IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0869274
(2004-06-16)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A skid steer vehicle includes a left side steering actuator that is coupled to left front and left rear drive wheels to steer the wheels with respect to the chassis, a right side steering actuator that is coupled to right front and right rear drive wheels to steer them with respect to the chassis. T
A skid steer vehicle includes a left side steering actuator that is coupled to left front and left rear drive wheels to steer the wheels with respect to the chassis, a right side steering actuator that is coupled to right front and right rear drive wheels to steer them with respect to the chassis. The actuators are fixed to the chassis and include steering arms or linkages that extend fore-and-aft to front and rear wheels and swivel housings that they pivot.
대표청구항
▼
1. A skid steer vehicle comprising:a chassis having a left side and a right side;left front and left rear drive wheels coupled to the left side of the chassis in fore-and-aft relation and driven by at least a first hydraulic motor;a left side steering actuator coupled to the left front and rear whee
1. A skid steer vehicle comprising:a chassis having a left side and a right side;left front and left rear drive wheels coupled to the left side of the chassis in fore-and-aft relation and driven by at least a first hydraulic motor;a left side steering actuator coupled to the left front and rear wheels to simultaneously steer the left front wheel to the right and the left rear wheel to the left in a first mode of left wheel operation, and to simultaneously steer the left front wheel to the left and the left rear wheel to the right in a second mode of left wheel operation;right front and right rear drive wheels coupled to the right side of the chassis in fore-and-aft relation and driven by at least a second hydraulic motor different from the first hydraulic motor; anda right side steering actuator coupled to the right front and rear wheels to simultaneously steer the right front wheel to the right and the right rear wheel to the left in a first mode of right wheel operation, and to simultaneously steer the right front wheel to the left and the right rear wheel to the right in a second mode of right wheel operation.2. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1,wherein the at least a first motor is coupled to the left front and left rear drive wheels to drive both left wheels forward at a common ground speed and backward at a common ground speed; andwherein the at least a second motor is coupled to the right front and right rear drive wheels to drive both right wheels forward at a common ground speed and backward at a common ground speed.3. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein the left side steering actuator is controllable to steer the left front wheel to the right, and wherein the right side steering actuator is controllable to simultaneously steer the right front wheel to the left.4. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein the four wheels are the same size, and further wherein the four wheels can be simultaneously driven clockwise while the left front wheel is steered right and the right front wheel is steered left.5. The skid steer vehicle of claim 4, wherein the left side wheels can be driven anti-clockwise and the right side wheels simultaneously driven clockwise while the left front and right front wheels are steered in generally the same direction.6. The skid steer vehicle of claim 1, wherein the left side steering actuator is fixed to the left side of the chassis between the left front and left rear wheels, and the right side steering actuator is fixed to the right side of the chassis between the right front and right rear wheels.7. The skid steer vehicle of claim 6, wherein each of the steering actuators includes a housing enclosing a worm gear drive, and a motor coupled to the worm gear drive.8. A skid steer vehicle, comprising:a chassis having a left side and a right side;left front and left rear drive wheels coupled to the left side of the chassis;a left side steering actuator disposed to simultaneously steer the left front wheel to the right and the left rear wheel to the left in a first mode of left wheel operation, and to simultaneously steer the left front wheel to the left and the left rear wheel to the right in a second mode of left wheel operation;right front and right rear drive wheels coupled to the right side of the chassis; anda right side steering actuator disposed to simultaneously steer the right front wheel to the right and the right rear wheel to the left in a first mode of right wheel operation, and to simultaneously steer the right front wheel to the left and the right rear wheel to the right in a second mode of right wheel operation.9. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, wherein the left side actuator is configured to steer the front left wheel to the right and wherein the right side steering actuator is configured to steer the right front wheel simultaneously to the left.10. The skid steer vehicle of claim 9, further comprising:left side and right side forward extension links coupling the left and right front wheels to the left and right steering actuators, respectively; andleft side and right side rear extension links coupling the left and right rear wheels to the left and right steering actuators, respectively.11. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, wherein the left side wheels are mechanically constrained to always steer in opposite directions, and wherein the right side wheels are mechanically constrained to always steer in opposite directions.12. The skid steer vehicle of claim 11, wherein both the left and right front wheels steer in a same first direction whenever both the left and right rear wheels turn in a same opposing direction.13. The skid steer vehicle of claim 8, wherein the left and right front wheels steer in opposite directions whenever the left and right rear wheels are steered in opposite directions.14. A skid steer vehicle comprising:a chassis having a left side and a right side, said chassis being completely supported by four drive wheels, said four drive wheels further including,left front and left rear drive wheels disposed to completely support and drive the left side of the vehicle, andright front and right rear drive wheels disposed to completely support and drive the right side of the vehicle;a left side steering actuator disposed to steer the left side wheels and including a first worm gear drive driven by a first steering motor; anda right side steering actuator disposed to steer the right side wheels and including a second worm gear drive driven by a second steering motor.15. The skid steer vehicle of claim 14 wherein the left side wheels are constrained to always rotate at the same ground speed, and wherein the right side wheels are constrained to always rotate at the same ground speed.16. The skid steer vehicle of claim 15, further comprising:a first hydraulic motor coupled to and configured to drive both the left side wheels; anda second hydraulic motor coupled to and configured to drive both the right side wheels.17. The skid steer vehicle of claim 16, further comprising:a first means for coupling the first hydraulic motor to the left side wheels; anda second means for coupling the second hydraulic motor to the right side wheels.18. The skid steer vehicle of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second means for coupling include a forward-extending drive belt and a rear-extending drive belt.19. The skid steer vehicle of claim 18, wherein the left side steering actuator is configured to steer the left side wheels in opposite directions, and further wherein the right side steering actuator is configured to steer the right side wheels in opposite directions.20. A skid steer vehicle comprising:a chassis having a left hand and a right hand side:two axle housings fixed to the left hand side of the chassis, said two left side housings enclosing two left axles,two axle housings fixed to the right hand side of the chassis, said two right side housings enclosing two right axles;a common left side steering actuator:a pair of left side drive wheels coupled to the two left axle housings, the left side drive wheels being steerable by a common left side steering actuator;a common right side steering actuator operable independently of the left side steering actuator; anda pair of right side drive wheels coupled to the two right axle housings, the right side drive wheels being steerable by a common right side steering actuator.21. The skid steer vehicle of claim 20, further comprising:a left side drive system coupled to the two left axles to constrain both of the left side wheels to always rotate at the same speed and in the same direction; anda right side drive system coupled to the two right axles to constrain both of the right side wheels to always rotate at the same speed and in the same direction.22. The skid steer vehicle of claim 21, wherein the left and right side drive systems are configured to respectively drive the left and right wheels at different speeds and in different rotational directions.23. The skid steer vehicle of claim 20, wherein the vehicle is configured to be steered and driven in three modes of operation including (1) a first mode in which the four wheels are disposed straight ahead and steering is effected by driving the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle (a) at different rotational speeds in both (a) the same rotational direction and (b) opposite rotational directions, (2) a second mode in which steering is effected by (a) turning both front wheels in one direction, (b) turning both rear wheels in the opposite direction, and (c) driving all four wheels in the same rotational direction, and (3) a third mode in which the wheels on the left side and the wheels on the right side are rotated in opposite directions, with the front wheels steered in opposing directions and the rear wheels steered in opposing directions.24. The skid steer vehicle of claim 23, wherein the common left side steering actuator is fixed to the skid steer chassis between the left front and the left rear wheels, and further wherein the common right side steering actuator is fixed to the chassis between the right front and the right rear wheels.25. The skid steer vehicle of claim 24, wherein the left side drive system includes a first hydraulic motor coupled to the left front and the left rear drive wheels to simultaneously drive them both in the same direction and at the same speed, and further wherein the right side drive system includes a second hydraulic motor coupled to the right front and the right rear drive wheels to simultaneously drive them both in the same direction and at the same speed.26. A steering system for one side of a skid steer vehicle, the vehicle having a chassis, the system comprising:a steering actuator including a housing, a spur gear disposed in the housing, a worm gear disposed in the housing and drivingly coupled to the spur gear, and a motor drivingly coupled to the worm gear;a first steering arm coupled to the steering actuator and extending forward therefrom; anda second steering arm coupled to the steering actuator and extending rearward therefrom;wherein the first and second steering arms have distal ends that are configured to be coupled to, respectively, a front drive wheel and a rear drive wheel, and further wherein the front and rear drive wheels are coupled together to skid steer the vehicle.27. The steering system of claim 26, wherein the steering actuator is configured to be fixed to the chassis between the front wheel and the rear wheel.28. The steering system of claim 27, wherein the first steering arm is configured to be coupled to a front wheel to steer the front wheel with respect to the chassis.29. The steering system of claim 28, wherein the second steering arm is configured to be coupled to a rear wheel to steer the rear wheel with respect to the chassis.30. The steering system of claim 29, wherein the first and second steering arms are coupled to the steering actuator to always steer the front wheel and the rear wheel in opposite directions with respect to the chassis.31. The steering system of claim 30, wherein the first and second steering arms are constrained (1) to simultaneously steer the front wheel to the left and the rear wheel to the right; (2) to simultaneously steer the front wheel to the right and the rear wheel to the left, and (3) to simultaneously steer both wheels directly ahead.32. A steering system for a skid steer vehicle, the vehicle having a chassis and having two left side drive wheels, and two right side drive wheels drivable independently from the left side drive wheels to skid steer the vehicle, said four drive wheels being disposed at four corners of the chassis, the system comprising:a left side steering actuator fixed to the chassis between the left front and the left rear wheels, anda right side steering actuator fixed to the chassis between the right front and the right rear wheels wherein the left side steering actuator is coupled to a left front wheel and to a left rear wheel to pivot the two left wheels with respect to the chassis.33. The steering system of claim 32, wherein each steering actuator includes a worm drive.34. The steering system of claim 33, wherein each steering actuator includes a motor coupled to the worm drive.35. The steering system of claim 34, wherein the steering actuator motors are controllable (1) to steer the left front and right front wheels in one direction and the left rear and right rear wheels in the opposite direction simultaneously, and (2) to steer the left front and right rear wheels in one direction and the left rear and right front wheels in the opposite direction simultaneously, and (3) to simultaneously steer all four wheels straight ahead.
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