Tilting hood assembly having fender-mounted handle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9308944-B2
Application number	US-201414274196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2014
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

A hood assembly is disclosed for use with a machine having a power source and an operator station. The hood assembly may have a hood configured to at least partially cover the power source, and a hinge located at an end of the hood away from the operator station. The hood assembly may also have a fender located at a transverse side of the hood, and a handle formed within one of the fender and the hood at an end near the operator station.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A fender for a traction device, comprising:
a generally four-sided structure configured to extend in a width direction of the traction device, the generally four-sided structure having a leading end and a trailing end relative to forward travel direction of the traction device, a top side, and an outer side; and
a handle formed at least partially within the trailing end and the outer side, wherein the handle is recessed within the generally four-sided structure and has a generally U-shaped cross section.

2. The fender of claim 1 , wherein the handle is located at a rear most corner of the fender formed by an intersection of the trailing end and the outer side.

3. The fender of claim 1 , wherein the fender includes:
a modesty skirt; and
a fender flare connected to an outer edge of the modesty skirt, the handle being formed within only the fender flare.

4. The fender of claim 3 , wherein the modesty skirt is integrally connected to an engine hood.

5. The fender of claim 3 , wherein the handle is molded into the fender flare.

6. The fender of claim 5 , further including at least one fastener configured to connect the fender flare to the modesty skirt at the handle.

7. The fender of claim 3 , further including:
a box formed inside the fender flare and spaced apart from walls of the fender flare; and
a plurality of ribs extending from the walls of the fender flare to the box,
wherein the box and the ribs are integrally formed with the fender flare.

8. The fender of claim 1 , wherein the handle is generally shaped.

9. The fender of claim 8 , wherein the handle has a texture that is rougher than a texture of the generally four-sided structure.

10. The fender of claim 1 , wherein the handle includes a plurality of raised external ribs extending in a length direction of the handle.

11. The fender of claim 1 , wherein the handle is generally hollow, and includes a weep hole formed within a gravitationally lowest portion of the handle.

12. A hood assembly for a machine having a power source and an operator station, the hood assembly comprising:
a hood configured to at least partially cover the power source;
a hinge located at an end of the hood away from the operator station;
a fender located at a transverse side of the hood; and
a handle formed within one of the fender and the hood at an end near the operator station, wherein the handle is recessed within the fender and has generally U-shaped cross section.

13. The hood assembly of claim 12 , wherein the fender includes:
a modesty skirt integral with the hood; and
a fender flare connected to an outer edge of the modesty skirt, the handle being formed within only the fender flare.

14. The hood assembly of claim 13 , wherein:
the hood and modesty skirt are fabricated from a first material; and
the fender flare and handle are integrally molded from a second material that is more flexible than the first material.

15. The hood assembly of claim 14 , wherein:
the handle is formed at a rearmost outer corner of the fender flare; and
the hood assembly further includes at least one fastener connecting the fender flare to the modesty skirt at the handle.

16. The hood assembly of claim 12 , wherein the handle includes at least two segments formed into a general L-shape, such that an operator can open the hood from a first location at a side of the fender and from a second location rearward of the fender by lifting upward on each of the at least two segments of the handle.

17. The hood assembly of claim 16 , wherein the handle includes:
a plurality of raised external ribs extending in a length direction of the handle; and
a texture that is rougher than a texture of the fender flare.

18. The hood assembly of claim 12 , wherein the handle is generally hollow, and includes a drain hole formed within a gravitationally lowest portion of the handle.

19. A mobile machine, comprising:
a frame;
an operator station supported by the frame;
a power source supported by the frame forward of the operator station relative to a forward traveling direction of the mobile machine;
at least one traction device rotatably connected to the frame;
a mud guard located between the at least one traction device and the operator station the mud guard being operatively connected to the frame;
a hood configured to at least partially cover the power source;
a hinge operatively connected to the frame and to the hood at an end of the hood away from the operator station;
a fender fixedly connected to a transverse side of the hood and configured to abut the mud guard and at least partially enclose the at least one traction device when the hood is in a closed position, wherein the fender includes a modest skirt;
a fender flare connected to an outer edge or the modesty skirt; and
a handle formed within only the fender flare at an end near the mud guard.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Hanson Eric
• Wilson Curt
• Hardin Christian
• Pabst G L
• Smith Jr James L
• Charles Robert D

Classifications

• B62D25/168

  Mud guards for utility vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/2619

  built in the vehicle body · CPC title

• B62D25/12

  Parts or details thereof (locks E05B, {E05B83/16; devices for holding open E05C17/00, e.g. while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042}; hinges E05D; counterbalancing means E05F; {checks, stops, buffers E05F5/00; } springs, {e.g. pneumatic springs} F16F) · CPC title

• B60Q1/0408

  built into the vehicle body, e.g. details concerning the mounting of the headlamps on the vehicle body (B60Q1/0491, B60Q1/05 take precedence, integrated front ends B62D25/00) · CPC title

• B62D25/182 Primary

  Movable mudguards, or mudguards comprising movable or detachable parts (B62D25/188 takes precedence) · CPC title