Front loader, support frame for a front loader and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100488-B2
Application number	US-201615098848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2016
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A support for and/or a front loader includes a first main frame fixed to one of a left and right side of a vehicle body and a second main frame fixed to the other of the left and right sides of the vehicle body. A rear end of the second main frame is positioned further forward than a rear end of the first main frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A two-boom front loader for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a transmission case, comprising:
a first fixing frame configured to mount a first side boom of the two-boom front loader, said first fixing frame being fixed to a first side of the vehicle body;
a second fixing frame configured to mount a second side boom of the two-boom front loader, said first fixing frame being fixed to a second and opposite side of the vehicle body; and
said first and second fixing frames being spaced apart so as to be located on opposite sides of the transmission case,
wherein a rear end of the second fixing frame is positioned further forward than a rear end of the first fixing frame.

2. The front loader of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first support frame configured to support the first side boom;
said first support frame being located on an exterior side of the first fixing frame; and
a first coupling frame coupling the first fixing frame to the first support frame,
wherein the first fixing frame comprises:
a forward group of through-holes located forward of the coupling frame and being configured to receive bolts adapted to fix the first fixing frame to the vehicle body; and
a rear group of through-holes located rearward of the coupling frame and in a lower position than the forward group of through-holes, the rear group of through-holes configured to receive bolts adapted to fix the first fixing frame to the vehicle body.

3. The front loader of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second support frame configured to support the second side boom;
said second support frame being located on an exterior side of the second fixing frame; and
a second coupling frame coupling the second fixing frame to the second support frame, wherein the second fixing frame comprises:
a forward group of through-holes located forward of the second coupling frame and being configured to receive bolts adapted to fix the second fixing frame to the vehicle body; and
a rear group of through-holes located rearward of the second coupling frame and in a lower position than the forward group of through-holes, the rear group of through-holes configured to receive bolts adapted to fix the second fixing frame to the vehicle body.

4. The front loader of claim 3 , wherein the rear group of through-holes is located at a position lower than a vertical direction center axis of the second coupling frame.

5. The front loader according to claim 3 , wherein the rear group of through-holes includes a smaller-diameter through-hole having a diameter smaller than other of the rear through-holes and being located at a position higher than at least one of the other rear through-holes and forward of at least one of the other rear through-holes, said smaller-diameter through-hole being configured to receive therein a stud bolt adapted to fix the second fixing frame to the vehicle body.

6. The front loader of claim 5 , wherein the rear group of through-holes is located at a position lower than a vertical direction center axis of the second coupling frame.

7. The front loader of claim 1 , wherein the first fixing frame comprises:
a front plate-shaped portion having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to a left/right direction of the vehicle body; and
a rear plate-shaped portion located rearward of the front plate-shaped portion and having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to the left/right direction,
wherein the rear plate-shaped portion is shifted further outward than the front plate-shaped portion by a first predetermined width.

8. The front loader of claim 1 , wherein the second fixing frame comprises:
a front plate-shaped portion having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to a left/right direction of the vehicle body; and
a rear plate-shaped portion located rearward of the front plate-shaped portion and having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to the left/right direction,
wherein the rear plate-shaped portion is shifted further outward than the front plate-shaped portion by a first predetermined width.

9. The front loader of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fixing frame comprises:
a front plate-shaped portion having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to a left/right direction of the vehicle body; and
a rear plate-shaped portion located rearward of the front plate-shaped portion and having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to the left/right direction,
wherein the rear plate-shaped portion is shifted further outward than the front plate-shaped portion by a first predetermined width; and

the second fixing frame comprises:
a front plate-shaped portion having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to a left/right direction of the vehicle body; and
a rear plate-shaped portion located rearward of the front plate-shaped portion and having a surface oriented generally perpendicular to the left/right direction,
wherein the rear plate-shaped portion is shifted further outward than the front plate-shaped portion by a second predetermined width that is greater than the first predetermined width.

10. The front loader of claim 1 , further comprising an indirect frame member configured to connect the rear end of the second fixing frame to one of:
the transmission case; and
the vehicle body.

11. The front loader of claim 10 , wherein an overall length of the first fixing frame is different than an overall length of the second fixing frame, each overall length being measured between a front end and the rear end of each of the first and second fixing frames.

12. The front loader of claim 1 , wherein:
a front portion of the second fixing frame is fixed to the second side of the vehicle body;
the rear end of the second fixing frame is laterally offset in a left-right direction of the vehicle body relative to the front portion of the second fixing frame; and
a boom support frame is fixed to the second fixing frame via a coupling frame.

13. The front loader of claim 12 , further comprising an indirect frame member configured to connect the rear end of the second fixing frame to one of:
the transmission case; and
the vehicle body.

14. The front loader of claim 13 , wherein:
a front portion of the first fixing frame is fixed to the first side of the vehicle body;
the rear end of the first fixing frame is laterally offset in a left-right direction of the vehicle body relative to the front portion of the first fixing frame; and
a boom support frame is fixed to the first fixing frame via a coupling frame.

15. The front loader of claim 1 , wherein an overall length of the first fixing frame is greater than an overall length of the second fixing frame, each overall length being measured between a front end and the rear end of each of the first and second fixing frames.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Ozeki Yuta
• Mori Akihiko
• Takagi Masataka

Classifications

• E02F9/006

  Pivot joint assemblies (in general F16C11/04) · CPC title

• E02F3/627

  Devices to connect beams or arms to tractors or similar self-propelled machines, {e.g. drives therefor (connection of beams or booms or arms to the frame per se E02F3/382; connection of scraper bowls to the vehicle main body E02F3/653; connecting devices for agriculture tractors A01B59/06)} · CPC title

• E02F3/3695 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting dipper-arms to loaders or graders · CPC title

• E02F9/0808

  Improving mounting or assembling, e.g. frame elements, disposition of all the components on the superstructures (for disposition of specific components, E02F9/0858) · CPC title

• A01D87/0053

  Tractor-mounted loaders (buck-rakes, transporting rakes A01D87/08; manure loaders A01C3/04; fork loaders, fork lifts B66F; earth-moving machines E02F) · CPC title