US 6,659,209 B2Granted

Tractor

AssigneeKubota Corporation

InventorsMasashi Osuga, Takashi Yoshii, Hiroshi Shimada

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A tractor having a mid-mount type mower includes a pair of frames extending in a fore and aft direction, and a transmission case extending and supported between the pair of frames. The transmission case houses a power take off clutch disposed above a rear wheel differential. A change speed gearing mechanism is disposed between a front surface of the transmission case and the rear wheel differential. With such an arrangement of the components, the transmission case has a reduced length in the fore and aft direction.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A tractor comprising:

front wheels;
an engine disposed adjacent to said front wheels;
rear wheels;
a transmission case disposed adjacent to said rear wheels, said transmission case having right and left lateral walls, and a front surface;
a framework substantially forming a body of said tractor and extending in a fore and aft direction of said tractor, wherein said framework includes a first frame and a second frame, said first frame having its rearward end region connected to said left lateral wall of said transmission case, and said second frame having its rearward end region connected to said right lateral wall of said transmission case;
a hydrostatic stepless transmission (HST) disposed forewardly of said transmission case for receiving power from said engine, said HST including an HST pump and an HST motor;
a propelling change speed gearing mechanism housed in said transmission case for receiving the power from said HST motor;
a power take-off change speed gearing mechanism housed in said transmission case for receiving the power from said HST pump;
a power take-off clutch permitting and breaking the power to be transmitted from said HST pump to said power take-off change speed gearing mechanism;
and
a rear wheel differential housed in said transmission case, said rear wheel differential including:
a differential input gear receiving the power from said propelling change speed gearing mechanism;
a differential input shaft mounting said differential input gear thereon to be rotatable about a first transverse axis;
a differential output gear receiving the power from said differential input gear and transmitting the power to said rear wheels;
and
a differential output shaft mounting said differential output gear thereon to be rotatable about a second transverse axis;
said second transverse axis extending vertically below and parallel to said first transverse axis;
and
said differential output gear having a larger diameter than said differential input gear;
wherein said propelling change speed gearing mechanism and said power take-off change speed gearing mechanism are disposed in a space defined between said front surface of said transmission case and a virtual plane extending vertically through said first transverse axis and second transverse axis and parallel to said front surface, and within a width of said right and left lateral walls of said transmission case;
and
said power take-off clutch is disposed upwardly of said differential input gear.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/255,735Filed 25 Sep 2002 · continuation
Priority: JP 10-14382726 May 1998
Published: US 2003/0019673 A130 Jan 2003
Granted: 9 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B60K 17/28
Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
B60K 17/08
Of change-speed gearing: of mechanical type
B60K 17/105
Of fluid gearing: units comprising at least a part of the gearing and a torque-transmitting axle, e.g. transaxles
B60K 15/061
Characterised by fuel reserve systems: with level control

Family

Application09/196,053Parent of this division · filed 19 Nov 1998
Application09/976,774Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Oct 2001
US 2003/0019673 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jan 2003
US 6,460,886 B2Parent of this continuation
Application09/976,774Parent of this division
US 6,318,485 B1Parent of this division
US 2002/0014358 A1Published application
US 6,659,209 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Abstract

A tractor comprising:

front wheels;
an engine disposed adjacent to said front wheels;
rear wheels;
a transmission case disposed adjacent to said rear wheels, said transmission case having right and left lateral walls, and a front surface;
a framework substantially forming a body of said tractor and extending in a fore and aft direction of said tractor, wherein said framework includes a first frame and a second frame, said first frame having its rearward end region connected to said left lateral wall of said transmission case, and said second frame having its rearward end region connected to said right lateral wall of said transmission case;
a hydrostatic stepless transmission (HST) disposed forewardly of said transmission case for receiving power from said engine, said HST including an HST pump and an HST motor;
a propelling change speed gearing mechanism housed in said transmission case for receiving the power from said HST motor;
a power take-off change speed gearing mechanism housed in said transmission case for receiving the power from said HST pump;
a power take-off clutch permitting and breaking the power to be transmitted from said HST pump to said power take-off change speed gearing mechanism;
and
a rear wheel differential housed in said transmission case, said rear wheel differential including:
a differential input gear receiving the power from said propelling change speed gearing mechanism;
a differential input shaft mounting said differential input gear thereon to be rotatable about a first transverse axis;
a differential output gear receiving the power from said differential input gear and transmitting the power to said rear wheels;
and
a differential output shaft mounting said differential output gear thereon to be rotatable about a second transverse axis;
said second transverse axis extending vertically below and parallel to said first transverse axis;
and
said differential output gear having a larger diameter than said differential input gear;
wherein said propelling change speed gearing mechanism and said power take-off change speed gearing mechanism are disposed in a space defined between said front surface of said transmission case and a virtual plane extending vertically through said first transverse axis and second transverse axis and parallel to said front surface, and within a width of said right and left lateral walls of said transmission case;
and
said power take-off clutch is disposed upwardly of said differential input gear.

19 more elements

Facts

Application

10/255,735Filed 25 Sep 2002 · continuation

Priority

JP 10-14382726 May 1998

Published

US 2003/0019673 A130 Jan 2003

Granted

9 Dec 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B60K 17/28
Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
B60K 17/08
Of change-speed gearing: of mechanical type
B60K 17/105
Of fluid gearing: units comprising at least a part of the gearing and a torque-transmitting axle, e.g. transaxles
B60K 15/061
Characterised by fuel reserve systems: with level control

Family

Application09/196,053Parent of this division · filed 19 Nov 1998

Application09/976,774Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Oct 2001

US 2003/0019673 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Jan 2003

US 6,460,886 B2Parent of this continuation

Application09/976,774Parent of this division

US 6,318,485 B1Parent of this division

US 2002/0014358 A1Published application

US 6,659,209 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.