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US 11,053,991 B2Granted
Protecting work machine from damage due to locked state
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorKoji Kuriyagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A work machine comprises an engine, a work unit configured to be driven by the engine, a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the work unit, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft, a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine; and a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine. The control unit predicts, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the work unit will become locked by a load, and control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state upon predicting that the work unit will become locked.
Claims10
A work machine, comprising:
- an engine;
- a rotatable member configured to be driven by the engine;
- a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the rotatable member, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft;
- a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine,
- wherein the control unit includes:
- a predicting unit configured to predict, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the rotatable member will become locked by a load;
- and
- a clutch control unit configured to control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state in response to the predicting unit predicting that the rotatable member will become locked,
- wherein in a case where a reduction amount of the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor is greater than a first threshold, the predicting unit predicts that the rotatable member will become locked, and
- the work machine further comprising:
- a power generator/motor configured to drive the output shaft of the engine and to generate electricity by being driven by the engine that is being driven;
- and
- a battery configured to be charged with electricity generated by the power generator/motor when the power generator/motor operates as a power generator, and to supply electricity to the power generator/motor when the power generator/motor operates as a motor,
- wherein in a case where the reduction amount of the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor is smaller than the first threshold but becomes larger than a second threshold, the control unit causes the battery to supply electricity to the power generator/motor, so as to cause the power generator/motor to assist the engine.
13 more elements
A work machine, comprising:
- an engine;
- a rotatable member configured to be driven by the engine;
- a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the rotatable member, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft;
- a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine,
- wherein the control unit includes:
- a predicting unit configured to predict, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the rotatable member will become locked by a load;
- and
- a clutch control unit configured to control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state in response to the predicting unit predicting that the rotatable member will become locked,
- wherein in a case where a reduction amount of the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor is greater than a first threshold, the predicting unit predicts that the rotatable member will become locked, and
- the work machine further comprising:
- a driving wheel;
- and
- a driving wheel motor configured to rotate the driving wheel,
- wherein in a case where the predicting unit predicts that the rotatable member will become locked, the control unit stops the driving wheel motor.
13 more elements
A work machine, characterized by comprising:
- an engine;
- a rotatable member configured to be driven by the engine;
- a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the rotatable member, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft;
- a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine,
- the control unit including:
- a predicting unit configured to predict, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the rotatable member will become locked by a load;
- and
- a clutch control unit configured to control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state in response to the predicting unit predicting that the rotatable member will become locked, wherein
- in a case where the engine speed of the engine decreases, the predicting unit obtains an absolute value of a slope of the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, and
- in a case where the absolute value of the slope is greater than a predetermined value, the predicting unit predicts that the rotatable member will become locked.
9 more elements
A work machine, comprising:
- an engine;
- a rotatable member configured to be driven by the engine;
- a clutch provided between an output shaft of the engine and a power shaft of the rotatable member, and configured to transmit or cut off power from the output shaft of the engine to the power shaft;
- a sensor configured to detect an engine speed of the engine;
- a control unit configured to control the engine and the clutch based on the engine speed of the engine;
- a driving wheel;
- and
- a driving wheel motor configured to rotate the driving wheel,
- wherein the control unit comprises
- a predicting unit configured to predict, based on the engine speed of the engine detected by the sensor, whether or not the rotatable member will become locked by a load, and
- a clutch control unit configured to control the clutch to switch over from a transmission state to a cut-off state in response to the predicting unit predicting that the rotatable member will become locked, and
- wherein, in a case where the predicting unit predicts that the rotatable member will become locked, the control unit stops the driving wheel motor.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.