Work vehicle with commodity tank and a commodity tank for a work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021053-B2
Application number	US-201816158864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2018
Priority date	Oct 12, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A work vehicle and a commodity tank configured for mounting on a work vehicle and storing material are provided. The commodity tank includes an inboard portion extending vertically and configured to be positioned at an inboard location of the work vehicle. The commodity tank further includes an outboard portion extending horizontally from an upper end of the inboard portion and configured to extend at least partially over a ground-engaging member of the work vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle comprising:
a work vehicle body;
at least one track assembly at least partially supporting the work vehicle body and having a track assembly upper profile; and
at least one commodity tank configured to store material and comprising:
an inboard portion extending vertically and configured to be positioned at an inboard location of the work vehicle, the inboard portion defining an inboard surface configured to be disposed between the work vehicle body and the at least one track assembly; and
an outboard portion extending horizontally from an upper end of the inboard portion and configured to extend at least partially over the at least one track assembly, the outboard portion defining a lower surface configured to face the at least one track assembly and being spaced from above the at least one track assembly along the track assembly upper profile.

2. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one track assembly comprises two track assemblies, each of the two track assemblies being disposed on opposite sides of the vehicle body.

3. The work vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the at least one commodity tank comprises two commodity tanks, each of the two commodity tanks being disposed on opposite sides of the work vehicle body.

4. The work vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the track assembly upper profile comprises a curve having a central peak.

5. The work vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the lower surface comprises a lower surface front portion, a lower surface central portion, and a lower surface rear portion, and wherein at least one of the lower surface front portion and the lower surface rear portion is disposed below the lower surface central portion.

6. The work vehicle of claim 3 , further comprising at least one drive axle, wherein the at least one drive axle extends through each of the two commodity tanks.

7. The work vehicle of claim 3 , further comprising at least one pump disposed in at least one of the two commodity tanks and being configured to transfer material at least one of:
between the two commodity tanks;
into at least one of the two commodity tanks; and/or
out of at least one of the two commodity tanks.

8. The work vehicle of claim 3 , further comprising an operator station having at least one lower window edge disposed adjacent to at least one of the two commodity tanks and having a lower window edge profile, wherein an upper surface of the at least one of the two commodity tanks corresponds to the lower window edge profile.

9. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the track assembly upper profile is defined by an endless track of the track assembly, the lower surface of the at least one commodity tank being spaced from the endless track along the track assembly upper profile.

10. A commodity tank configured for mounting on a work vehicle and configured for storing material, the commodity tank comprising:
an inboard portion extending vertically and configured to be positioned at an inboard location of the work vehicle, the inboard portion defining an inboard surface configured to be disposed between an operator station and a ground-engaging member of the work vehicle; and
an outboard portion extending horizontally from an upper end of the inboard portion and configured to extend at least partially over the ground-engaging member of the work vehicle, the outboard portion defining a lower surface configured to face an endless track of the ground-engaging member and being spaced from above the ground-engaging member.

11. The commodity tank of claim 10 , wherein the inboard portion defines an opening configured to accommodate a drive axle of the work vehicle extending through the inboard portion.

12. The commodity tank of claim 10 , wherein the outboard portion extends along an outboard portion profile corresponding to a track assembly upper profile of track assembly of the ground engaging member.

13. The commodity tank of claim 10 , wherein the inboard portion comprises an inboard surface disposed at the upper end of the inboard portion, the inboard surface being shaped for positioning against an exterior surface of the operator station.

14. A commodity tank for storing material on an associated tracked work vehicle having a track assembly defining a track assembly upper profile, the commodity tank comprising:
a lower surface configured to face an endless track of the track assembly of the associated tracked work vehicle and being spaced from above the endless track along the track assembly upper profile;
an upper surface configured for mounting adjacent to an operator station of the associated tracked work vehicle; and
an inboard surface configured to be disposed between the endless track and an exterior surface of the operator station of the associated tracked work vehicle.

15. The commodity tank of claim 14 , wherein the upper surface of the commodity tank is configured to be positioned below a lower window edge of the operator station of the associated tracked work vehicle.

16. The commodity tank of claim 14 , wherein the upper surface of the commodity tank is configured to extend in an outbound direction from an inbound location adjacent the operator station to an outbound location above the track assembly.

17. The commodity tank of claim 14 , wherein the lower surface of the commodity tank comprises:
a lower surface front portion,
a lower surface central portion, and
a lower surface rear portion,
wherein at least one of the lower surface front portion and the lower surface rear portion is disposed below the lower surface central portion.

18. The commodity tank of claim 17 , wherein the lower surface front portion of the commodity tank is configured to be spaced from the endless track along a front portion of the track assembly.

19. The commodity tank of claim 17 , wherein the lower surface central portion of the commodity tank is configured to be spaced from the endless track along an upper portion of the track assembly.

20. The commodity tank of claim 17 , wherein the lower surface rear portion of the commodity tank is configured to be spaced from the endless track along a rear portion of the track assembly.

21. The commodity tank of claim 14 , wherein:
the inboard surface is defined on an inboard portion of the commodity tank configured to be positioned at an inboard location of the associated tracked work vehicle; and
the lower surface is defined on an outboard portion of the commodity tank extending horizontally from an upper end of the inboard portion and configured to extend at least partially over the endless track of the track assembly of the associated tracked work vehicle.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Bering Christopher A
• Hogan Chad N

Classifications

• B62D55/065

  Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks {(soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C)} · CPC title

• B60Y2200/25

  Track vehicles · CPC title

• B60K2015/0638

  the fuel tank is arranged in the rear of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60Y2410/10

  Housings · CPC title

• B60P3/2215

  Mounting of tanks to vehicles · CPC title