Wheel loader

Abstract

A wheel loader includes a vehicle body having wheels a work implement including an arm, a bucket, and an arm cylinder and a bucket cylinder that drive the arm and the bucket, respectively, and a work implement control device that directs an operation of the work implement. The work implement control device includes an arm control lever disposed on the right of a driver's seat, the arm control lever controlling operations of the arm, and two kickdown switches disposed at an upper surface and a left side surface, respectively, of a grip of the arm control lever. Operability can thereby be improved even further.

1 . A wheel loader comprising:
 a vehicle body having a wheel;   a work implement disposed at a front portion of the vehicle body; and   a work implement control device for directing an operation of the work implement, the work implement control device comprising:
 a control lever disposed on a side of a driver's seat, the control lever being used for directing an operation of the work implement; and 
 two switches disposed at an upper surface and a side surface of a grip of the control lever, the side surface of the grip being on a side adjacent to the driver's seat, the two switches being used for performing operations associated with a traction force. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wheel loader according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the work implement includes an arm, a bucket, and an arm cylinder and a bucket cylinder for driving the arm and the bucket, respectively, and   the work implement control device includes:   an arm control lever serving as the control lever, the arm control lever being used for directing an operation of the arm cylinder;   a bucket control lever in juxtaposition to the arm control lever on a side adjacent to the drivers seat, the bucket control lever being used for directing an operation of the bucket cylinder;   two kickdown switches that are the two switches disposed at the upper surface and the side surface of the grip of the arm control lever, the side surface of the grip being on the side adjacent to the drivers seat, the two kickdown switches being used for forcibly effecting a downshift of a shift speed position; and   a mode changeover switch disposed at a side surface of a grip of the bucket control lever, the side surface of the grip being on a side adjacent to the driver's seat, the mode changeover switch being used for changing over a plurality of running modes having different engine maximum speed upper limit values from each other.   
     
     
         3 . The wheel loader according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the mode changeover switch is disposed at an upper surface of the grip of the bucket control lever, in place of, or in addition to, the side surface of the grip of the bucket control lever adjacent to the driver's seat.   
     
     
         4 . The wheel loader according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the mode changeover switch is a pushbutton for individually directing a changeover of a plurality of running modes having different engine maximum speed upper limit values from each other.   
     
     
         5 . The wheel loader according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 display means for displaying a running mode selected with the mode changeover switch.   
     
     
         6 . The wheel loader according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a detent mechanism for maintaining posture of the arm control lever at a position at which an arm raising operation is directed.   
     
     
         7 . The wheel loader according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the mode changeover switch is a pushbutton for individually directing a changeover of a plurality of running modes having different engine maximum speed upper limit values from each other.   
     
     
         8 . The wheel loader according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 display means for displaying a running mode selected with the mode changeover switch.   
     
     
         9 . The wheel loader according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 display means for displaying a running mode selected with the mode changeover switch.   
     
     
         10 . The wheel loader according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a detent mechanism for maintaining posture of the arm control lever at a position at which an arm raising operation is directed.   
     
     
         11 . The wheel loader according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a detent mechanism for maintaining posture of the arm control lever at a position at which an arm raising operation is directed.   
     
     
         12 . The wheel loader according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a detent mechanism for maintaining posture of the arm control lever at a position at which an arm raising operation is directed.