Work vehicle with stowable user support member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9677249-B2
Application number	US-201514626364-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a vehicle body, a vehicle cover, at least one user support member and a deployment structure. The body supports at least one serviceable component. The cover is movably mounted to the body to move between a closed position and an open position. The vehicle cover at least partially covers the serviceable component(s) in the closed position, and the cover permits access to the serviceable component(s) in the open position. The user support member(s) is movably mounted to the body to move between a stowed position and a deployed position. The deployment structure is operatively coupled to the user support member(s) to move the user support member(s) from the stowed position to the deployed position in response to movement of the cover from the closed position to the open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body supporting at least one serviceable component;
a vehicle cover movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a closed position and an open position, the vehicle cover covering the at least one serviceable component in the closed position, and the vehicle cover permitting access to the at least one serviceable component in the open position;
at least one user support member movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a stowed position and a deployed position; and
a deployment structure operatively coupled to the vehicle cover and the at least one user support member such that movement of the vehicle cover from the closed position to the open position, through the deployment structure, causes the at least one user support member to move from the stowed position to the deployed position,
the at least one user support member being disposed in an area covered by the vehicle cover when the cover is in the closed position, with the area being uncovered by the vehicle cover when the vehicle cover is in the open position.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user support member includes a retractable handrail.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the retractable handrail is disposed on a lateral side of the vehicle body.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user support member includes a retractable step.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the at least one user support member further includes a retractable handrail.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
a hydraulic cylinder operatively connected between the vehicle body and the vehicle cover to move the vehicle cover between the closed position and the open position in response to actuation of the hydraulic cylinder.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the deployment structure includes a first link interconnecting the at least one user support member and the vehicle cover to move the at least one user support member from the stowed position to the deployed position as the vehicle cover moves from the closed position to the open position.

8. A work vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body supporting at least one serviceable component;
a vehicle cover movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a closed position and an open position, the vehicle cover covering the at least one serviceable component in the closed position, and the vehicle cover permitting access to the at least one serviceable component in the open position;
a first user support member movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a first stowed position and a first deployed position;
a second user support member movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a second stowed position and a second deployed position; and
a deployment structure operatively coupled to the vehicle cover and the first and second user support members such that movement of the vehicle cover from the closed position to the open position, through the deployment structure, causes
the first user support member to move from the first stowed position to the first deployed position and
the second user support member to move from the second stowed position to the second deployed position,

the deployment structure including a first link interconnecting the first user support member and the vehicle cover to move the first user support member from the first stowed position to the first deployed position as the vehicle cover moves from the closed position to the open position, and
the deployment structure including a second link interconnecting the first user support member and the second user support member to transmit movement of the first user support member to the second user support member, the first link having a first end connected to the vehicle cover and a second end connected to the first user support member.

9. The work vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the first user support member is a retractable step,
the second user support member is a retractable handrail, and
the retractable handrail is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body about a handrail pivot axis.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the retractable handrail is an inverted U-shaped member having a pair of free end portions pivotally mounted to the vehicle body.

11. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the retractable step is pivotally mounted to the vehicle body about a step pivot axis.

12. The work vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the first end of the first link is pivotally connected to the vehicle cover and the second end of the first link is pivotally connected to the first user support member at a location that is offset from the step pivot axis.

13. The work vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the second link has a first end pivotally connected to the retractable step and a second end pivotally connected to the retractable handrail at a location that is offset from the handrail pivot axis.

14. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising
at least one stationary step located above the retractable step and disposed inwardly toward a center of the vehicle body with respect to the retractable step.

15. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the vehicle cover, the retractable handrail and the retractable step are pivotally mounted to the vehicle body about parallel pivot axes.

16. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle cover defines a portion of an outer periphery of the vehicle body when the vehicle cover is in the closed position,
the at least one user support member is disposed within the outer periphery of the vehicle body when in the stowed position and the vehicle cover is in the closed position, and
the at least one user support member projects outwardly from the outer periphery of the vehicle body when in the deployed position and the vehicle cover is in the open position.

17. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user support member is disposed in one of a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation in the stowed position, and
the at least one user support member is disposed in the other of the vertical orientation and the horizontal orientation in the deployed position.

18. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising
a work implement movably attached the vehicle body, the work implement including a feller head.

19. A method for a work vehicle including a vehicle body supporting at least one serviceable component, a vehicle cover movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a closed position and an open position, at least one user support member movably mounted to the vehicle body to move between a stowed position and a deployed position, and a deployment structure, the method comprising:
moving the vehicle cover from the closed position to the open position, the vehicle cover covering the at least one serviceable component in the closed position, and the vehicle cover permitting access to the at least one serviceable component in the open position; and
moving at least one user support member from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to movement of the vehicle cover from the closed position to the open position, the deployment structure being operatively coupled to the vehicle cover and the at least one user support member such that movement of the veh

Assignees

• Komatsu Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Holcomb Noah
• Schierschmidt William
• Huleman Gene
• Kinoshita Nobufumi

Classifications

• E02F9/0891 Primary

  Lids or bonnets or doors or details thereof (doors for cabins E02F9/163 takes precedence; for motor vehicles B62D25/10) · CPC title

• E02F9/0833

  Improving access, e.g. for maintenance, steps for improving driver's access, handrails · CPC title

• B60R3/02

  Retractable steps {or ladders, e.g. movable under shock (B60R3/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title