Patent Description:
The present invention relates to a multipurpose vehicle, which is also referred to as a utility vehicle in the field.

There is a multipurpose vehicle having an engine, a transmission casing which is provided behind the engine and outputs power to traveling wheels, and a stepless speed changer which is provided at one of lateral sides of a vehicle body with respect to the engine and a traveling transmission, and which receives power of the engine, speed-changes the power and outputs it to the transmission casing.

An example of such a multipurpose vehicle is shown in <CIT> (or <CIT> which is a counterpart thereof).

Another example is shown in <CIT>, which demonstrates a powertrain system for driving a vehicle.

This multipurpose vehicle has an engine, a transmission casing as a traveling transmission which is provided behind the engine, and a belt-type stepless speed changer as a stepless speed changer which is provided at the right side, speed-changes power of the engine and outputs it to the transmission casing.

In addition to transporting a load, at a work site, the multipurpose vehicle is desired to use its engine as a power source for operating a snow blower, a loader, an electric generator and the like.

In view of the above, a multipurpose vehicle is desired in which power of an engine can be taken off efficiency with a simple arrangement.

An aspect of a multipurpose vehicle according to the present invention is as below:
A multipurpose vehicle comprising:.

According to the features, power of an engine output shaft is transmitted to a speed changer input shaft with a first gear transmission mechanism, and a PTO section is provided which is operably connected with the engine output shaft via a second gear transmission mechanism, and thus the power of the engine output shaft can be transmitted to the PTO section with less transmission loss. Furthermore, by providing the PTO section forwardly of a stepless speed changer on the side of the stepless speed changer with respect to the engine, a transmission distance to be provided in the second gear transmission mechanism can be shortened and thus the power of the engine can be taken off efficiency with a simple PTO arrangement.

According to one preferred embodiment, the PTO section includes a rotary shaft having an output hole which is opened laterally outward with respect to the vehicle body.

With the above arrangement, the power can be taken off easily from the PTO section. For example, by only inserting an input shaft of a gear pump into the output hole from laterally outside of the vehicle body, the power can be taken off from the PTO section to the gear pump.

Accordingly, the engine output gear transmits the power of the engine output shaft to the first gear transmission mechanism via the engine output gear, and the engine output gear also transmits the power of the engine output shaft to the second gear transmission mechanism. Consequently, the one engine output gear can input the power to both the first gear transmission mechanism and the second gear transmission mechanism, and thus the power of the engine output shaft can be transmitted to the PTO section and the stepless speed changer with a simple arrangement.

According to one preferred embodiment, a spacer housing is provided between the engine and the stepless speed changer to be detachable from the engine and the stepless speed changer, the first gear transmission mechanism and the second gear transmission mechanism being accommodated in the spacer housing.

Accordingly, only by providing the one spacer housing separately from the engine and the stepless speed changer, the first gear transmission mechanism and the second gear transmission mechanism can be accommodated inexpensively in the spacer housing.

According to one preferred embodiment, the spacer housing has an inner space in which a speed changer output shaft of the stepless speed changer is accommodated.

Accordingly, in addition to the first gear transmission mechanism and the second gear transmission mechanism, the speed changer output shaft can also be accommodated inexpensively in the one spacer housing.

In the following description, with respect to a traveling vehicle body of a multipurpose vehicle, a direction of an arrow "F" in <FIG> and <FIG> is defined as a forward direction of the vehicle body; a direction of an arrow "B" in <FIG> and <FIG> is defined as a rearward direction of the vehicle body; a direction of an arrow "U" in <FIG> is defined as an upward direction of the vehicle body; a direction of an arrow "D" in <FIG> is defined as a downward direction of the vehicle body; a direction of an arrow "L" in <FIG> is defined as a leftward direction of the vehicle body; and a direction of an arrow "R" in <FIG> is defined as a rightward direction of the vehicle body.

As shown in <FIG>, the multipurpose vehicle has a traveling vehicle body <NUM> equipped with a pair of right and left front wheels <NUM> which can be steered and driven, and a pair of right and left rear wheels <NUM> which can be driven. A driving section <NUM> is formed at a longitudinal middle portion of the traveling vehicle body <NUM>. The driving section <NUM> has a driver's seat <NUM> and a steering wheel <NUM> for steering the front wheels <NUM>. A load carrying platform <NUM> is provided in a rear portion of the traveling vehicle body <NUM>. Below the load carrying platform <NUM>, an engine section <NUM> is formed which has an engine <NUM> outputting driving power to the front wheels <NUM> and the rear wheels <NUM>. The engine section <NUM> has a PTO section <NUM> which takes off power of the engine <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the load carrying platform <NUM> is supported by a vehicle body frame <NUM> to be pivotal up and down about a dump axis P. The load carrying platform <NUM> is swung by telescopic operation of a hydraulic cylinder <NUM> connected to a lower side of the load carrying platform <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the engine section <NUM> has the engine <NUM> provided in a front portion of an area below the load carrying platform <NUM>, a traveling transmission <NUM> provided behind the engine <NUM> with respect to the vehicle body, and a stepless speed changer <NUM> provided at the left side of the engine <NUM> and the traveling transmission <NUM> with respect to the vehicle body. In this embodiment, the stepless speed changer <NUM> is a hydrostatic stepless speed changer (hydrostatic transmission).

The engine <NUM> is provided, with a crankshaft (not shown) being extended along a lateral width direction of the vehicle body. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, an engine output shaft 11a of the engine <NUM> is projected from a flywheel <NUM> of the engine <NUM> toward the stepless speed changer <NUM>. The engine output shaft 11a is accommodated in a spacer housing <NUM> whose front portion is arranged between the engine <NUM> and the stepless speed changer <NUM>, and whose rear portion is arranged between the stepless speed changer <NUM> and the traveling transmission <NUM>. In this embodiment, the engine <NUM> is a diesel engine but is not limited thereto and may alternatively a gasoline engine.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a speed changer input shaft 13a of the stepless speed changer <NUM> is projected from a lateral side of the stepless speed changer <NUM> facing the engine toward the engine. The speed changer input shaft 13a is accommodated in the spacer housing <NUM>. The speed changer input shaft 13a is operably connected to the engine output shaft 11a with a first gear transmission mechanism <NUM>. The first gear transmission mechanism <NUM> is provided between and across the speed changer input shaft 13a and the engine output shaft 11a. The first gear transmission mechanism <NUM> is accommodated in a longitudinal middle portion of the spacer housing <NUM>.

Specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first gear transmission mechanism <NUM> has an engine output gear <NUM> provided on the first gear transmission mechanism <NUM> and a first gear mechanism section <NUM> transmitting power of the engine output gear <NUM> to the speed changer input shaft 13a. The first gear mechanism section <NUM> has a speed change input gear <NUM> provided on the speed changer input shaft 13a and a first relay transmission gear <NUM> meshing with the speed change input gear <NUM> and the engine output gear <NUM>. In this embodiment, the first gear mechanism section <NUM> has the speed change input gear <NUM> and the first relay transmission gear <NUM>, but the number of the gears are not limited to two and three or more gears may alternatively be used.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a speed changer output shaft 13b of the stepless speed changer <NUM> is projected from a lateral side of the stepless speed changer <NUM> facing the traveling transmission toward the traveling transmission. The speed changer output shaft 13b is arranged in an inner space of a rear portion 15b of the spacer housing <NUM> and accommodated in the spacer housing <NUM>. The speed changer output shaft 13b is operably connected to a speed changer input shaft 12a of the traveling transmission <NUM>, with the speed changer output shaft 13b being arranged coaxially to the speed changer input shaft 12a.

In the engine section <NUM>, the power of the engine output shaft 11a of the engine <NUM> is inputted to the first gear transmission mechanism <NUM> via the engine output gear <NUM>, transmitted to the speed changer input shaft 13a and inputted to the stepless speed changer <NUM> via the first gear transmission mechanism <NUM>, and converted into forward driving power and reverse driving power with the stepless speed changer <NUM> while the rotational speed of the forward driving power and the reverse driving power is speed-changed steplessly. The speed-changed forward driving power and reverse driving power are transmitted from the speed changer output shaft 13b to the speed changer input shaft 12a and inputted to the traveling transmission <NUM>. The inputted forward driving power and reverse driving power are outputted to the rear wheels <NUM> from rear wheel output sections 12b (see <FIG>) formed at lateral sides of a rear portion of the traveling transmission <NUM>. The forward driving power and the reverse driving power inputted to the traveling transmission <NUM> are outputted to the front wheels <NUM> from a front wheel output shaft 12c (see <FIG>) provided at a lateral side of a lower portion of the traveling transmission <NUM>,.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the PTO section <NUM> is provided forwardly of the stepless speed changer <NUM> and at the side of the stepless speed changer with respect to the engine <NUM>. The PTO section <NUM> includes a rotary shaft (referred to as rotary shaft 25A hereinafter) rotatably supported in a front portion 15a of the spacer housing <NUM>. The rotary shaft 25A is arranged parallel to the engine output shaft 11a. The rotary shaft 25A has an output hole 25a opened laterally with respect to the vehicle body. The output hole 25a is opened to the outside of the spacer housing <NUM> via a through hole formed in a side wall of the spacer housing <NUM>. The output hole 25a comprises a spline hole. The rotary shaft 25A is operably connected to the engine output shaft 11a via a second gear transmission mechanism <NUM> provided between and across the rotary shaft 25A and the engine output shaft 11a. The second gear transmission mechanism <NUM> is accommodated in the spacer housing <NUM>.

Specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second gear transmission mechanism <NUM> has the engine output gear <NUM> and a second gear mechanism section <NUM> transmitting power of the engine output gear <NUM> to the rotary shaft 25A. The second gear mechanism section <NUM> has a rotary shaft gear <NUM> provided on the rotary shaft 25A, and a second relay transmission gear <NUM> meshing with the rotary shaft gear <NUM> and the engine output gear <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the second gear mechanism section <NUM> has the rotary shaft gear <NUM> and the second relay transmission gear <NUM>, but gears are not limited thereto and three or more gears may alternatively be used.

Referring to the rotary shaft 25A, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG> for example, an input shaft <NUM> of an angle gearbox <NUM> is connected to the rotary shaft 25A so that the power taken off with the rotary shaft 25A can be taken off with an output shaft <NUM> of the angle gearbox <NUM>.

In this case, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the angle gearbox <NUM> is arranged forwardly of the stepless speed changer <NUM>. Specifically, the angle gearbox <NUM> has the input shaft <NUM> projected from the angle gearbox <NUM> inward along the lateral width direction of the vehicle body, and the output shaft <NUM> projected from the angle gearbox <NUM> forward with respect to the vehicle body. The input shaft <NUM> comprises a spline shaft and is inserted into the output hole 25a of the rotary shaft 25A so as to be engaged with the rotary shaft 25A un-rotatably relative thereto. The input shaft <NUM> is operably connected to the output shaft <NUM> with a gear interlocking mechanism <NUM> accommodated in the angle gearbox <NUM>.

Referring to the rotary shaft 25A, as shown in <FIG> for example, the rotary shaft 25A is connected to a spline shaft-shaped input shaft <NUM> of a gear pump <NUM> so that the gear pump <NUM> is driven by the power of the engine taken off with the rotary shaft 25A. The gear pump <NUM>, when used as a hydraulic pump, is used as a power source for driving and lifting a snow removing auger and lifting a snow removing blade and a loader. The gear pump <NUM>, when used as a water pump, can pump water from a water source such as a pond and a river. The gear pump <NUM> has an inlet port <NUM> connected to a suction hose and a discharge port <NUM> connected to a drain hose.

When the rotary shaft 25A is not used, as shown in <FIG>, the output hole 25a can be closed with a plug <NUM> which can be attached to the output hole 25a.

The spacer housing <NUM> is formed separately from the engine <NUM>, the stepless speed changer <NUM> and the traveling transmission <NUM>, and detachably attached to a flywheel housing section 11b of the engine <NUM>, a side wall of the stepless speed changer <NUM> adjacent the engine, and a side wall of the traveling transmission <NUM> adjacent the stepless speed changer.

Claim 1:
A multipurpose vehicle comprising:
an engine (<NUM>);
a traveling transmission (<NUM>) which is provided behind the engine (<NUM>) and outputs power to traveling wheels (<NUM>, <NUM>);
a stepless speed changer (<NUM>) which is provided at one of lateral sides of a vehicle body (<NUM>) with respect to the engine (<NUM>) and the traveling transmission (<NUM>), and configured to receive power of the engine (<NUM>), to speed-change the power and to output it to the traveling transmission (<NUM>); and
an engine output shaft (11a) projected from the engine (<NUM>) toward the stepless speed changer (<NUM>) along a lateral direction of the vehicle body (<NUM>);
characterized in that it comprises a speed changer input shaft (13a) projected from the stepless speed changer (<NUM>) toward the engine (<NUM>) along the lateral direction of the vehicle body (<NUM>);
a first gear transmission mechanism (<NUM>) provided between and across the engine output shaft (11a) and the speed changer input shaft (13a) for transmitting power of the engine output shaft (11a) to the speed changer input shaft (13a) such that the speed changer input shaft (13a) is operably connected to the engine output shaft (11a) with the first gear transmission mechanism (<NUM>); and
a power takeoff (PTO) section (<NUM>) provided on a side of the stepless speed changer (<NUM>) with respect to the engine (<NUM>) and forwardly of the stepless speed changer (<NUM>), the PTO section (<NUM>) being operably connected to the engine output shaft (11a) via a second gear transmission mechanism (<NUM>).