Add-on wheel weight for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10807410-B2
Application number	US-201815938430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

An add-on wheel weight for a work machine that includes a weight disc and a mounting configured to attach to a wheel rim. The weight disc includes a closure mechanism that may be actuated manually or by outside force. The closure mechanism has an axially running guide opening configured to receive a coupling element associated with the mounting and has a releasable locking element for latching the coupling element inside the guide opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An add-on wheel weight for a vehicle, comprising:
a mounting configured to mount to a wheel, the mounting including a coupling element; and
a weight disc configured to mount to the mounting, the weight disc including an actuatable closure mechanism, the closure mechanism having:
an axially running guide opening configured to receive the coupling element; and
a locking element configured to latch the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in a locked position, and to allow the coupling element to be released from the inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in an unlocked position;

wherein the locking element includes a blocking contour that slides in and out of the guide opening, and the blocking contour latches the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in the locked position.

2. The add-on wheel weight of claim 1 , wherein the closure mechanism is a first closure mechanism, and the weight disc includes a second closure mechanism that is spaced radially apart from the first closure mechanism.

3. An add-on wheel weight for a vehicle, comprising:
a mounting configured to mount to a wheel rim, the mounting including a coupling element; and
a weight disc configured to mount to the mounting, the weight disc including an actuatable closure mechanism, the closure mechanism having:
an axially running guide opening configured to receive the coupling element; and
a locking element configured to latch the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in a locked position, and to allow the coupling element to be released from the inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in an unlocked position;

wherein the closure mechanism is a first closure mechanism, and the weight disc includes a second closure mechanism that is spaced radially apart from the first closure mechanism; and
wherein the weight disc includes a cutout that is configured to receive at least one of a loader fork and a cable hoist when mounting and unmounting the weight disc, and the cutout is positioned radially between the first and second closure mechanisms.

4. An add-on wheel weight for a vehicle, comprising:
a mounting configured to mount to a wheel, the mounting including a coupling element; and
a weight disc configured to mount to the mounting, the weight disc including an actuatable closure mechanism, the closure mechanism having:
an axially running guide opening configured to receive the coupling element; and
a locking element configured to latch the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in a locked position, and to allow the coupling element to be released from the inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in an unlocked position; and

a tensioning element positioned between the mounting and the weight disc for establishing a frictional connection therebetween, the tensioning element being concentric with respect to the coupling element.

5. The add-on wheel weight of claim 4 , wherein the tensioning element is a disc spring, an inner face of the disc spring contacts the coupling element, and an outer face of the disc spring contacts the weight disc.

6. An add-on wheel weight for a vehicle, comprising:
a mounting configured to mount to a wheel, the mounting including a coupling element; and
a weight disc configured to mount to the mounting, the weight disc including an actuatable closure mechanism, the closure mechanism having:
an axially running guide opening configured to receive the coupling element; and
a locking element configured to latch the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in a locked position, and to allow the coupling element to be released from the inside of the guide opening when the closure mechanism is in an unlocked position:

wherein the mounting includes an annular fastening flange and a hollow cylindrical main body coupled thereto and extending outwards relative to the vehicle, and an inner face of the annular fastening flange is configured to contact the wheel.

7. The add-on wheel weight of claim 6 , wherein the weight disc includes a central opening, and the main body form-fittingly extends into the central opening.

8. The add-on wheel weight of claim 7 , wherein the hollow cylindrical main body includes axially running sliding ribs, and the sliding ribs form-fittingly extend into the central opening.

9. The add-on wheel weight of claim 8 , wherein the weight disc includes a bore that is canted relative to a central axis defined by the wheel weight, the locking element includes a return spring and a locking pin positioned in the bore, and the return spring biases the locking pin towards the guide opening.

10. The add-on wheel weight of claim 9 , wherein the closure mechanism has an actuating lever, a first fastening pin that pivotably couples the actuating lever to the weight disc, and a second fastening pin that pivotably couples the actuating lever to the locking pin, and further wherein when the closure mechanism transitions from the unlocked position to the locked position and vice-versa, the actuating lever pivots relative to the weight disc about the first fastening pin, and the locking pin simultaneously pivots relative to the actuating lever about the second fastening pin.

11. The add-on wheel weight of claim 9 , wherein the locking pin and the return spring define a snap closure, and the snap closure is biased to automatically latch the coupling element inside of the guide opening when the weight disc is slid onto the mounting.

12. The add-on wheel weight of claim 9 , wherein when the closure mechanism is in the unlocked position, the locking pin does not block the coupling element from exiting the guide opening, and when the closure mechanism is in the locked position, the locking pin does block the coupling element from exiting the guide opening.

13. The add-on wheel weight of claim 9 , wherein locking element is a pivotably mounted actuating lever.

14. The add-on wheel weight of claim 13 , wherein the weight disc includes an outer face recess, and the actuating lever is positioned surface-flush in the outer face recess when the closure mechanism is in the locked position.

15. The add-on wheel weight of claim 13 , wherein the coupling element includes a coupling ball, the locking element includes a blocking contour with a spherical profile that aligns with a center of the coupling ball when the closure mechanism is in the locked position.

16. The add-on wheel weight of claim 15 , wherein the blocking contour rotates relative to a pivot axis of the actuating lever, such that the coupling ball is clamped inside the guide opening by the spherical profile when the closure mechanism is in the locked position.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Letscher Jens
• Suttrup Jana

Classifications

• B62D49/0628 Primary

  using detachable weights (counterweights against overturning B62D49/085; movable stabilisation masses B62D37/04) · CPC title

• B60B15/28 Primary

  Wheel-ballasting weights; Their attachment · CPC title

• B62D49/085

  Counterweight · CPC title

• F16B21/02

  Releasable fastening devices locking by rotation (with snap-action F16B21/06; studs or coupling pins with resilient protrusions F16B21/08) · CPC title