Patent Application
20070245522
This invention relates generally to a quick-release hinge for use with doors, windows, and other hinged obstructions.
Machines, such as skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders, backhoe loaders, agricultural tractors, track-type tractors, articulated trucks, wheel loaders, and other types of construction, mining, or agricultural machinery are used for a variety of tasks requiring operator control. Typically, an operator controls these machines from an operator compartment.
For skid steer loaders, multi terrain loaders, and other compact machines, the operator compartment may include a door for sealing the operator compartment against unwanted dust, unconditioned air, and noise, all of which may contribute to operator fatigue. A typical door may include a window attached to a surrounding metal frame by a strip seal and hinges exterior to the operator compartment that pivotally attach the frame of the door to the operator compartment.
Despite the benefits of sealing the operator compartment against unwanted dust, unconditioned air, and noise, these components may hinder access to the interior of the operator compartment during repairs and in situations where objects may prevent the door from being pivoted to an open configuration. For example, when the bucket of a skid steer loader is disposed in a raised configuration, the bucket may prevent the door from being pivoted to the open configuration.
In order to provide access to the operator compartment in this situation, an operator or service person may remove the strip seal from around the window and then, remove the window. However, the strip seal and the window may be damaged during removal and may need to be replaced. Additionally, the metal frame may hamper entry and exit from the operator compartment.
Alternatively, the door may be removed by a service person while the operator waits in the operator compartment. However, this option may not be practical in the field and may require an inordinate amount of time.
The present invention is directed to overcome one or more of the problems as set forth above.
In one example of the present invention, a quick-release hinge is provided. The quick-release hinge includes a first member, a second member, an actuation member, and a knuckle that may be attached to one of the first or second members.
The first member may have a first locking element and a first abutment surface configured to abut a surface of an object.
The second member may have a second locking element and a second abutment surface configured to abut a second surface of the object. The second locking element may be configured to attach to the first locking element in order to connect the hinge to an object.
The actuation member may be attached to the first locking element so that when the actuation member is actuated, the first locking element may rotate about one revolution or less in order to detach from the second locking element and disconnect the hinge from the object.
In one aspect of the invention, the hinge may be used in a door assembly that permits the door to be quickly disconnected from a structure, such as a skid steer loader and other types of machines.
The door assembly may include a door having an interior surface and an exterior surface and a door handle assembly attached to the door.
The hinge may be disposed opposite the door handle assembly. The hinge may be connected to the door so that the first abutment surface may abut the interior surface of the door and the second abutment surface may abut the exterior surface of the door.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for detaching an object from a structure where the object is connected to the structure by a hinge. The method may include the step of rotating a first locking element of the hinge about one revolution or less to detach the first locking element from a second locking element of the hinge. The method may also include the steps of removing the first member of the hinge from contact with the object and removing the second member of the hinge from contact with the object.
Referring to
The machine 101 may also include an operator compartment 106 and an object 107 that may be a door 108. The door 108 may be pivotally attached to the operator compartment 106 by quick-release hinges 110. Of course, the quick-release hinges 110 may be used to pivotally attach other objects, such as a window or panel, to the machine 110 or other structures.
The door 108 may be frameless and may be made of a single sheet of tempered glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, or other transparent material known in the art. Of course, the door 108 may include a frame (not shown) and may be made from other materials, such as metals, plastics, and composites.
The door 108 may also include a door handle assembly 112 disposed remotely from the quick-release hinges 110 for securing the door 108 to the machine 101, and a wiper assembly 114 for cleaning an exterior surface 116 of the door 108.
When the implement 102 is raised, the implement 102 and the coupler 104 may prevent the door 108 from pivoting from the closed configuration to an open configuration. Consequently, the quick-release hinges 110 may be actuated to detach the door 108 from the operator compartment 106 in order to permit access to the interior of the operator compartment 106.
Referring to
As shown, the first member 120 may be disposed generally on an interior side 128 of the door 108. The first member 120 may include a first locking element 130 and a first abutment surface 132 for abutting an interior surface 134 of the door 108.
Conversely, the second member 122 may be disposed on an exterior side 136 of the door 108. The second member 122 may include a second locking element 138 and a second abutment surface 140 for abutting the exterior surface 116 of the door 108. The second locking element 138 may be attached to the first locking element 130 for securing the first member 120 to the second member 122 and to attach the quick-release hinge 110 to the door 108. Consequently, when the hinge 110 is attached to the door 108, the first member 120 abuts the interior surface 134 and the second member 122 abuts the exterior surface 116.
As shown, the knuckle 126 may be attached to or integrally formed with a component of the second member 122. Of course, the knuckle 126 may be attached to one of the first or second members 120, 122 and may be disposed on the interior side 128 or the exterior side 136 of the door 108.
The actuation member 124 may be a handle or button and may be attached to or integrally formed with a component of the first member 120. For example, the actuation member 124 may be a handle 141 integrally formed with the first locking element 130 as a unitary structure. Consequently, when the actuation member 124 is actuated, the first locking element 130 may be rotated about one revolution or less to detach from the second locking element 138 and disconnect the quick-release hinge 110 from the door 108. In some configurations, the first locking element 130 may be rotated about half of a revolution or less to detach from the second locking element 138 and disconnect the quick-release hinge 110 from the door 108, while in others, the first locking element 130 may be rotated about quarter of a revolution or less to detach from the second locking element 138 and disconnect the quick-release hinge 110 from the door 108.
Referring to
The second member 122 may be configured to prevent the second locking element 138 from rotating by disposing a noncircular cross section 146 of the second locking element 138 within a noncircular hole 148 in the second member 122.
As shown in phantom, the first and second handles 154, 156 may be actuated to a detached configuration by rotating the first handle 154 counter-clockwise and rotating the second handle clockwise 156. In other words, the second handle 156 may be rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation of the first handle 154. Additionally, the first and second handles 154,156 may be moved to the detached configuration by rotating each handle 154,156 about quarter of a revolution or less. By providing the handles 154,156 with different directions of rotation and by limiting the rotation of the handles to about one revolution or less, accidental actuation of both handles 154,156 is minimized while facilitating the purposeful actuation and detachment of the first and second hinges 150, 152 from the door 108.
Of course, the handles 154, 156 may have different configurations and thus, different directions of rotation or different numbers of revolution to move the hinges 110 from the attached configuration to the detached configuration.
A wide variety of machines, vehicles, and structures may have hinged objects attached, such as doors, windows, and covers, that need to be quickly detached in order to provide access to areas behind the object when ordinary pivoting of the hinged object is impractical. In such circumstances, the quick-release hinge may be utilized to quickly detach the object from the structure or machine.
For example, a method of utilizing the quick-release hinges 110 illustrated above and as shown in
Where the door 108 includes a door handle assembly 112, the method may include the step of actuating the door handle assembly to disconnect the door handle assembly from the machine 101.
Additionally, the method may include the steps of removing the first and second members 120,122 of the first and second hinges 150, 152 from contact with the door 108. Furthermore, where the first and second hinges 150, 152 include knuckles 126 pivotally attached to the machine 101 and connected to the second members 122 of the first and second hinges 150, 152, the method may further include the steps of pivoting the second members 122 of the first and second hinges 150, 152 relative to the machine 101 and moving the door 108 away from the machine 101.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, an object may be attached to a structure with only one quick-release hinge 110 or more than two quick-release hinges 110. Additionally, other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only.
