Work machine vehicle having joystick controls on an adjustable suspended seatbar

• US 8,226,155 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Doosan Bobcat North America Incorporated (Doosan Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Company Limited)
• Inventors: Hill, Aaron G., Ekren, Jeremy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK, MELISSA ANN
• Application Number:
  US12/360,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 296/190.01, 296/190.03, 296/190.08, 297/411.21, 297/411.32, 180/329, 180/326, 180/330, 180/331, 180/333, 180/272, 280/748
• US Class Current: 296/190.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/773 Longitudinal adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/797 for use as electrical control means, e.g. switches
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/02 Occupant safety arrangements or fittings , e.g. crash pads seat belts with crash pads B60R22/14; removable children's seats having a front guard or barrier B60N2/2839
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/163 Structures to protect drivers, e.g. cabins, doors for cabins; Falling object protection structure [FOPS]; Roll over protection structure [ROPS] for handrails mounted on cabins E02F9/0833 takes precedence; for vehicles in general B60R21/11, B60R21/13, for fork-lift trucks B66F9/07545
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2004 Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers control levers per se G05G

Abstract

Disclosed are work machine vehicles having an adjustable seatbar assembly in the operator protective structure. The adjustable seatbar assembly is suspended from a seat in the operator protective structure. Vehicle controls are integrated with the adjustable seatbar assembly such that the vehicle controls and the operator sitting on the seat are maintained at constant relative positions with respect to each other even as the work machine vehicle moves over rough terrain and the seat moves up and down on a seat suspension.

Claims

1. A work machine vehicle comprising:

an operator protective structure;

a seat positioned in the operator protective structure; and

an adjustable seatbar assembly suspended from the seat, the adjustable seatbar assembly including;

first and second armrests pivotally coupled to the seat about first and second locations on opposing sides of the seat to allow for selectable adjustment of an operating position of the first and second armrests; and

a seatbar positionable in front of an operator sitting on the seat, the seatbar being pivotally coupled to the first armrest and releasably attachable to the second arm rest.

2. The work machine vehicle of claim 1, wherein the adjustable seatbar assembly comprises a slide mechanism which selectively allows fore and aft adjustment of the first armrest relative to the operator.

3. The work machine vehicle of claim 1, wherein the adjustable seatbar assembly further comprises a latch mechanism on the second arm rest to selectively secure the seatbar to the second arm rest.

4. The work machine vehicle of claim 1, and further comprising an over-center spring mechanism coupled to the seatbar to provide bias forces to aid in pivoting the seatbar.

5. The work machine of claim 1, wherein the seat has a suspension so that the seat can move up and down and wherein the work machine vehicle further comprises:

vehicle controls integrated with the adjustable seatbar assembly such that the vehicle controls and the operator sitting on the seat are maintained at constant relative positions when the seat moves up and down.

6. The work machine vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle controls comprise joystick vehicle controls, and wherein the adjustable seatbar assembly further comprises a joystick mount supporting the joystick vehicle controls to maintain the constant relative positions between the joystick vehicle controls and the operator with respect to each other as the work machine vehicle moves over rough terrain and the seat moves up and down.

7. The work machine of claim 1 and further comprising a pivoting mechanism for coupling the first armrest to the seat, the pivoting mechanism including an actuation device configured to allow for selection of one of a plurality of rotational operating positions.

8. A work machine vehicle comprising:

an operator protective structure;

a seat positioned in the operator protective structure, the seat having a seatback portion and a seat cushion portion, the seat being allowed to move up and down on a seat suspension;

a seatbar assembly pivotally suspended from the seat at first and second positions and rotatably positionable about an axis that extends from a first side to a second side of the seat in front of an operator sitting on the seat into a plurality of operable positions; and

vehicle controls coupled to and suspended from the seatbar so that the vehicle controls move with the seatbar when the seatbar is pivoted relative to the seat.

9. The work machine vehicle of claim 8, wherein the adjustable seatbar assembly comprises a first slide mechanism which selectively allows fore and aft adjustment of the seatbar and vehicle controls relative to the seatback.

10. The work machine vehicle of claim 9, wherein the adjustable seatbar assembly comprises a second slide mechanism, the first and second slide mechanisms being positioned respectively on left and right hand sides of the seat to independently allow fore and aft adjustment of the seatbar and the vehicle controls relative to the seatback.

11. The work machine vehicle of claim 8, wherein the seatbar is configured to be pivotable toward the seatback to allow an operator to enter or exit the seat, and wherein the seatbar further includes a pivot adjustment mechanism to selectively allow the vehicle controls to be vertically adjusted relative to the operator when the operator is seated in the seat.

12. The work machine vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle comprises a loader.

13. The work machine vehicle of claim 8, wherein the seatbar assembly includes a seatbar, the seat bar being pivotally attached to the seat at the first and second locations.

14. The work machine vehicle of claim 8, wherein the seatbar is slidingly adjustable with respect to the seat in a direction other than movement accomplished by rotating the seatbar about the pivotal suspension to the seat.