Working machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12037052-B2
Application number	US-202017110749-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A working machine includes a steering, a steering post supporting the steering, and a steering column covering the steering post. The steering column has a switch panel arranged below the steering on an upper surface of the steering column, and the switch panel has a first switch group including a plurality of switches arranged to have an inclining configuration in plan view where the switches align in a machine outward direction as shifting forward, the first switch group being arranged on both sides of the steering post in a machine width direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A working machine comprising:
a steering wheel;
a steering post supporting the steering wheel; and
a steering column covering the steering post, wherein
the steering column has
a switch panel arranged below the steering wheel on an upper surface of the steering column, and

the switch panel has
a first switch group including a plurality of switches arranged on opposite sides of the steering post in a machine width direction, wherein

the plurality of switches of the first switch group include a first switch which is located on one of the opposite sides of the steering post in the machine width direction and which is located below a wheel portion such that the first switch underlaps the wheel portion in plan view, the wheel portion being an outer peripheral portion of the steering wheel, and
the first switch
is a release switch including a seesaw switch to, when pressed at a front portion thereof, enable operation of releasing connection of a working tool and, when pressed at a rear portion thereof, disable the operation of releasing connection of the working tool, and
includes a guard member guarding the front portion of the first switch to prevent the front portion from being pressed, the guard member being configured to, when operated to unguard the front portion, allow the front portion to be pressed.

2. The working machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operator seat arranged behind the steering wheel;
a console arranged on a side of the operator seat and on the other of the opposite sides of the steering post in the machine width direction; and
an operation lever provided to a front portion of the console, wherein the operation lever is provided with, in a grip thereof, a working-tool connection switch for operation of connecting the working tool and the operation of releasing connection of the working tool.

3. The working machine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a lift arm provided at a front portion of a machine body; and
a connector pin provided at a front portion of the lift arm movably along the machine width direction to connect the working tool, wherein
the connector pin is configured to be moved along the machine width direction by the working-tool connection switch to perform the operation of connecting the working tool and the operation of releasing connection of the working tool.

4. The working machine according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a cabin surrounding the operator seat, wherein
the cabin includes
a first front pillar provided on one of opposite sides of a front of the cabin in the machine width direction,
a second front pillar provided on the other of the opposite sides of the front of the cabin in the machine width direction, and
a front panel made of a transparent material and covering a front side of the steering column,

the front panel includes
a main portion located between the first front pillar and the second front pillar and above the steering column,
a first lower portion extending downwardly from one of opposite portions of the main portion in the machine width direction and located on one of opposite sides of an upper portion of the steering column in the machine width direction, and
a second lower portion extending downwardly from the other of the opposite portions of the main portion in the machine width direction and located on the other of the opposite sides of the upper portion of the steering column in the machine width direction, and

the connector pin is visible from inside the cabin through the first lower portion or the second lower portion.

5. The working machine according to claim 4 , wherein
the lift arm includes
a first arm and a second arm arranged at an interval in the machine width direction,

the connector pin includes
a first pin provided to a front portion of the first arm, and
a second pin provided to a front portion of the second arm, and

the first pin is visible through the first lower portion from inside the cabin, and the second pin is visible through the second lower portion from inside the cabin.

6. The working machine according to claim 5 , wherein
the first arm and the second arm are arranged at the interval such that the interval gradually widens as extending forward.

7. The working machine according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a first front wheel located outward of the first arm along the machine width direction, and
a second front wheel located outward of the second arm along the machine width direction, wherein
the first front wheel is visible through the first lower portion from inside the cabin, and the second front wheel is visible through the second lower portion from inside the cabin.

8. The working machine according to claim 1 , wherein
two or more of the plurality of switches are arranged on the one of the opposite sides of the steering post in the machine width direction, are located below the wheel portion such that the two or more of the plurality of switches underlap the wheel portion in plan view, and are arranged along a front-to-rear direction such that a longitudinal direction of each of the two or more of the plurality of switches is inclined in a first machine width outward direction as extending forward in plan view, and
the other two or more of the plurality of switches are arranged on the other of the opposite sides of the steering post in the machine width direction, are located below the wheel portion such that the other two or more of the plurality of switches underlap the wheel portion in plan view, and are arranged along the front-to-rear direction such that a longitudinal direction of each of the other two or more of the plurality of switches is inclined in a second machine width outward direction as extending forward in plan view.

9. The working machine according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a cabin surrounding the operator seat, wherein
the console is arranged on a right side of the operator seat, and
the cabin includes:
an entry and exit door provided on a left side of the cabin,
a right door provided on a right side of the cabin and having a door window which has transparency; and
a boarding passage provided between the console and a front pillar provided to the right of the cabin.

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Iwamoto Teruhiko
• Nakao Toshihiro

Classifications

• B60K35/654

  the user being the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/80

  Arrangements for controlling instruments · CPC title

• B60K35/53

  Movable instruments, e.g. slidable · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title