초록

Systems for controlling the speed and direction of vehicles such as tractors, including vehicles that have low to zero turning radius capability. Systems include steering and speed coordination systems that control the direction and speed of rotation of vehicle drive units.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a laterally oriented first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member such that movement of the steering input member causes movement of the first control member;a first steering link coupled to the first control

1. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a laterally oriented first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member such that movement of the steering input member causes movement of the first control member;a first steering link coupled to the first control member and to a steering system for a first steered wheel; anda first integration link coupled to the first control member and to a control system for a first drive unit, the first integration link being movable in response to a speed input. 2. The vehicle control system of claim 1, further comprising: a second control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a second steering link coupled to the second control member and to a steering system for a second steered wheel; anda second integration link coupled to the second control member and to a control system for a second drive unit. 3. The vehicle control system of claim 2, where the first drive unit is a first hydrostatic transmission and the second drive unit is a second hydrostatic transmission. 4. The vehicle control system of claim 2, where the second control member is laterally oriented. 5. The vehicle control system of claim 2, where the first and second integration links each includes a slot. 6. The vehicle control system of claim 5, where the slot in the first second integration link is straight and the slot in the second integration link is straight. 7. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a first steering link coupled to the first control member and to a steering system for a first steered wheel;a first integration link coupled to the first control member and to a control system for a first drive unit;a second control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a second steering link coupled to the second control member and to a steering system for a second steered wheel;a second integration link coupled to the second control member and to a control system for a second drive unit;a first coupling member coupling the first integration link to the first control member; anda second coupling member coupling the second integration link to the second control member;where the first and second integration links each includes a straight slot, the first coupling member engages the slot of the first integration link, and the second coupling member engages the slot of the second integration link. 8. The vehicle control system of claim 7, where the first integration link is directly coupled to the first control member via the first coupling member and the second integration link is directly coupled to the second control member via the second coupling member. 9. The vehicle control system of claim 2, where the first and second control members are configured to rotate in the same plane in response to a rotation of the steering input member. 10. The vehicle control system of claim 2, where the steering input member is located between the first and second control members. 11. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a first steering link coupled to the first control member and to a steering system for a first steered wheel;a first integration link coupled to the first control member and to a control system for a first drive unit;a first speed input member; anda first speed input coupling member that couples the first integration link to the first speed input member. 12. The vehicle control system of claim 11, where the speed input member includes a slot. 13. The vehicle control system of claim 12, where the first speed input coupling member translates across the slot as the steering input member rotates. 14. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a first steering link coupled to the first control member and to a steering system for a first steered wheel;a first integration link coupled to the first control member and to a control system for a first drive unit; anda first speed input coupling member that couples the first integration link to the first speed input member. 15. A vehicle control system comprising: a steering input member;a first control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a first steering link coupled to the first control member and to a steering system for a first steered wheel;a first speed input member coupled to a speed control device; anda first integration link coupling the first control member to the first speed input member, the first integration link also being coupled to a control mechanism for a first drive unit;the vehicle control system being configured such that a steering input received through the steering input member is transferred through the steering input member to the first control member, then through the first control member to the steering system and through the first integration link to the first speed input member, which can then transfer a speed input received from the speed control device through the first integration link and to the first drive unit as a driving and steering signal. 16. The vehicle control system of claim 15, further comprising: a second control member operatively engaged with the steering input member;a second steering link coupled to the second control member and to a steering system for a second steered wheel;a second speed input member coupled to the speed control device; anda second integration link coupling the second control member to the second speed input member, the second integration link also being coupled to a control mechanism for a second drive unit,the vehicle control system being configured such that a steering input received through the steering input member is transferred through the steering input member to the second control member, then through the second control member to the steering system for the second steered wheel and through the second integration link to the second speed input member, which can then transfer a speed input received from the speed control device through the second integration link and to the second drive unit as a driving and steering signal. 17. The vehicle control system of claim 16, wherein a manipulation of the steering input member while the speed control device is in a neutral position will not result in a change in the speed input. 18. The vehicle control system of claim 16, where the first drive unit is a first hydrostatic transmission and the second drive unit is a second hydrostatic transmission. 19. The vehicle control system of claim 16 where the first control member and the second control member are laterally oriented. 20. The vehicle control system of claim 16, where the first and second integration links each includes a slot. 21. The vehicle control system of claim 20, where the slot in the first second integration link is straight and the slot in the second integration link is straight. 22. The vehicle control system of claim 20, further comprising: a first coupling member coupling the first integration link to the first control member; anda second coupling member coupling the second integration link to the second control member;where the first coupling member engages the slot of the first integration link and the second coupling member engages the slot of the second integration link. 23. The vehicle control system of claim 22, where the first integration link is directly coupled to the first control member via the first coupling member and the second integration link is directly coupled to the second control member via the second coupling member. 24. The vehicle control system of claim 16, where the first and second control members are configured to rotate in the same plane in response to a rotation of the steering input member. 25. The vehicle control system of claim 16, where the steering input member is located between the first and second control members. 26. The vehicle control system of claim 16, where the first and second speed input members each include a slot. 27. The vehicle control system of claim 15, where the first speed input coupling member translates across the slot as the steering input member rotates. 28. A vehicle control system comprising: a pair of integration links, each integration link having a slot that is straight over substantially all of the length of the slot, and each integration link being movable in response to a speed input and configured to: lie in a plane parallel to any flat surface on which a vehicle that incorporates the steering control system is used; andtransmit a drive signal that is a product of any received steering input and any received speed input. 29. The vehicle control system of claim 28, where one integration link is directly coupled to a first control member that is operatively engaged with a steering input member and the other integration link is directly coupled to a second control member that is operatively engaged with the steering input member. 30. A vehicle control system comprising: a first speed input member configured to pivot about a first axis;a second speed input member configured to pivot about a second axis;a first control member configured to pivot about a third axis;a second control member configured to pivot about a fourth axis, where the first, second, third and fourth axes are parallel to each other and are normal to any flat surface on which a vehicle that incorporates the steering control system is used; anda pair of integration links, each integration link having a slot that is straight over substantially all of the length of the slot, and each integration link being configured to: lie in a plane parallel to any flat surface on which a vehicle that incorporates the steering control system is used; andtransmit a drive signal that is a product of any received steering input and any received speed input. 31. The vehicle control system of claim 30, where one integration link is directly coupled to the first control member and the other integration link is directly coupled to the second control member, both the first and second control members being operatively engaged with a steering input member.