Cabin for work vehicle

• US 20060246834A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Masumoto, Koji, Ushiro, Kenzo
• Granted Patent: US 7,399,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00378 for tractor or load vehicle cabins
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3414 with means for adjusting the air stream direction B60H1/345 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00235 Devices in the roof area of the passenger compartment

Abstract

A cabin for a work vehicle, comprising: a ceiling portion; an air conditioner provided to the work vehicle; an air distribution duct provided to the ceiling portion for communicating conditioned air from the air conditioner to the cabin; an air guide projecting into the air distribution duct at an intermediate portion of the duct and forming an inlet opening in a lateral face of a projecting portion of the air guide; and an outlet portion extending to outside the duct and having an opening for introducing the conditioned air from the inlet opening into the cabin. The air guide is pivotable between a use condition and a non-use condition where the inlet opening is oriented differently from an orientation of the inlet opening when the air guide is in the use condition. The air guide is pivotable about an axis such that the inlet opening of the air guide assumes an upstream orientation with respect to a direction of air flow within the air distribution duct when the air guide is in the use condition whereas the inlet opening of the air guide assumes a downstream orientation with respect to the direction of air flow within the air distribution duct when the air guide is in the non-use condition.

Claims

1. A cabin for a work vehicle, comprising:

a ceiling portion;

an air conditioner provided to the work vehicle;

an air distribution duct provided to the ceiling portion for communicating conditioned air from the air conditioner to the cabin;

an air guide projecting into the air distribution duct at an intermediate portion of the duct and forming an inlet opening in a lateral face of a projecting portion of the air guide; and

an outlet portion extending to outside the duct and having an opening for introducing the conditioned air from the inlet opening into the cabin;

wherein the air guide is pivotable between a use condition and a non-use condition where the inlet opening is oriented differently from an orientation of the inlet opening when the air guide is in the use condition; and

wherein

the air guide is pivotable about an axis such that the inlet opening of the air guide assumes an upstream orientation with respect to a direction of air flow within the air distribution duct when the air guide is in the use condition whereas the inlet opening of the air guide assumes a downstream orientation with respect to the direction of air flow within the air distribution duct when the air guide is in the non-use condition.

2. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein the axis extends substantially vertically, and wherein when the air guide is in the use condition, the opening of the outlet portion is directed away from a straight forward direction to feed conditioned air generally toward a side view mirror.

3. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein the outlet portion is a separate piece from the air guide and is connected to the air guide so as to be integrally rotatable therewith.

4. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein the air guide includes a lower portion extending substantially straight along said axis and an upper portion projecting into the air duct and having the inlet opening.

5. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 4, wherein the outlet portion includes an upper portion extending along said axis and a lower portion extending at a predetermined angle relative to the upper portion and having the opening.

6. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein the inlet opening of the air guide is oriented substantially different, in plan view, from the opening direction of the opening of the outlet portion.

7. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein an area of the inlet opening is substantially greater than an area of the opening of the outlet portion.

8. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 7, wherein the area of the inlet opening is at least twice as great as the area of the opening of the outlet portion.

9. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the outlet portion generally extend horizontally and wherein the horizontal width of the opening is greater than the vertical height of the opening.

10. The work vehicle cabin according to claim 9, wherein the horizontal width of the opening is at least twice as great as the vertical height of the opening.