Patent Application
20100092233
The present disclosure relates to a conduit coupler or connector mounted on a moving structure, such as the lift arms on a loader, wherein the couplers for power or signal lines leading to power equipment attached to the lift arms are housed within a main structural member, such as one of the lift arms, and the conduit couplers are permanently placed in a position where they do not block or impair the operator view of the powered attachment, and where they are protected from damage. Typical conduit couplers are for hydraulic pressure lines or hoses, electrical control signals and electrical power for compact loader attachments.
Power attachments that require power to operate, such as hydraulic fluid under pressure, are commonly used on loaders, and in order to couple the hydraulic conduits or lines for the attachment to the hydraulic system of the loader, known quick couplers are generally utilized. The attachments are removable between uses, so connecting and disconnecting the two mating sections of power quick couplers is necessary. The positioning of the power carrying lines and the quick couplers can interfere with viewing the attachment by the loader operator. The hydraulic line and electrical couplers that have been utilized in the past for loader attachments have been generally positioned between the lift arms.
Power attachments that require remote hydraulic power include those which use hydraulic motors, such as power augers, rotary brush cutters, mower, and the like, or require the use of hydraulic actuators, including tree spades, grapples, various compactors, and the like. Mounting the coupler components or sections (half of a male/female pair) that are carried on the power vehicle or loader in a fixed location simplifies connecting and disconnecting, and ensures that the couplers are properly located to aid in reducing visual obstructions.
The present disclosure relates to mounting position of couplers that are used for connecting conduits from a source of signals or power on a power machine that has a moveable member such as a lift arm on a loader, with conduits, lines or hoses leading to remote attachments requiring power and/or controlled by remote control signals. Conduit couplers or connectors, whether quick attach hydraulic line couplers or electrical connectors as shown herein, have two coupler components or coupler sections, that interfit to complete the conduit connection. Coupler sections for power carrying lines are mounted onto a plate and secured in a desired fixed location on the moveable member of the power machine, such as the lift arm of a loader. The coupler sections are retained in this position both during use and when disconnected from the powered attachment.
The coupler sections are shown on the loader arm as one component (either male or female) of standard quick hydraulic couplers, and of a multiple pin electrical control signal and electric power connector, but other types of connectors for connecting conduits carrying signals and/or power can be used. The coupler sections are positioned such that they are out of the field of vision needed by an operator of the power equipment to observe the powered attachment. The positioning is to minimize blocking the operator's view of the powered attachment. Routing of the hydraulic hoses, electric wires or other conduits is simplified in the form shown and the conduits are protected from external abrasion and forces by mounting them on the interior of a tubular moveable lift arm.
The machine power take off and control signal coupler sections are thus securely mounted and easily used.
In
The forward, downwardly extending portions 22 of the lift arms have a forward surface 32, and in this form of the disclosure, a coupler assembly 34 is mounted against a reinforcing plate 48 secured on the forward surface 32 of the movable member or lift arm 18. The coupler assembly 34 includes a mounting plate 36 as shown, and a plurality of coupler sections mounted thereon. As shown, the couplers on plate 36 include a male hydraulic coupler section 38, a female hydraulic coupler section 40, and a male auxiliary coupler section 42 mounted thereon. The coupler sections are secured to the mounting plate 36. Remote conduits or lines 33 from the hydraulic component 28 have coupler sections shown generally at 35 that mate with and connect to the coupler sections on the mounting plate 36. One conduit 33 has a female coupler section connectable to the male coupler section 38 and another conduit has a male coupler section that connects to the female coupler section 40. On a rear side of the mounting plate 36, each of the coupler sections includes threaded connections shown in
The lift arms 18 shown on the loader of
As shown, in
A reinforcing plate 48 is welded in place on the front surface 32 of the forward arm portion 22, and the opening 46 passes through the reinforcing plate 48 as well. When the conduits are attached to the coupler sections, the mounting plate 36 can be secured to the reinforcing plate 48 with suitable capscrews or other methods of retention shown at 50. If capscrews are used they can thread into bores 50A on the reinforcing plate 48.
The conduits on the interior of the moving structural member or lift arm 18 are secured as needed, and are protected from outside forces. Additionally, the mounting plate 36 is secured rigidly to the lift arm, so that the conduit coupler sections on plate 36 do not shift or move relative to the lift arm, and are in a location that minimizes the visual obstruction of the powered attachment. A field of vision for the operator of the powered attachment is represented by lines 51 in
The coupler sections 38 and 40 are joined to standard mating coupler sections 35 on lines 33 of the powered attachment and are used for carrying hydraulic fluid under pressure and return fluid from the hydraulic motor or other component being powered. Coupler section 42 can be used for connecting to other conduits or lines, such as a drain line for a “connect under pressure” feature that is now in use for hydraulic couplers to allow a small amount of oil to escape for ease of connection of the couplers. Coupler section 42 also can be used to provide a low back pressure drain line for use with high speed hydraulic motors, for example, motors used on mower attachments. On those attachments a remote conduit or hose is connected through the coupler section 42 to route drain oil through this coupler.
It can be seen that the mounting plate 36 also has an extra opening indicated at 56, which in the from shown in
In
The mounting plate 36 and the attached coupler sections can be recessed into the forward end of a lift arm or movable element, by placing a larger opening in the front wall of the forward end section of the lift arm, and mounting a support plate on an interior of the lift arm. Suitable access openings can be provided for connecting the hydraulic conduits to the coupler sections that are mounted in the recess in the arm.
The reinforcing plate 48 can be used for supporting a cover over the coupler section. Additionally, the mounting plate 36, in the form shown, has a boss member 68 with threaded bores that can be used for attaching a cover over the coupler sections.
The coupler sections mounted on mounting plate 36 can be tilted up or down, or to the side in order to make attaching mating quick coupler sections easier. Also, mounting the coupler sections on the forward ends of the lift arms positions them close to the powered attachment so the conduits on the power attachment can be kept short.
An electrical conduit 76, which, when carrying control signals and power may be a wiring harness containing a plurality of electrical wires is coupled to the conduit connector 74. The number of wires in conduit 76 can be selected for carrying the desired control signals and for carrying electrical power. The conduit 76 connects the conduit connector 74 to an attachment control signal source 77 and to an electrical power source 78 on the loader. The control signal source may be circuitry controlled by operator actuated buttons or levers for controlling the attachment. The electrical conduit 76 extends through the lift arm 18 as shown for the hydraulic pressure carrying conduits. A suitable mating electrical connector 80 forms a second conduit coupler section and has a conduit 82 connected to attachment control 84 on the powered attachment 26. The controls can be made and used as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,213 for carrying signals to a powered component on the powered attachment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,213 is hereby incorporated by reference. The plug 80 forms a second coupler section mating with the coupler section 74. As with hydraulic conduit couplers, either male or female electrical conduit coupler sections can be mounted on the movable element (lift arm) of the power machine.
The terms coupler and coupler section as used herein include electrical plugs and sockets or receptacles, hydraulic couplers and other power or signal carrying connectors used to transmit signals or power from sources to an attachment
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
