Work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9662958-B2
Application number	US-201414376642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2014
Priority date	May 14, 2014
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a condenser, a fan, a variable mechanism, a fan control unit, an outside air temperature sensor, and a storage unit. The condenser cools a cooling medium used in an air conditioner. The fan cools the condenser. The variable mechanism can change a number of rotations of the fan. The fan control unit controls the variable mechanism. The storage unit stores a plurality of control maps for setting the number of rotations of the fan to respective different numbers of rotations of the fan in accordance with the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor. The fan control unit controls the variable mechanism in accordance with one control map selected from the plurality of control maps stored in the storage unit based on an operating state of the air conditioner, to control the number of rotations of the fan.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A work vehicle, comprising:
a condenser for cooling a cooling medium used in an air conditioner;
a compressor for compressing said cooling medium for said air conditioner;
a fan for cooling said condenser;
a variable mechanism capable of changing a number of rotations of said fan;
a fan control unit for controlling said variable mechanism;
an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature; and
a storage unit for storing a plurality of control maps for setting the number of rotations of the fan to respective different numbers of rotations of the fan in accordance with the outside air temperature detected by said outside air temperature sensor,
wherein said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with one control map selected from said plurality of control maps stored in said storage unit based on an operating state of said air conditioner, to control the number of rotations of said fan,
wherein said fan control unit determines the operating state of said air conditioner by detecting a state of an ON/OFF drive signal which controls an ON/OFF operation of said compressor, and
said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with said ON/OFF drive signal.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in one control map of said plurality of control maps, the number of rotations of said fan starts increasing at an outside air temperature lower than that in another control map.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
when said fan control unit detects that an ON Operation by said ON/OFF drive signal continues for first period, said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with said other control map of said plurality of control maps, and
when said fan control unit detects that the ON operation by said ON/OFF drive signal continues for a second period longer than said first period, said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with said one control map of said plurality of control maps.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein
in a case where said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with said one control map of said plurality of control maps,
when said fan control unit detects that an OFF operation by said ON/OFF drive signal continues for a third period, said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism in accordance with said other control map of said plurality of control maps, and
when said fan control unit detects that the OFF operation by said ON/OFF drive signal continues for a fourth period longer than said third period, said fan control unit stops control of said variable mechanism in accordance with said other control map of said plurality of control maps.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in one control map of said plurality of control maps, a change rate of the number of rotations of the fan with respect to said outside air temperature is larger than that in another control map.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising an engine for supplying a drive force for rotation to said fan,
wherein said variable mechanism is provided between said engine and said fan, and can change the number of rotations of said fan with respect to a number of rotations of said engine.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein
said fan further cools at least one of an engine coolant for cooling said engine and a hydraulic oil used in a work implement,
said storage unit further stores at least one of an engine coolant temperature control map for setting the number of rotations of said fan in accordance with a temperature of said engine coolant and a hydraulic oil temperature control map for setting the number of rotations of said fan in accordance with a temperature of said hydraulic oil, and
said fan control unit controls said variable mechanism based on said selected control map and at least one of said engine coolant temperature control map and said hydraulic oil temperature control map, to control the number of rotations of said fan.

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hoshiya Masahiko
• Hayashi Youichi
• Igarashi Yuusuke
• Yoshioka Shunsuke

Classifications

• B60H1/3211

  for increasing the efficiency of a vehicle refrigeration cycle · CPC title

• B60H1/00378 Primary

  for tractor or load vehicle cabins · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• E02F3/32

  working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes · CPC title

• B60H2001/3266

  related to the operation of the vehicle · CPC title