Patent Application
20170130516
This invention relates generally to windows. More particularly, the present invention relates to windows for construction vehicles with lift arms.
There are industrial vehicles which utilize arms to perform various tasks. For example, a skid steer loader or compact track loader utilizes an arm on each side of an enclosure in which a user sits, or cab, to raise and lower a work implement, e.g. a bucket. By way of another example, an excavator, telehandler and mobile crane utilize a single arm on one side of a cab to raise and lower a work implement. Other industries also use vehicles with one or more lift arms and a cab such as delimbers, feller bunchers, and harvesters.
Because the lift arms function, e.g. raise and lower, on one or both sides of the cab, certain safety standards and/or industry practices require that the cab be guarded and/or enclosed on the side(s) adjacent the lift arm(s) to prevent the user or operator in the cab from extending an arm, or any other body part, into the path of the lift arm(s) and causing bodily harm to the operator. Safety standards and/or industry practices also require that such an enclosure be able to withstand certain forces, e.g. impact resistance.
Currently, such construction vehicles enclose the cab in one of two ways. Some such construction vehicles enclose the side(s) of the cab adjacent the arm(s) with a cage. Cages are typically made from metal, e.g. steel. Some cages are made from a series of metal materials, such as dowels or bars, connected together to form a grid or lattice, while others are punched from a larger sheet of material. In either case, the openings of the cage are properly sized to prevent an operator from putting an extremity through, into the path of a lift arm.
Cages have a number of advantages, including being lower cost and allowing ventilation of the cab and an operator of the vehicle to communicate with people outside of the vehicle and vice versa. However, cages also have a number of disadvantages including impairing vision, allowing dust and debris to enter the cab and exposing the operator to the elements, e.g. during extreme cold or warm temperatures. These disadvantages can affect the operator's performance and safety.
Other such construction vehicles enclose the side(s) of the cab adjacent the arm(s) with a solid clear sheet of material, such as glass or polymers including polycarbonate or acrylic, that encloses the entire side(s) adjacent the arm(s). The material is durable and strong enough to prohibit breakage in extreme conditions. Use of a solid clear sheet of material, such as polycarbonate, has a number of advantages that are largely the disadvantages of a cage. However, using a solid clear sheet of material also has many disadvantages including being more costly, impeding the ability for an operator to communicate with people outside of the vehicle and vice versa, and preventing ventilation. These disadvantages can also affect the operator's performance and safety.
Some construction vehicles have attempted to combine a cage with an operable window. Examples are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,955 and published European Patent Application Number 1,066,998. Such combinations do gain the benefits from being able to open and close a window, but suffer from being more costly, having both a cage and window structure, while still impairing the vision of the operator. Cleaning the exterior of the window, between the window and the cage can also be difficult and time consuming.
As such, there is a need for a cost effective cab enclosure that is able to withstand certain forces acting on it, can be selectively opened and closed and prevents an operator from being able to put his or her self in the path of the lift arm(s) all while not impairing the vision of the operator.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that one or more aspects of this invention can meet certain objectives, while one or more other aspects can lead to certain other objectives. Other objects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in this summary and descriptions of the disclosed embodiment, and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such objects, features, benefits and advantages will be apparent from the above as taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and all reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom.
The window(s) or window assembly(ies), as shown in
The skid steer loader 10 shown in
In
In front of the upper right pane 34, when the upper right pane is closed, is a transparent screen, grid or lattice 36. The transparent screen 36 is made from a clear, transparent or see-through material that forms a grid or lattice and open space or voids such that the interior of the cab 18 is exposed to the exterior of the cab.
Without the transparent screen 36, the window 28 would have an opening or hole 38 that the operator could extend a hand through and into the path of a lift arm 12, when the upper right pane 34 is open or slid back as shown in
The transparent screen 36 could be sized to fit in the opening, such as by being attached to a frame 40, by being integrally formed with either or both of the bottom pane 30 and upper left pane 32 or any other method for attaching a screen to cover the opening.
The upper right pane 34 is movable to and from a first position in which the upper right pane covers and blocks or seals the transparent screen 36 to prevent the interior of the cab or first side of the transparent screen from being in fluid communication with the exterior of the cab or second side of the transparent screen. In the first position, the window is “closed.” This first position may be preferred when it is cold outside, to prevent debris or exhaust from entering the cab or if it desired to pressurize the cab.
The upper right pane 34 is also movable to and from a second position in which the upper right pane uncovers or exposes at least a part of the transparent screen 36 to allow the interior of the cab to be in fluid communication with the exterior of the cab through the openings in the transparent screen. In the second position, the window is “open.” This second position may be preferred when it is desired to ventilate the cab or to communicate with someone outside the cab. When the window is open, the operator cannot put him or herself in the way of the lift arm(s) 12, 14 and the transparent screen 36 provides the requisite and/or desired resistance to impacts. Further, regardless of whether the window 28 is open or closed, the visibility of the operator through the window remains high because the screen 36 is transparent.
The transparent screen can be made from any clear or transparent material that can withstand the forces required by certain safety standards and/or industry practices. For example, the transparent screen 36 can be made from a transparent polymer, such as an injection molded polycarbonate material and the panes 30, 32, 34 made from a glass, such as automotive laminated safety glass, although other materials such as acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylenimine, polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethane, cellophane, toughed glass or tempered glass, may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Although the window shown in
Other window configurations can also be used without defeating the spirit of the invention. For example, in
The upper right 34 and lower left 44 panes are shown in
In any configuration, a transparent screen covers the operable panes of the window, or, more precisely, the space vacated by an operable pane. The transparent screen(s) could additionally cover more than one operable pane. For example, a transparent screen 36 could cover both the upper and lower operable panes if the operable panes were on the same side of the window 28, e.g. both on the top side or both on the left side.
As mentioned above, a window with fewer than three panes could also be employed with departing the spirit of the invention. For example, in
By way of another example,
The above described examples of windows employing the transparent screen are illustrative only and are not intended to be limiting. There are many other known configurations for windows and manner of opening a window, the use of which would not defeat the spirit of the invention. Further, the window could have a frame, such as that seen in
If a glass or polymer is used for the window, it may be advantageous to use one or more sensors to take safety precautions in the event the window breaks or is otherwise compromised. For example, as seen in
Although the invention has been herein described in what is perceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth above. Rather, it is recognized that modifications may be made by one of skill in the art of the invention without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and, therefore, the invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the appended claims and the description of the invention herein.
