Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of mobile apparatuses with operating arm, such as for instance excavators, wheel loaders, tractors and arm mowers.

Background

Known mobile apparatuses are described in, among others, the patent specifications NL2004954, NL2004784, NL2002125,

NL1035694, NL1028661, NL1027370 and NL1019918 in the name of applicant. The text of these patents is included here by way of reference . Summary of the invention

Embodiments of the present invention have the ob ect of providing an improved mobile apparatus, and in particular an improved construction of the articulations and of the control so that the cab can be given a simpler form and the stability of the mobile apparatus is increased.

A mobile apparatus according to the invention is distinguished for this purpose in that it comprises a frame with a cab, and an operating arm connected to the frame. The operating arm has at least a last articulation, a penultimate articulation and a first articulation. The last articulation is configured to be connected to an implement. The first articulation is connected around a first rotation point to the frame, which can be a sub-frame or a main frame of the mobile apparatus. The last articulation is connected for pivoting around a last rotation point to the penultimate articulation and this latter is connected by means of a penultimate rotation point to the first articulation or to an intermediate articulation of the operating arm in the case more than three articulations are provided. The mobile apparatus further comprises a control for moving the operating arm. The control comprises at least one control member for moving the last articulation relative to the penultimate articulation. The last articulation is rotatable around the last rotation point in the direction of the penultimate articulation by means of the at least one control member for the purpose of folding the last and penultimate articulations to form a folded-together arm. The thus folded-together arm has a first outer end close to the last rotation point and a second outer end close to the penultimate rotation point. The folded-together arm is rotatable around the penultimate rotation point such that the last rotation point can be brought close to the first rotation point so as to form a folded-up operating arm, wherein the at least one control member is mounted such that the at least one control member extends in the folded-together arm, in the direction of said first outer end, no further than the last rotation point.

Such an embodiment has the advantage that the distance between the first rotation point and the cab, i.e. the distance between the last rotation point and the cab in the folded-up position of the operating arm, can be very small, whereby a more compact construction of the upper carriage is possible and the stability of the mobile apparatus is improved. In addition, no recess will be necessary in the cab to allow rotation of parts of the last articulation, whereby the cab takes a simpler form and is thereby cheaper. The windscreen of the cab can for instance thus remain uniform over a larger area. Finally, the area around the steering column can take a simpler form, whereby the blind spot becomes smaller .

The at least one control member between the penultimate and last articulations is preferably positioned on/in/ad acently of/under these articulations. The last articulation preferably has a shorter dimension here than in prior art embodiments, whereby the space required for allowing rotation of this last articulation is more compact/smaller in the folded-up position.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the last and penultimate articulations are shaped such that, in a vertical longitudinal section of the operating arm, said first outer end of the folded-together arm has a substantially round shape centred around the last rotation point. The cab preferably has a substantially flat or slightly curved front side. The last rotation point is then preferably lockable close to the substantially flat or slightly curved front side such that, in the folded-up position of the operating arm, the distance between said first outer end of the folded-together arm and the flat front side is less than 50 cm, preferably less than 15 cm.

According to an advantageous embodiment, in the non-folded position of the operating arm the or each control member between the last and the penultimate articulation lies substantially on the underside of the penultimate and the last articulation. The control member can optionally be connected via one or more parallelogram linkages to the operating arm. The or each control member can for instance be connected at a first outer end to the underside of the last articulation, at a distance from the last rotation point, and at a second outer end to the underside of the penultimate articulation between the last and the penultimate rotation point. The at least one control member is preferably positioned such that no parts of the control member move around the last rotation point in the direction of the cab.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the at least one control member is positioned partially in the penultimate articulation and/or in the last articulation. The or each control member is preferably a cylinder, although alternative embodiments which for instance make use of a hydraulic or electric motor likewise fall within the scope of the invention.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the cab has a windscreen extending substantially over the whole width. The last rotation point is then preferably lockable close to the windscreen such that the distance between said first outer end of the folded-together arm and the windscreen is less than 50 cm, preferably less than 15 cm. The windscreen preferably has a width such that, over at least a part of the height of the windscreen, as seen in front view it overlaps the first articulation and/or overlaps at least a part of the penultimate articulation and/or overlaps at least a part of the last articulation.

The last, the penultimate and the first rotation points are preferably configured to allow at least a rotation around a horizontal axis which is substantially parallel to a front side of the mobile apparatus. The last rotation point and/or the penultimate rotation point and/or the first rotation point can further also be configured to allow a rotation around a vertical axis, in particular a vertical rotation between the frame and the first articulation.

According to another possible embodiment, the first articulation is portal-like, for instance as described in NL 1019918, see for instance figure 4. All passages from NL 1019918 relating to the portal-like first articulation are included here by way of reference. The penultimate articulation and last articulation are then foldable between two parts of the portal-like first articulation .

Brief description of the figures The above stated and other advantageous features and objects of the invention will become more apparent, and the invention better understood, on the basis of the following detailed description when read in combination with the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a cab with operating arm;

Figures 2A, 2B and 2C show respectively a schematic top view, a schematic front view and a schematic bottom view of the embodiment of figure 1;

Figure 3A shows a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of figure 1 as seen from the rear;

Figure 3B shows a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of figure 1 as seen from the underside;

Figure 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of figure 1 in which the operating arm is folded up;

Figures 5A, 5B and 5C show respectively a schematic top view, a schematic front view and a schematic bottom view of the embodiment of figure 4;

Figure 6A is a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of figure 4 as seen from the underside;

Figure 6B is a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of figure 4 as seen from the rear; and

Figure 7 illustrates schematically a number of different positions of an operating arm according to the invention.

The figures illustrate a cab 40 with an operating arm 50 mounted on a frame 30 for use in a mobile apparatus, for instance a mobile apparatus as described in patent specifications NL2004954, NL2004784, NL2002125, NL1035694, NL1028661, NL1027370 and NL1019918 in the name of applicant. These patent specifications are stated here by way of reference, and the skilled person will appreciate that the measures described therein can be combined with the measures described in the present application. Note that frame 30 can be a sub-frame rotatably connected to a main frame of the mobile apparatus. According to an alternative embodiment the frame 30 is mounted fixedly in the mobile apparatus. Operating arm 50 is connected to frame 30 and comprises at least three articulations. In the illustrated embodiment the operating arm comprises a third articulation 3, a second articulation 2 and a first articulation 1. The skilled person will however appreciate that more than three articulations can also be provided and that two articulations can for instance be provided instead of the first articulation. Third articulation 3 is connected to implement 60. In the illustrated embodiment the implement 60 is further connected to a parallelogram linkage which is movable using a cylinder 13. The skilled person will appreciate that implements can also be connected in other ways to the third articulation, and can also be moved in other ways. First articulation 1 is connected around a first rotation point

21 to frame 30. Third articulation 3 is connected for pivoting around a third rotation point 23 to second articulation 2. Second articulation 2 is connected by means of a second rotation point

22 to first articulation 1.

A control cylinder 12 is provided for the purpose of moving last articulation 3 relative to second articulation 2. Other control members, such as control members making use of a hydraulic or electric motor, can also be envisaged within the scope of the invention. Third articulation 3 is foldable around the third rotation point 23 in the direction of second articulation 2 by means of cylinder 12 for the purpose of forming a folded-together arm with a first outer end 24 close to third rotation point 23 and a second outer end 25 close to the second rotation point 22, see figure 4 and figure 7 (B) . The folded-together arm thus formed is rotatable around the second rotation point 22 by means of cylinder 11, see figures 7(B) and (C) . The conduits and/or the hoses of cylinders 10, 11, 12, 13 preferably lie clear in the folded-up position.

The shape and dimensions of articulations 1, 2, 3 and of cylinders 11, 12 are such that the third rotation point 23 can be brought close to the first rotation point 21 so as to form a folded-up operating arm, see figure 4. Rotation points 21, 22, 23 are typically configured to allow a rotation around a horizontal axis running parallel to the front side of cab 40, but can further also be configured to allow a rotation around a vertical axis. The first articulation and the third articulation preferably further lie adjacently of each other as seen in a width direction B of the mobile apparatus, see figure 5B and figure 2B. These articulations 1, 3 can in this way be positioned adjacently of each other in the folded-up position of the operating arm, see figure 4.

Cylinder 12 is mounted in the illustrated embodiment such that, viewed in the direction of the first outer end 24, it extends in the folded-together arm no further than the last rotation point 23. This is illustrated schematically in figure 7.

The outer ends of third articulation 3 and of second articulation 2 which adjoin the third rotation point 23 are further shaped such that outer end 24 has no protruding parts which could impede the rotation around rotation point 23 in the folded-up position of the operating arm. More particularly, the outer ends of the third and the second articulation 3, 2 which adjoin rotation point 23 are preferably formed such that in a vertical longitudinal section of the operating arm the outer end 24 of the folded-together arm has a substantially round shape centred around the third rotation point 23, see figure 4 and the detail of figure 7 (B) . The distance between the cab and outer end 24 of the folded-together arm can in this way be very small in the folded-up position of the operating arm. In the illustrated embodiment cylinder 12 lies in the extended position of operating arm 50 substantially on the underside of the third and the second articulation, see figure 1. More particularly, cylinder 12 is connected at a first outer end to the underside of third articulation 3 at a distance from the third rotation point 23, and at a second outer end to the underside of second articulation 2 between the third rotation point 23 and the second rotation point 22. Such an embodiment will allow cylinder 12 to be received substantially wholly between second articulation 2 and third articulation 3 in the folded-up position of operating arm 50, and this without cylinder 12 protruding at the position of outer end 24. In order to obtain the most compact possible embodiment, cylinder 12 can be positioned partially in second articulation 2 and/or in third articulation 3, as shown most clearly in figure 3B.

Cab 40 is provided with a windscreen 41 which preferably extends over substantially the whole width of the cab. More particularly, the windscreen has a width such that, as seen in a front view, it at least partially overlaps the first articulation, the second articulation and the third articulation. Windscreen 41 is preferably extended at the position of the steering column or the other devices for steering, and/or at the position of the part between the left and right foot of the driver, preferably to the left or right-hand side of the driver.

The skilled person will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the above described embodiments and that many modifications and variants are possible within the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the following claims.