HST lever and brake pedal linkage mechanism

Abstract

To provider an HST lever and an interlocking mechanism for a brake pedal, which can reduce time and labor by omitting an operation of the HST lever necessary interlocking with an operation of a brake pedal.SOLUTION: When a brake pedal 60 is pressed while an HST lever 52 is rotated to set a vehicle 2 in an advancing state or a backing state by HST 25, the HST 25 is set in a neutral state in a state where the HST lever 52 is held at a rotation position. When the pressing of the brake pedal 60 is released, the HST 25 is returned to the state before the pressing of the brake pedal 60, and the vehicle 2 is continuously advanced or backed while a driver holds the HST lever 52 without carrying out another operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an interlocking mechanism between an HST lever and a brake pedal.

Background Art

[0002] In the vehicle management device described in Patent Document 1 below, a hydraulic static transmission (hereinafter referred to as HST) is used. The HST is a mechanism that generates hydraulic pressure using the power of an engine and supplies a rotational driving force to the wheels by the hydraulic pressure to drive the vehicle. When the HST lever (shift lever) is operated, the HST is controlled to one of a forward state in which the vehicle moves forward, a neutral state in which power is not transmitted to the vehicle (drive wheels), and a reverse state in which the vehicle moves backward. In Patent Document 1, since the brake pedal for controlling the braking of the vehicle and the HST lever are interlocked, when the driver depresses the brake pedal, the HST lever rotates to the neutral position so that the HST becomes the neutral state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, since the brake pedal and the HST lever are interlocked, when the brake pedal is depressed while the vehicle is moving forward or backward, the hand is released from the HST lever to rotate the HST lever to the neutral position, and when the depression of the brake pedal is released, the HST lever must be rotated again to the position before the brake pedal was depressed. The operation of the HST lever is troublesome and improvement is required.

[0005] This invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a hassle-free linkage mechanism between the HST lever and the brake pedal by eliminating the need to operate the HST lever in conjunction with the operation of the brake pedal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The interlocking mechanism (100) of the HST lever (52) and brake pedal (60) according to the present invention is an interlocking mechanism (100) of the HST lever (52) and brake pedal (60) for operating the HST (25) of a vehicle (2), and comprises an HST lever (52) that controls the HST (25) to one of a forward state that moves the vehicle (2) forward, a neutral state that does not transmit power to the vehicle (2), or a reverse state that moves the vehicle (2) backward by rotation, and a mechanism that controls the braking of the vehicle (2) The system is equipped with a brake pedal (60) and a HST lever (52) that rotates to move the vehicle (2) forward or backward when the vehicle (2) is in a forward state or a reverse state when the vehicle (2) is in a reverse state, the brake pedal (60) is pressed down, the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position and the HST (25) is set to the neutral state, and when the brake pedal (60) is released, the HST (25) is returned to the state it was in before the brake pedal (60) was pressed.

[0007] With this interlocking mechanism (100) between the HST lever (52) and the brake pedal (60), when the vehicle (2) is in a forward or reverse position by the HST (25) after rotating the HST lever (52), if the brake pedal (60) is pressed down, the HST (25) is returned to a neutral position while the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position. When the brake pedal (60) is released, the HST (25) is returned to the state it was in before the brake pedal (60) was pressed. As a result, the driver can continue to move the vehicle forward or backward while holding the HST lever (52) without having to operate it separately.

[0008] Here, a configuration that effectively achieves the above effect specifically includes a pivot shaft (65) and a lever-side bracket (57) that rotate together with the HST lever (52), a brake-side bracket (67) that is rotatably supported around the pivot shaft (65), with one end connected to the HST (25) and the other end located radially outward of the lever-side bracket (57) and linked to the pressing of the brake pedal (60), a biasing member (66) that connects the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) by a biasing force and, when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed, rotates the brake-side bracket (67) in conjunction with the rotation of the lever-side bracket (57) caused by the rotation of the HST lever (52), and the rotation of the HST lever (52) The HST (25) is set to a neutral position by an HST neutral position mechanism (63) which, while holding the HST lever (52) in the rotated position, rotates only the brake-side bracket (67) relative to the lever-side bracket (57) against the biasing force of the biasing member (66) when the brake pedal (60) is pressed down while the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position. When the brake pedal (60) is released while the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position, the brake-side bracket (67) rotates due to the biasing force of the biasing member (66) and returns to the position before the brake pedal (60) was pressed, thus returning the HST (25) to the state before the brake pedal (60) was pressed.

[0009] Furthermore, a configuration that effectively achieves the above effect is as follows: Specifically, the biasing member (66) is a torsion coil spring (66) wound around the pivot shaft (65), and the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are provided with a first elongated hole (69) and a second elongated hole (70) respectively, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the pivot axis and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the pivot axis, and one end of the torsion coil spring (66) is connected to the first elongated hole of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) ( One possible configuration is one in which the first elongated holes (69,69) are passed through each other, and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) is passed through the second elongated holes (70,70) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), and when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed down, one end of the first elongated hole (69,69) in the longitudinal direction abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring (66), and the other end of the second elongated hole (70,70) in the longitudinal direction abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring (66).

[0010] With this configuration, when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed down, the torsion coil spring (66) causes the lever-side bracket (57) to rotate due to the rotation of the HST lever (52), and when the brake pedal (60) is pressed down, the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position while the lever-side bracket (57) and brake-side bracket (67) are rotated due to the rotation of the HST lever (52). Only the brake-side bracket (67) rotates relative to the lever-side bracket (67) against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66). With the HST lever (52) held in the rotated position, when the brake pedal (60) is released, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66) causes the brake-side bracket (67) to rotate back to the position before the brake pedal (60) was pressed, thereby returning the HST (25) to the state before the brake pedal (60) was pressed.

[0011] Furthermore, a configuration that effectively achieves the above effect is as follows: Specifically, the biasing member (66) is a torsion coil spring (66) wound around the pivot shaft (65), and the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are provided with a first elongated hole (69) and a second elongated hole (70) respectively, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the pivot axis and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the pivot axis, and one end of the torsion coil spring (66) passes through the first elongated holes (69, 69) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) passes through the second elongated holes (70, 70) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), and when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed, the first elongated hole ( One end of the torsion coil spring (66) abuts against one longitudinal end of 69), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) abuts against the other longitudinal end of the second elongated hole (70) of the lever-side bracket (57), and a height-adjustable first adjustment member (71) provided on the brake-side bracket (67) passes through the first elongated hole (69) of the brake-side bracket (67). One configuration is one in which a second adjustment member (72), which is height adjustable and provided on the brake-side bracket (67), abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring (66) from the side that resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66), and a second adjustment member (72) provided on the brake-side bracket (67) abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) that passes through the second elongated hole (70) of the brake-side bracket (67) from the side that resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66).

[0012] With this configuration, if there is a gap due to manufacturing tolerances, etc., between the end of the first elongated hole (69) of the brake-side bracket (67) and one end of the torsion coil spring (66), or between the end of the second elongated hole (70) of the brake-side bracket (67) and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66), the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) will not rotate in sync, causing a misalignment between the rotation of the HST lever (52) and the interlocking of the HST (25). However, since one end of the torsion coil spring (66) is in contact with the first adjustment member (71), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) is in contact with the second adjustment member (72), a misalignment between the rotation of the HST lever (52) and the interlocking of the HST (25) is prevented.

[0013] Furthermore, if a damper (81) is connected to the brake-side bracket (67), when the HST lever (52) is held in the rotational position, the brake-side bracket (67), which is connected and held to the lever-side bracket (57) by a biasing member (66), rotates due to the biasing force of the biasing member (66) and returns to the position before the brake pedal (60) is pressed, preventing the HST (25) from returning abruptly to the state before the brake pedal (60) is pressed.

[0014] Furthermore, another configuration that effectively achieves the above effect is, specifically, if the biasing member (66) is a tension spring arranged in parallel in the vertical direction and connecting the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), the biasing force of the tension spring can connect the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), thereby enabling the aforementioned effect to be suitably implemented. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] Thus, according to the present invention, the operation of the HST lever, which is required in conjunction with the operation of the brake pedal, is eliminated, and a hassle-free linkage mechanism between the HST lever and the brake pedal can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1]It is a side view showing a boom sprayer equipped with an interlocking mechanism for an HST lever and a brake pedal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view showing an interlocking mechanism for an HST lever and a brake pedal mounted on a boom sprayer, and an HST. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the interlocking mechanism for the HST lever and the brake pedal in FIG. 2, and is a perspective view when the HST lever is in the neutral position, the brake pedal is depressed, and the HST is in the neutral state. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing an enlarged view of the torsion coil spring, the lever side bracket, the brake side bracket, and the HST neutral position mechanism in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view when the HST lever rotates to the forward position, the depression of the brake pedal is released, and the HST is in the forward state. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view following FIG. 5, and is a perspective view when the HST lever is held in the forward position, the brake pedal is depressed, and the HST is in the neutral state. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view following FIG. 6, and is a perspective view when the HST lever is held in the forward position, the depression of the brake pedal is released, and the HST is in the forward state. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view when the HST lever rotates to the reverse position, the depression of the brake pedal is released, and the HST is in the reverse state. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view following FIG. 8, and is a perspective view when the HST lever is held in the reverse position, the brake pedal is depressed, and the HST is in the neutral state.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled boom sprayer 1 as a ride-on management machine is composed of a vehicle 2 and a boom nozzle device 3 which is a chemical liquid spraying device. In the following description, "front", "rear", "left", and "right" are based on the vehicle 2 unless otherwise specified.

[0019] The vehicle 2 has a rectangular vehicle body frame 4 that is long in the front-rear direction. At the front and rear parts of the vehicle body frame 4, front and rear wheels 6 and 7 are respectively attached via knuckles 8a and 9a that extend vertically from axles extending in the width direction of the vehicle 2. In the self-propelled boom sprayer 1, four-wheel drive running is enabled by the driving rotation of these front and rear wheels 6 and 7.

[0020] A four-bar link device 13 is installed at the front end of the vehicle body frame 4 so as to extend forward. The boom nozzle device 3 is supported by the vehicle body frame 4 via the four-bar link device 13. By operating this four-bar link device 13 by the telescopic operation of a hydraulic cylinder 14, the center boom 16 of the boom nozzle device 3 fixed to the front link of the four-bar link device 13 is moved up and down. Thereby, the vertical position of the boom nozzle device 3 is adjusted.

[0021] The center boom 16 of the boom nozzle device 3 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 4. Side booms 17 and 17 are respectively connected to both left and right ends of the center boom 16. The side booms 17 and 17 are rotatable with respect to the center boom 16 with both ends of the center boom 16 as the rotation centers. Nozzle pipes are respectively attached to the center boom 16 and each side boom 17, and nozzles 20 are provided at equal intervals on each nozzle pipe.

[0022] A chemical tank 10 is positioned in the center of the vehicle frame 4 in the front-to-rear direction. A recess is formed in the center of the front end of the chemical tank 10, and a driver's seat 11 is provided in this recess. An operating unit 12, equipped with operating devices for driving and for spraying the chemical, is positioned at a distance in front of the driver's seat 11 at the front end of the vehicle frame 4. An engine unit 15 is positioned on the rear side of the vehicle frame 4 behind the chemical tank 10. An engine 21 is housed in the engine unit 15.

[0023] The control unit 12 is equipped with a steering wheel 51, a sub-transmission lever 53, and an HST lever (main transmission lever) 52. The sub-transmission lever 53 is connected to a sub-transmission 24 located on the underside of the vehicle frame 4. By operating the sub-transmission 24 with the sub-transmission lever 53, it is possible to shift to high, medium, and low speeds. As shown in Figure 2, the HST lever 52 is connected to an HST 25 (see Figure 2) for transmitting power from the engine 21 to the sub-transmission 24 via a lever-side bracket 57, a torsion coil spring 66, and a brake-side bracket 67, which will be described later. The HST 25 is a mechanism that generates hydraulic pressure using the power of the engine 21, and uses that hydraulic pressure to supply rotational driving force to the wheels 6 and 7, thereby driving the vehicle 2. When the HST lever 52 is operated, the HST 25 is controlled to one of the following states: a forward state in which the vehicle 2 moves forward, a neutral state in which no power is transmitted to the vehicle 2 (drive wheels), or a reverse state in which the vehicle 2 moves backward.

[0024] Next, with reference to Figures 2 to 4, the interlocking mechanism 100 between the HST lever 52 and the brake pedal 60 will be described in detail. The interlocking mechanism 100 between the HST lever 52 and the brake pedal 60 includes the HST lever 52 for operating the HST 25, the brake pedal 60 for controlling the braking of the vehicle 2, and the HST neutral position mechanism 63 for setting the HST 25 to a neutral position.

[0025] The HST lever 52 is long and, when the brake pedal 60 is depressed and the HST 25 is in the neutral position, it stands upright and in the neutral position as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The lower part of the HST lever 52 is connected and fixed to a pivot shaft 65, which is rotatably supported on the vehicle-side fixed shaft, via a bracket 64, etc. A torsion coil spring 66, which is a biasing member, is wound around this pivot shaft 65 as shown in Figures 2 to 4. A flat plate-shaped lever-side bracket 57 that protrudes laterally is fixed to the bracket 64. Therefore, when the HST lever 52 is rotated forward or backward (in the left-right direction of the paper), the pivot shaft 65 and the lever-side bracket 57 rotate together with the HST lever 52.

[0026] A flat plate-shaped brake-side bracket 67 is supported on the pivot axis 65 so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis 65. The brake-side bracket 67 is positioned inward (towards the bracket 64) from the torsion coil spring 66 and is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. One end (front) of the brake-side bracket 67 protrudes laterally and is connected to the HST 25 via a push-pull wire 68 (see Figure 2), and the other end (rear) protrudes laterally in the same way as the other end. The other end of the brake-side bracket 67 is located radially outward from the pivot axis 65 compared to the lever-side bracket 57.

[0027] The other ends of the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 are provided with a first elongated hole 69 and a second elongated hole 70, respectively, which are arranged side by side in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 65 and extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the pivot shaft 65. One end of a torsion coil spring 66 passes through the first elongated holes 69, 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67. The other end of a torsion coil spring 66 passes through the second elongated holes 70, 70 of the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67.

[0028] Referring to Figures 5, 7, and 8, when the brake pedal 60 is not depressed, one end of the torsion coil spring 66 is in contact with one end (lower side) of the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 is in contact with the other end (upper side) of the second elongated hole 70 of the lever-side bracket 57.

[0029] Furthermore, a projection extending to the rear is provided below the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67, and a female screw provided on this projection and a bolt screwed into the female screw constitute a height-adjustable first adjustment member 71. A projection extending to the rear is provided above the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67, and a female screw provided on this projection and a bolt screwed into the female screw constitute a height-adjustable second adjustment member 72.

[0030] In this state, the bolt head of the first adjustment member 71 abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring 66, which is passed through the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67, from the side that opposes the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66, and the bolt head of the second adjustment member 72 abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring 66, which is passed through the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67, from the side that opposes the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66. In other words, when the brake pedal 60 is not pressed down, the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 are held together integrally by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66 and are both rotatable.

[0031] Furthermore, a pin 80 for controlling the posture of the brake-side bracket 67 is attached to the center of the inner side (inner side in the diagram) of the brake-side bracket 67.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the brake pedal 60 is connected to an HST neutral position mechanism 63 via a brake wire 73 to neutralize the HST 25. As shown in Figure 4, the HST neutral position mechanism 63 comprises an upper plate 75 rotatably supported by a fixing pin 74 fixed to the vehicle side, and a lower plate 76 rotatably supported by a fixing pin 85 located below the fixing pin 74, with the brake wire 73 connected to a projection at the bottom of the lower plate 76. The inner wire 77 of the brake wire 73 is locked to a pin 78 on the front side (left side in the figure) of the upper plate 75 via a tension spring 88.

[0033] Between the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76, a horizontal fixing pin 79 is fixed to the vehicle side near the fixing pins 74 and 85. When the brake pedal 60 is pressed, the brake wire 73 acts, and with the horizontal fixing pin 79 sandwiched between the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76, the lower surface of the upper plate 75 and the upper surface of the lower plate 76 become horizontal. In this state, the pin 80 of the brake-side bracket 67 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the upper plate 75 and the upper surface of the lower plate 76, causing the brake-side bracket 67 to extend horizontally in the front-rear direction, and the HST25 (see Figure 2) connected to one end of the brake-side bracket 67 to be in a neutral position.

[0034] On the other hand, when the brake pedal 60 is released, the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76 become rotatable, and as the HST lever 52 rotates, the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 rotate synchronously due to the torsion coil spring 66, and the pin 80 of the brake-side bracket 67 moves along the upper surface of the lower plate 76 or the lower surface of the upper plate 75, causing the lower plate 76 and the upper plate 75 to rotate around the fixing pins 85 and 74 as pivot points (see Figures 5, 7, and 8).

[0035] Furthermore, one end of a damper (oil damper) 81 is connected to the brake-side bracket 67 at a position one end away from the pivot axis 65, and the other end of the damper 81 is connected to the vehicle side.

[0036] With the interlocking mechanism 100 of the HST lever 52 and brake pedal 60 configured in this way, when the HST lever 52 is in the neutral position and the brake pedal 60 is depressed and the HST 25 is in the neutral position, the state is as shown in Figure 3.

[0037] Then, in order to move the boom sprayer 1 forward, the brake pedal 60 is released, and as shown in Figure 5, the HST lever 52 is rotated clockwise from the neutral position to the forward position. When the lever-side bracket 57 and pivot shaft 65 are rotated clockwise along with the HST lever 52, the torsion coil spring 66 causes the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 to rotate clockwise in sync. Consequently, the pin 80 of the brake-side bracket 67 pushes downwards against the upper surface of the lower plate 76 of the HST neutral position mechanism 63, causing the lower plate 76 to open downwards.

[0038] By rotating the brake-side bracket 67 clockwise as shown in the diagram, the HST25 (see Figure 2) is moved forward via the push-pull wire 68.

[0039] With the driver holding the HST lever 52 and the boom sprayer 1 moving forward, when the brake pedal 60 is pressed, as shown in Figure 6, the lever-side bracket 57 does not rotate because the driver is holding the HST lever 52. However, the HST neutral position mechanism 63 is activated via the brake wire 73, and the horizontal fixing pins 79 and 80 are inserted between the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76. This causes the brake-side bracket 67 to rotate relative to the lever-side bracket 57, resulting in the brake-side bracket 67 becoming horizontal and the HST 25 becoming neutral.

[0040] At this time, one end of the torsion coil spring 66 is located midway along the longitudinal direction of the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 and is in contact with the first adjustment member 71 of the brake-side bracket 67, while the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 is in contact with the other end of the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 and is located midway along the longitudinal direction of the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67.

[0041] In this state, when the brake pedal 60 is released, as shown in Figure 7, the lever-side bracket 57 does not rotate because the driver is holding the HST lever 52. However, the HST neutral position mechanism 63 is released, and due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66, the brake-side bracket 67 rotates clockwise as shown in the figure to return to its original position, that is, the position before the brake pedal 60 was pressed.

[0042] On the other hand, in order to move the boom sprayer 1 in reverse, the brake pedal 60 is released from the state shown in Figure 3, and as shown in Figure 8, the HST lever 52 is rotated counterclockwise from the neutral position to the reverse position. When the lever-side bracket 57 and pivot shaft 65 are rotated counterclockwise together with the HST lever 52, the torsion coil spring 66 causes the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 to rotate counterclockwise in sync. As a result, the pin 80 of the brake-side bracket 67 pushes upward against the lower surface of the upper plate 75 of the HST neutral position mechanism 63, causing the upper plate 75 to open upward.

[0043] By rotating the brake-side bracket 67 counterclockwise as shown in the diagram, the HST25 is set to the reverse position via the push-pull wire 68.

[0044] With the driver holding the HST lever 52 and the boom sprayer 1 moving in reverse, when the brake pedal 60 is pressed, as shown in Figure 9, the lever-side bracket 57 does not rotate because the driver is holding the HST lever 52. However, the HST neutral position mechanism 63 is activated via the brake wire 73, and the horizontal fixing pins 79 and 80 are inserted between the upper plate 75 and the lower plate 76. This causes the brake-side bracket 67 to rotate relative to the lever-side bracket 57, resulting in the brake-side bracket 67 becoming horizontal and the HST 25 becoming neutral.

[0045] At this time, one end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against one end of the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 and is located midway along the longitudinal direction of the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67, while the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 is located midway along the longitudinal direction of the second elongated hole 70 of the lever-side bracket 57 and abuts against the second adjustment member 72 of the brake-side bracket 67.

[0046] In this state, when the brake pedal 60 is released, as shown in Figure 8, the lever-side bracket 57 does not rotate because the driver is holding the HST lever 52. However, the HST neutral position mechanism 63 is released, and due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66, the brake-side bracket 67 rotates counterclockwise as shown in the figure, returning to its original position, that is, the position before the brake pedal 60 was pressed.

[0047] Thus, according to this embodiment, when the HST lever 52 is rotated and the boom sprayer 1 is in the forward or reverse position by the HST 25, if the brake pedal 60 is pressed, the HST lever 52 is held in the rotated position and the HST 25 is returned to the neutral position. When the brake pedal 60 is released, the HST 25 returns to the state it was in before the brake pedal 60 was pressed. As a result, the driver can continue to move the boom sprayer 1 forward or backward without having to operate the HST lever separately.

[0048] Specifically, the HST lever 52 includes a pivot shaft 65 and a lever-side bracket 57 that rotate together with the HST lever 52, a brake-side bracket 67 that is rotatably supported around the pivot shaft 65, with one end connected to the HST 25 and the other end located radially outside the lever-side bracket 57 and linked to the pressing of the brake pedal 60, a biasing member 66 that connects the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 by biasing force and, when the brake pedal 60 is not pressed, rotates the brake-side bracket 67 in conjunction with the rotation of the lever-side bracket 57 caused by the rotation of the HST lever 52, and the lever-side bracket 57 and brake-side bracket 67 are linked by the rotation of the HST lever 52. The system includes an HST neutral position mechanism 63 that, when the brake pedal 60 is pressed down while the racket 67 is rotated, rotates only the brake-side bracket 67 relative to the lever-side bracket 57 against the biasing force of the biasing member 66, while holding the HST lever 52 in the rotated position, thereby returning the HST 25 to a neutral state. When the brake pedal 60 is released while the HST lever 52 is held in the rotated position, the brake-side bracket 67 rotates due to the biasing force of the biasing member 66, returning the HST 25 to the state before the brake pedal 60 was pressed, thus enabling the above operation to be performed effectively.

[0049] Furthermore, the biasing member 66 is a torsion coil spring 66 wound around the pivot shaft 65. The lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 are provided with a first elongated hole 69 and a second elongated hole 70, respectively, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the pivot axis and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the pivot axis. One end of the torsion coil spring 66 passes through the first elongated holes 69, 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67, while the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 passes through the second elongated holes 70, 70 of the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67. When the brake pedal 60 is not pressed, the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57 is connected to one end in the longitudinal direction. The torsion coil spring 66 is configured such that one end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against the lever-side bracket 57, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against the other end of the second elongated hole 70 in the lever-side bracket 57, and a height-adjustable first adjustment member 71 provided on the brake-side bracket 67 abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring 66 that passes through the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67 from the side that resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66, and a height-adjustable second adjustment member 72 provided on the brake-side bracket 67 abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 that passes through the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67 from the side that resists the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66. Here, if there is a gap due to manufacturing tolerances, etc., between the end of the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67 and one end of the torsion coil spring 66, or between the end of the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67 and the other end of the torsion coil spring 66, the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67 will not rotate in sync, and a misalignment will occur between the rotation of the HST lever 52 and the interlocking of the HST 25. However, as described above, since one end of the torsion coil spring 66 and the first adjustment member 71, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 and the second adjustment member 72 come into contact, it is possible to prevent a misalignment between the rotation of the HST lever 52 and the interlocking of the HST 25.

[0050] Furthermore, if the above gap does not occur due to manufacturing tolerances, the first adjustment member 71 and the second adjustment member 72 may be omitted, and when the brake pedal 60 is not pressed down, one end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against one longitudinal end of the first elongated hole 69 of the lever-side bracket 57, the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against the other longitudinal end of the second elongated hole 70 of the lever-side bracket 57, and one end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against one longitudinal end of the first elongated hole 69 of the brake-side bracket 67, and the other end of the torsion coil spring 66 abuts against the other longitudinal end of the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67, thereby enabling synchronous rotation.

[0051] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the damper 81 is connected to the brake-side bracket 67, when the brake-side bracket 67, which is connected and held to the lever-side bracket 57 by a torsion coil spring 66, rotates due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 66 and returns to the position before the brake pedal 60 is pressed, it is possible to prevent the HST 25 from returning abruptly to the state before the brake pedal 60 is pressed.

[0052] Furthermore, as another configuration that effectively achieves the above effects, specifically, the torsion coil spring 66, the first elongated hole 69 and the second elongated hole 70 of the lever-side bracket 57, and the first elongated hole 69 and the second elongated hole 70 of the brake-side bracket 67 may be eliminated, and instead, a tension spring, arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, may be used as a biasing member to connect the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67. With such a configuration, the biasing force of the tension spring can connect the lever-side bracket 57 and the brake-side bracket 67, and the aforementioned effects can be suitably implemented.

[0053] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, the present invention is not limited to the vehicle 2 of the self-propelled boom sprayer 1, but may also be applied to the vehicles of other riding management machines. The present invention is not limited to agricultural machine vehicles, but may also be applied to vehicles other than agricultural machines equipped with HST (for example, construction machinery or snowplows). [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 2...Vehicle, 25...HST, 52...HST lever, 60...Brake pedal, 100...Interlocking mechanism.

Claims

1. An interlocking mechanism (100) between an HST lever (52) and a brake pedal (60) for operating the HST (25) of a vehicle (2), The HST lever (52) controls the HST (25) to move in one of three positions: a forward position that moves the vehicle (2) forward, a neutral position that does not transmit power to the vehicle (2), or a reverse position that moves the vehicle (2) backward. The brake pedal (60) controls the braking of the vehicle (2), A pivot shaft (65) and a lever-side bracket (57) that rotate together with the HST lever (52), A brake-side bracket (67) is supported so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis (65), with one end connected to the HST (25) and the other end located radially outward of the lever-side bracket (57) and linked to the depressing of the brake pedal (60), The lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are connected by a biasing force, and when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed, the biasing member (66) rotates the brake-side bracket (67) in conjunction with the rotation of the lever-side bracket (57) caused by the rotation of the HST lever (52), The HST (25) is set to a neutral position by an HST neutral position mechanism (63) which, when the brake pedal (60) is pressed down while the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are rotated by the rotation of the HST lever (52), rotates only the brake-side bracket (67) relative to the lever-side bracket (57) against the biasing force of the biasing member (66) while holding the HST lever (52) in the rotated position, and sets the HST (25) to a neutral position. When the HST lever (52) is rotated and the vehicle (2) is in a forward or reverse position, with the HST (25) moving forward or backward, if the brake pedal (60) is pressed, the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position and the HST (25) is returned to the neutral position. With the HST lever (52) held in the rotation position, when the brake pedal (60) is released, the biasing force of the biasing member (66) causes the brake-side bracket (67) to rotate and return to the position before the brake pedal (60) was pressed, and the HST (25) returns to the state before the brake pedal (60) was pressed. The biasing member (66) is a torsion coil spring (66) wound around the pivot shaft (65), The lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are provided with a first elongated hole (69) and a second elongated hole (70), respectively, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the rotation axis and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis. One end of the torsion coil spring (66) is passed through the first elongated holes (69, 69) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) is passed through the second elongated holes (70, 70) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67). An interlocking mechanism (100) between an HST lever (52) and a brake pedal (60), characterized in that when the brake pedal (60) is not depressed, one longitudinal end of the first elongated hole (69, 69) abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring (66), and the other longitudinal end of the second elongated hole (70, 70) abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring (66).

2. An interlocking mechanism (100) between an HST lever (52) and a brake pedal (60) for operating the HST (25) of a vehicle (2), The HST lever (52) controls the HST (25) to move in one of three positions: a forward position that moves the vehicle (2) forward, a neutral position that does not transmit power to the vehicle (2), or a reverse position that moves the vehicle (2) backward. The brake pedal (60) controls the braking of the vehicle (2), A pivot shaft (65) and a lever-side bracket (57) that rotate together with the HST lever (52), A brake-side bracket (67) is supported so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis (65), with one end connected to the HST (25) and the other end located radially outward of the lever-side bracket (57) and linked to the depressing of the brake pedal (60), The lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are connected by a biasing force, and when the brake pedal (60) is not pressed, the biasing member (66) rotates the brake-side bracket (67) in conjunction with the rotation of the lever-side bracket (57) caused by the rotation of the HST lever (52), The HST (25) is set to a neutral position by an HST neutral position mechanism (63) which, when the brake pedal (60) is pressed down while the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are rotated by the rotation of the HST lever (52), rotates only the brake-side bracket (67) relative to the lever-side bracket (57) against the biasing force of the biasing member (66) while holding the HST lever (52) in the rotated position, and sets the HST (25) to a neutral position. When the HST lever (52) is rotated and the vehicle (2) is in a forward or reverse position, with the HST (25) moving forward or backward, if the brake pedal (60) is pressed, the HST lever (52) is held in the rotated position and the HST (25) is returned to the neutral position. With the HST lever (52) held in the rotation position, when the brake pedal (60) is released, the biasing force of the biasing member (66) causes the brake-side bracket (67) to rotate and return to the position before the brake pedal (60) was pressed, and the HST (25) returns to the state before the brake pedal (60) was pressed. The biasing member (66) is a torsion coil spring (66) wound around the pivot shaft (65), The lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67) are provided with a first elongated hole (69) and a second elongated hole (70), respectively, which are arranged side by side in the direction of the rotation axis and extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotation axis. One end of the torsion coil spring (66) is passed through the first elongated holes (69, 69) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) is passed through the second elongated holes (70, 70) of the lever-side bracket (57) and the brake-side bracket (67). When the brake pedal (60) is not depressed, one end of the torsion coil spring (66) abuts against one longitudinal end of the first elongated hole (69) of the lever-side bracket (57), and the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) abuts against the other longitudinal end of the second elongated hole (70) of the lever-side bracket (57), and the height-adjustable first adjustment member (71) provided on the brake-side bracket (67) is in contact with the first longitudinal end of the brake-side bracket (67). An interlocking mechanism (100) between an HST lever (52) and a brake pedal (60), characterized in that a second height-adjustable adjustment member (72) provided on the brake-side bracket (67) abuts against one end of the torsion coil spring (66) that has passed through a hole (69), from the side resisting the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66), and a second height-adjustable adjustment member (72) provided on the brake-side bracket (67) abuts against the other end of the torsion coil spring (66) that has passed through a second elongated hole (70) of the brake-side bracket (67), from the side resisting the biasing force of the torsion coil spring (66).

3. The interlocking mechanism (100) between the HST lever (52) and the brake pedal (60) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a damper (81) is connected to the brake-side bracket (67).

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