Systems for controlling the speed and direction of vehicles, including vehicles that have low to zero turning radius capability.

A control assembly for use with a vehicle having a pivot arm for controlling output of the vehicle includes a bracket, a yoke attached to the pivot arm, and a shaft engaged to the yoke and extending into the bracket. The pivot arm is rotatable about a first axis of rotation between a neutral position and a plurality of forward positions and a plurality of reverse positions. When in the neutral position, the pivot arm may also rotate about a second axis of rotation between an operative position and a stopped position, and a switch may be engaged when the pivot arm is rotated to the stopped position. A return to neutral assembly may provide a return force to the pivot arm when it is rotated about the first axis of rotation away from the neutral position.

A traveling vehicle includes a pair of left and right drive wheels, a drive unit for providing driving force to the drive wheels, a drive wheel operation unit having a forward speed position, a neutral position, a reverse speed position and a parking position, a position detector for detecting the parking position of the drive wheel operation unit, a parking brake configured to brake the drive wheels under an operative state thereof, a rotation detector for detecting a predetermined state from a stopped state to a predetermined rotational speed of the drive wheels and a control unit configured to render the parking brake into the operative state on a condition including detection of the parking position by the position detector and detection of the predetermined state by the rotation detector.

A traveling vehicle includes a pair of left and right drive wheels, a drive unit for providing driving force to the drive wheels, a drive wheel operation unit having a forward speed position, a neutral position, a reverse speed position and a parking position, a position detector for detecting the parking position of the drive wheel operation unit, a parking brake configured to brake the drive wheels under an operative state thereof, a rotation detector for detecting a predetermined state from a stopped state to a predetermined rotational speed of the drive wheels and a control unit configured to render the parking brake into the operative state on a condition including detection of the parking position by the position detector and detection of the predetermined state by the rotation detector.

A work vehicle includes an engine mounted on a traveling body, a straight-traveling system transmission path including a first stepless transmission device, and a turning system transmission path including a second stepless transmission device, the work vehicle being configured to combine outputs of the straight-traveling system transmission path and an output of the turning system transmission paths to drive left and right traveling units. The work vehicle also includes control sections that control the outputs of the straight-traveling system transmission path and the output of the turning system transmission paths in cooperation with each other, a transmission operation tool that specifies the output of the straight-traveling system transmission path, and a detector that detects the output of the straight-traveling system transmission path. The control sections select one of an instruction value from the transmission operation tool and an actually measured value from the detector and set the output of the turning system transmission path.

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.

The innovation described herein generally pertains to a system and method related to a handle attachment device that can allow a user to operate the control lever arms of a zero turn radius vehicle with one hand. The handle attachment device can be configured to attach to control lever arms on a zero turn vehicle. The arrangement of the handle attachment device allows a user to grip the handle attachment device and steer the zero turn vehicle with one hand.

A riding lawn care vehicle includes a frame to which at least a first and second drive wheels are attachable. The vehicle further includes a brake assembly operably coupled to the first and second drive wheels to enable brakes to be selectively applied to the first and second drive wheels. The riding lawn care vehicle also includes a steering assembly with first and second steering levers. First and second steering levers are operably coupled to first and second drive wheels respectively to facilitate turning of the riding lawn care vehicle based on drive speed control of the first and second drive wheels responsive to positioning of first and second steering levers. First and second steering levers are also operably coupled to the brake assembly to activate the brake assembly in response to one of the first or second steering levers being rotated about a vertical axis of the respective lever.

In a broad respect, vehicles that are capable of making a low- to zero-radius turn using the independent rotation of drive wheels and by turning the non-driving steerable structure or structures (such as wheels) with a steering input device (in some embodiments, the driving wheels also may be capable of being turned). This may be accomplished using a steering system, a speed control system and an integration device (together, a control system) that are configured to work together to provide correct steering in forward and reverse, and, in some embodiments, to reduce the speed of the outboard drive wheel of the vehicle when it enters an extreme turn under constant speed input. Different systems configured for use in such vehicles are included.

Systems for controlling the speed and direction of vehicles, including vehicles that have low to zero turning radius capability.