
an auxiliary circuit connected to the P port and to the pilot circuit;
an electromagnetic valve configured to connect the auxiliary circuit with the drain circuit or disconnect the auxiliary circuit from the drain circuit; and
a relief valve disposed between the pilot circuit and the drain circuit;
upon receipt of the warming up command, the electromagnetic valve being configured to intercept a flow path to the drain circuit from the auxiliary circuit, and raise the hydraulic pressure in the pilot circuit to the cracking pressure of the relief valve.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the hydraulic oil supply circuit includes an on-off valve;
the hydraulic oil warming circuit includes a relief valve provided in parallel with the on-off valve; and
the on-off valve is configured to go into the off state upon receipt of the warming up command such that the hydraulic oil warming circuit causes the hydraulic oil to flow to the hydraulic oil supply circuit via the relief valve.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit includes
a filling completion determination unit configured to determine whether or not a filling completed state that the hydraulic oil has been completely filled into a hydraulic chamber of the hydraulic clutch is established; and
a timer configured to measure the time interval after a gearshift command, or after the start of output of a command current to the clutch control valve, until the filling completed state is established, the control unit is being configured to determine that the hydraulic oil temperature is low if when the time interval measured by the timer is longer than a predetermined time interval.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the transmission includes a pressure switch configured to transmit a detection signal to the filling completion determination unit when the clutch pressure of the hydraulic clutch has reached a predetermined pressure,
the filling completion determination unit is configured to determine that the filling completed state is established when the detection signal is received.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the transmission includes a hydraulic pressure sensor configured to measure the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic chamber of the hydraulic clutch, and transmit the measured hydraulic pressure to the filling completion determination unit,
the filling completion determination unit being configured to determine that the filling completed state is established when the hydraulic pressure transmitted from the hydraulic pressure sensor reaches a predetermined value.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , the transmission further including
an input shaft;
an output shaft;
a gear mechanism configured to transmit rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft, the gear mechanism including a planetary gear mechanism; and
a motor connected to a rotating element of the planetary gear mechanism,
the transmission being configured such that a rotational speed ratio of the output shaft with respect to the input shaft is changed according to a change of a rotational speed of the motor.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 7 , the transmission further including
an input shaft;
an output shaft;
a gear mechanism configured to transmit rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft, the gear mechanism including a planetary gear mechanism; and
a motor connected to a rotating element of the planetary gear mechanism,
the transmission being configured such that a rotational speed ratio of the output shaft with respect to the input shaft is changed according to a change of a rotational speed of the motor.

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Naito Makoto
• Naito Shinichi

Classifications

• F16H61/686

  with orbital gears · CPC title

• F16H3/46

  Gearings having only two central gears, connected by orbital gears (F16H3/68 - F16H3/78 take precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/226

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

• E02F9/202

  Mechanical transmission, e.g. clutches, gears (clutches per se F16D, gears per se F16H) · CPC title

• F16H61/16 Primary

  Inhibiting  {or initiating}  shift during unfavourable conditions  {, e.g. preventing forward-reverse shift at high vehicle speed, preventing engine overspeed}   (F16H61/18 takes precedence) · CPC title