US 6,543,548 B1Granted

Vehicle operating device using steering angle and vehicle speed to control pair of continuously variable transmissions

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKatsuhisa Ichikawa, Masakatsu Kono, Kazunari Iriki, Tsuyoshi Kawabata, Kenji Kuroiwa, Tsutomu Inui

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Abstract

A working vehicle 1 includes front wheels Wf steered by a steering wheel 8, and rear wheels Wr driven through a transmission system T incorporating static hydraulic pressure type continuously variable transmissions. A speed change operating device M for controlling speed change of the transmission system T accelerates or decelerates right and left rear wheels Wr at same rotating speed by operation of a change lever 10, and also generates a difference in rotating speed between the right and left rear wheels Wr by operation of the steering wheel 8. The steering characteristic on the basis of operation of the steering wheel 8 varies depending on the vehicle speed set by the change lever 10, so that an appropriate steering characteristic may be obtained if the vehicle speed is changed.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An operating device in a vehicle provided with front and rear wheels, a steering device and a pair of continuously variable transmissions, the vehicle comprising:

left and right driven wheels as the front or rear wheels connected to said pair of continuously variable transmissions, respectively;
a vehicle speed setting means for setting a vehicle speed;
and
a steering angle setting means for setting a steering angle of the steering device which is operatively associated with the other of said front and rear wheels;
in which outputs of said continuously variable transmissions are increased and decreased at substantially identical rotational numbers to each other based on an operation of said vehicle speed setting means, and said outputs of said continuously variable transmissions are increased and decreased at different rotational numbers from each other based on an operation of said steering angle setting means, thereby varying wheel speeds of the driven wheels so as to control said vehicle speed and to conduct a steering,
wherein said operating device includes a steering characteristic changeover means for changing over speed increasing and decreasing characteristics of said pair of continuously variable transmissions based on the operation of said steering angle setting means in accordance with the vehicle speed, said steering characteristic changeover means comprising a pair of first speed change operating members which are pivotally supported, through a longitudinal shaft, on a lateral shaft operatively associated with the operation of said vehicle speed setting means for longitudinal swinging movement, and which are capable of longitudinally swinging integrally with said lateral shaft and capable of laterally swinging about said longitudinal shaft;
a second speed change operating member operatively associated with the operation of said steering angle setting means for laterally swinging movement;
and a mixing member which transmits a lateral swinging movement of said second speed change operating member to said first speed change operating members for laterally swinging said first speed change operating members, and which restrains a longitudinal swinging movement of said first speed change operating members from being transmitted to said second speed change operating member.

5 more elements

An operating device in a vehicle provided with a pair of continuously variable transmissions, comprising:

a transmission system including said pair of continuously variable transmissions for changing rotational numbers of left and right driven wheels;
a pair of speed change follower members provided in said transmission system;
a vehicle speed setting means;
and a speed change operating device for driving said speed change follower members at an identical phase based on an operation of said vehicle speed setting means, and for driving said speed change follower members at different phases based on an operation of said steering angle setting means;
wherein said speed change operating device comprises:
a pair of speed change driving members connected to said pair of speed change follower members;
a pair of first speed change operating members which are pivotally supported, through a longitudinal shaft, on a lateral shaft operatively associated with the operation of said vehicle speed setting means for longitudinal swinging movement, and which are capable of longitudinally swinging integrally with said lateral shaft and capable of laterally swinging about said longitudinal shaft;
a link member for connecting said pair of first speed change operating members to said pair of speed change driving members;
a second speed change operating member operatively associated with the operation of said steering angle setting means for laterally swinging movement;
and a mixing member which transmits a lateral swinging movement of said second speed change operating member to said first speed change operating members for laterally swinging said first speed change operating members, and which restrains a longitudinal swinging movement of said first speed change operating members from being transmitted to said second speed change operating member.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.