Work vehicle and method for controlling work vehicle
AssigneeKomatsu Ltd.
InventorsYuita Takenaka, Masanobu Nakabayashi, Masanori Ikari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An articulated work vehicle with linked front and rear frames includes a joystick lever, a force imparting component, a speed sensor, and a controller. The joystick lever is configured to change a steering angle of the front frame with respect to the rear frame by operation by an operator. The force imparting component is configured to impart an assist force or a counterforce to operation of the joystick lever by the operator. The speed sensor is configured to sense speed of the work vehicle. The controller is configured to control the force imparting component so as to impart the assist force or the counterforce according to the speed sensed by the speed sensor.
Claims11
A work vehicle, the work vehicle being articulated with a front frame and a rear frame linked to the front frame, said work vehicle comprising:
- a joystick lever configured to change a steering angle of the front frame with respect to the rear frame by operation by an operator;
- a force imparting component configured to selectively impart one or the other of an assist force and a counterforce to operation of the joystick lever by the operator;
- a speed sensor configured to sense speed of the work vehicle;
- and
- a controller configured to control the force imparting component to impart the assist force or the counterforce according to the speed sensed by the speed sensor so that the higher the speed sensed by the speed sensor, the more an operating force required to operate the joystick lever is increased,
- the controller being further configured to control the force imparting component to selectively
- impart the counterforce when the speed sensed by the speed sensor is at or above a specific preset speed, and
- impart the assist force when the speed sensed by the speed sensor is less than the specific preset speed.
The work vehicle according to 8, further comprising
- a steering valve configured to adjust the flow of fluid supplied to the hydraulic actuator based on a pilot pressure inputted from the control valve,
- the control valve being further configured to control the flow of fluid supplied from the steering valve to the hydraulic actuator by adjusting the pilot pressure.
A method for controlling an articulated work vehicle with a front frame and a rear frame linked to the front frame, the method comprising:
- sensing speed of the work vehicle;
- and
- selectively imparting one or the other of an assist force and a counterforce to an operation of a joystick lever that changes a steering angle of the front frame with respect to the rear frame,
- the assist force or the counterforce being imparted so that
- the higher the speed sensed by the speed sensor, the more an operating force required to operate the joystick lever is increased,
- the counterforce is imparted when the speed sensed by the speed sensor is at or above a specific preset speed, and
- the assist force is imparted when the speed sensed by the speed sensor is less than the specific preset speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.