Control device for a crawler vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811109-B2
Application number	US-201113882349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2011
Priority date	Oct 29, 2010
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A control device for a crawler vehicle, comprising a control lever activated by an operator about a fulcrum and having a free end, the control lever being displaceable along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle between a proximal position closer to the operator and a distal position further from the operator in order to control a main clutch of the vehicle, the control device further comprising a support element suitable for being fixed to a body of the vehicle in order to support an operator's hand when the hand acts on the control lever, wherein the control lever has an intermediate portion interposed between the free end and the fulcrum, the intermediate portion being so shaped as to partially embrace the support element in the proximal position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device configured to control a transmission of a crawler vehicle, comprising:
a lever element actuatable by an operator in a first direction and rotatable by the operator in a direction transverse to the first direction, the lever element being continuously displaceable between a plurality of positions;
a control element operable by the lever element and configured to engage and disengage a main clutch of the crawler vehicle; and
a cam member cooperating with a rocker arm assembly to apply on the lever element a controlled force, the controlled force depending on a position of the lever element;
wherein the cam member is coupled to the lever element such that displacement of the lever element between the plurality of positions drives the cam member to rotate relative to the rocker arm assembly, and the lever element is rotatable relative to the cam member without altering a position of the cam member,
wherein the cam member is delimited by a cam profile which has a recess configured to stably receive a cam follower of the rocker arm assembly in one of the plurality of positions of the lever element corresponding to a configuration in which the main clutch is engaged,
wherein the cam profile has a valley configured to stably receive the cam follower in a neutral stable position of the lever element corresponding to a configuration in which the main clutch is disengaged,
wherein the cam profile has a profile portion interposed between the valley and the recess, the profile portion being inclined toward the valley so that, if the lever element is released when the cam follower is in contact with the profile portion, the cam member brings the lever element back to the neutral stable position,
wherein along the profile portion, the rocker arm assembly applies to the cam member a force which progressively increases from the valley towards the recess,
wherein the cam profile has an inclined stretch arranged at an opposite side of the valley with respect to the recess so that, when the cam follower is in contact with the inclined stretch, a transmission brake suitable for braking a gearing mechanism of the vehicle gearbox is activated.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein two projecting edges are provided at opposite ends of the recess to resist exit of the cam follower from the recess.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined stretch has an inclination such that, if the lever element is released when the cam follower is in contact with the inclined stretch, the cam member brings the lever element back to the neutral stable position.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the cam follower comprises a rolling bearing which is supported by an oscillating body of the rocker arm assembly.

5. The device according to claim 4 , comprising a biasing member acting on the oscillating body and configured to urge the cam follower into contact with the cam member.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the oscillating body comprises a first arm having an end region which supports the cam follower and a second arm having an end connected to the biasing member.

7. The device according to claim 1 , comprising a bracket having a first longitudinal branch at an end of which the cam member is formed, and a second longitudinal branch connected to the control element, the first longitudinal branch being joined to the second longitudinal branch by a transverse portion which receives a stem of the lever element.

8. The crawler vehicle comprising the device according to claim 1 .

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the recess is delimited by a profile which is shaped as a circle arc.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the valley penetrates in the cam member more deeply than the recess.

Assignees

• Pescione Fabio
• Conti Enrico
• Magrini Sergio
• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Pescione Fabio
• Conti Enrico
• Magrini Sergio

Classifications

• F16H59/02

  Selector apparatus · CPC title

• F16H61/24

  Providing feel, e.g. to enable selection · CPC title

• E02F9/2004 Primary

  Control mechanisms, e.g. control levers (control levers per se G05G) · CPC title

• Y10T74/20073

  Control of plural mechanisms [e.g., control of transmission and control of 4 - wheel drive] · CPC title

• G05G9/02 Primary

  the controlling member being movable in different independent ways, movement in each individual way actuating one controlled member only · CPC title