# US 10,308,115 B2 · Off-road vehicle

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,308,115 B2
- Document ID: US10308115B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/298,673
- Filed: 2016-10-20
- Published: 2017-02-09
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2014-09-16
- Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hitoshi Kawakatsu; Yoshinori Tsumiyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308115B2

## CPC

- B60K 28/02: responsive to conditions relating to the driver
- B60K 31/02: including electrically actuated servomechanism
- B60R 22/48: Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
- B60R 2022/4808: {Sensing means arrangements therefor}
- B60R 2022/4816: {for sensing locking of buckle}
- B60Y 2200/20: Off-Road Vehicles
- B60Y 2300/02: Control of vehicle driving stability
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

## Abstract

An off-road vehicle with a driver's seat; a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat; a seat belt detecting device for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat; and a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle. The controller has a rotation speed control mode for controlling the rotation speed of the engine to a predetermined rotation speed or less, and the controller releases the rotation speed control mode when the seat belt detecting device detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An off-road vehicle comprising:
a driver's seat;
a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat;
a driver's seat belt detecting device for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat;
a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle; and
a GPS receiver, wherein:
the controller calculates the speed of the off-road vehicle on the basis of the position information obtained from the GPS receiver,
the controller is equipped with a speed control mode in which the calculated vehicle speed is controlled to a predetermined speed or less, and
when the driver's seat belt detecting device detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat, the controller releases the speed control mode, and
while the off-road vehicle is travelling at a vehicle speed exceeding the predetermined speed, if the driver's seat belt detecting device detects that the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat has been released, the controller gradually decreases the vehicle speed, and when the vehicle speed is decreased to the predetermined speed or less, the mode is shifted to the speed control mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The off-road vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising passenger seats positioned on the side of the driver's seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, and passenger's seat belt detecting devices for detecting
the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats,
wherein, when the driver's seat belt detecting device detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat and the passenger's seat belt detecting devices detect the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats, the controller releases the speed control mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The off-road vehicle according to claim 2,
further comprising rear passenger seats positioned behind the driver's seat and seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, and rear passenger's seat belt detecting devices
detect the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats,
wherein, when the driver's seat belt detecting device detects the set states of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat, the passenger's seat belt detecting devices detect the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the passenger seats and the rear passenger's seat belt detecting devices detect the set states of the seat belt apparatuses provided for the rear passenger seats, the controller releases the speed control mode.

### Claim 4

An off-road vehicle comprising:
a driver's seat;
a seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat;
a seat belt detecting means for detecting the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat;
a controller for controlling the off-road vehicle; and
a GPS receiver, wherein:
the controller calculates the speed of the off-road vehicle on the basis of the position information obtained from the GPS receiver,
the controller is equipped with a speed control mode in which the calculated vehicle speed is controlled to a predetermined speed or less, and
when the seat belt detecting means detects the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat, the controller releases the speed control mode, and
in a case that the predetermined speed is a first speed and while the off-road vehicle is travelling at a vehicle speed equal to or less than the first speed, if the driver's seat belt detecting means detects that the set state of the seat belt apparatus provided for the driver's seat has been released, the controller gradually decreases the vehicle speed to a second speed, which is a predetermined speed lower than the first speed, and when the vehicle speed is decreased to the second speed or less, the controller shifts to the speed control mode.