Utility vehicle with ROPS and loading platform

• US 9,004,532 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kubota Corporation
• Inventors: Hirooka, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/197,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• Field of Search: 280/756, 280/760, 180/330
• US Class Current: 280/756
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3031 in a longitudinal-vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/305 the cushion being hinged on the vehicle frame
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/423 from transport of persons to transport of goods
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/13 Roll-over protection electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 23/005 with integrated chassis in the whole shell, e.g. meshwork, tubes, or the like B62D33/044 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0625 open

Abstract

A utility vehicle includes a front boarding section, a rear boarding section having a rear seat unit, a ROPS delimiting space including a front boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the front boarding section and a rear boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the rear boarding section, and a loading platform mounted rearward of the vehicle body. The ROPS includes a plurality of posts and an upper frame supported to the posts and delimiting upper space of the front boarding space and the rear boarding space. The loading platform is switchable between a first position in which a front end of the loading platform is positioned rearward of the rear boarding space and a second position in which the front end of the loading platform enters the rear boarding space.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame extending in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle body;

a front boarding section mounted forward of the vehicle body;

a rear boarding section mounted rearward of the front boarding section and including a rear seat unit;

a roll over protection structure (ROPS) delimiting space including a front boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the front boarding section and a rear boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the rear boarding section, the ROPS including a plurality of posts supported to the vehicle frame and an upper frame supported to the posts and delimiting upper space of the front boarding space and the rear boarding space; and

a platform system with a loading platform mounted rearward of the vehicle body to be switchable between a first position in which a front end of the loading platform is positioned rearward of the rear boarding space and a second position in which the front end of the loading platform enters the rear boarding space;

wherein all of the posts of the ROPS are arranged so as not to overlap the loading platform in both of the first position and the second position as viewed from a lateral side of the vehicle body.

2. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the posts of the ROPS include a pair of right and left front posts and a pair of right and left rear posts, each of the front posts and the rear posts being spaced from each other in a transverse direction of the vehicle body, and the rear posts are positioned forward of the front end of the loading platform in the second position between the front boarding space and the rear boarding space in the fore-and-aft direction.

3. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the rear posts are positioned forward of the rear seat unit.

4. The utility vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the rear posts are connected to the upper frame at intermediate portions of the upper frame in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

5. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear seat unit has a foldable structure to allow the rear seat unit to be switched between a use position in which the rear seat unit is developed in a rear region of the rear boarding space and a storing position in which the rear seat unit is folded in a front region of the rear boarding space, and the front end of the loading platform in the second position enters the open rear region of the rear boarding space created by shifting the rear seat unit to the storing position.

6. The utility vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper frame includes a front upper frame section delimiting upper space of the front boarding space and a rear upper frame section delimiting upper space of the rear boarding space, the rear upper frame section being detachable.

7. A utility vehicle comprising:

a vehicle frame extending in a fore-and-aft direction of a vehicle body;

a front boarding section mounted forward of the vehicle body;

a rear boarding section mounted rearward of the front boarding section and including a rear seat unit;

a roll over protection structure (ROPS) delimiting space including a front boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the front boarding section and a rear boarding space acting as a ride-in space of the rear boarding section, the ROPS including a plurality of posts supported to the vehicle frame and an upper frame supported to the posts and delimiting upper space of the front boarding space and the rear boarding space; and

a platform system with a loading platform mounted rearward of the vehicle body to be switchable between a first position in which a front end of the loading platform is positioned rearward of the rear boarding space and a second position in which the front end of the loading platform enters the rear boarding space;

wherein the posts of the ROPS are arranged so as not to overlap the loading platform in both of the first position and the second position as viewed from a lateral side of the vehicle body;

wherein the posts of the ROPS include a pair of right and left front posts and a pair of right and left rear posts, each of the front posts and the rear posts being spaced from each other in a transverse direction of the vehicle body, and the rear posts are positioned forward of the front end of the loading platform in the second position between the front boarding space and the rear boarding space in the fore-and-aft direction; and

wherein the utility vehicle further comprises a pair of right and left reinforcement beams extending diagonally for connecting the rear posts to the upper frame at portions rearward of connecting points to the rear posts.