Granted Patent B2

US 7,836,616 · App. 11/936,359 · Granted Nov 23, 2010

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A loader coupler comprising:

a body comprising a front region, a rear region, an upper region, a lower region, and left and right lateral sides, a tilt actuator pin-on location, and left and right arm pin-on locations;

left and right laterally spaced-apart inner rib mounts provided on the body and adapted to mate respectively with left and right ribs of a first type of attachment coupling structure;

left and right inner locking regions defined by the body and vertically aligned with the left and right inner rib mounts, respectively;

left and right laterally spaced-apart outer rib mounts provided on the body and adapted to mate respectively with left and right ribs of a second type of attachment coupling structure;

left and right outer locking regions defined by the body and vertically aligned with the left and right outer rib mounts, respectively;

a lock system comprising: (i) a hydraulic cylinder having left and right cylinder rods that are each selectively extensible and retractable; and, (ii) left and right plunger assemblies respectively connected to said left and right cylinder rods and each adapted to move between a locked and unlocked position, said left and right plunger assemblies each comprising a first lock plunger located on a first lock plunger axis and a second lock plunger located on a second lock plunger axis, wherein said first lock plunger axis and said second lock axis lie in different parallel, spaced-apart horizontal planes;

wherein said left and right first lock plungers extend into said left and right inner locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said locked position such that said left and right first lock plungers are respectively adapted to mate with and capture left and right ribs of a first type of associated attachment structure when the first type of associated attachment structure is mated with said left and right inner rib mounts, said left and right first lock plungers at least partially withdrawn from said left and right inner locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said unlocked position; and,

wherein said left and right second lock plungers extend into said left and right outer locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said locked position such that said left and right second lock plungers are respectively adapted to mate with and capture left and right ribs of a second type of associated attachment structure when the second type of associated attachment structure is mated with said left and right outer rib mounts, said left and right second lock plungers at least partially withdrawn from said left and right outer locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said unlocked position.

2. The coupler as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said body further comprises a face plate located between said upper and lower regions, said hydraulic cylinder located adjacent a rear surface of said face plate.

3. The coupler as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said body comprises left and right body portions defined respectively between a vertical centerline and said left and right lateral sides, each of said left and right body portions comprising a plurality of parallel and spaced-apart vertically extending ribs.

4. The coupler as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:

said left and right pin-on locations are located between a first pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively;

said left and right outer ribs mounts and said left and right outer locking regions are located between a second pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively; and,

said left and right inner ribs mounts and said left and right inner locking regions are located between a third pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively.

5. The coupler as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said tilt actuator pin-on location is defined between a fourth pair of ribs of said body, wherein one of said ribs of said fourth pair is part of said left body portion and the other of said ribs of said fourth pair is part of said right body portion.

6. The coupler as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:

said left and right outer locking regions comprises left and right outer locking channels defined between said second pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively; and,

said left and right inner locking regions comprises left and right inner locking channels defined between said third pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively.

7. The coupler as set forth in claim 6 , wherein:

an outer box frame comprising front and rear spaced-apart outer plates is defined between and interconnects the first pair of ribs for both said left and right body portions; and,

an inner box frame comprising front and rear spaced-apart inner plates is defined between and interconnects the second pair of ribs for both said left and right body portions.

8. The coupler as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said upper portion of said body comprises a horizontally extending main upper support that is connected to an inner rib of said third pair of ribs for both said left and right body portions, wherein said left and right inner rib mounts comprises respective left and right inner cross-bars that extend between said third pair of ribs of said left and right body portions and that are connected to left and right ends of said main upper support, respectively.

9. The coupler as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said left and right inner cross-bars are respectively received into open left and right ends of said main upper support.

10. The coupler as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said left and right outer rib mounts respectively comprise left and right outer cross-bars that extend between said second pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively, wherein said left and right inner cross-bars partially over lap said left and right outer cross-bars, respectively, wherein said left and right outer cross-bars define recesses that conform to and receive overlapping portions of said left and right inner cross-bars, respectively.

11. The coupler as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said left and right inner rib mounts are mated respectively with left and right ribs of an associated attachment comprising the first type of attachment coupling structure, said left and right ribs of the first type of attachment coupling structure comprising left and right eye portions including left and right eye apertures, respectively, wherein said respective eye portions of said left and right ribs are located in said left and right inner locking regions and said left and right first lock plungers are received through said left and right eye apertures, respectively, when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in their locked positions.

12. The coupler as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said left and right outer rib mounts are mated respectively with left and right ribs of an associated attachment comprising the second type of attachment coupling structure, said left and right ribs of the second type of attachment coupling structure comprising left and right eye portions including left and right eye apertures, respectively, wherein said respective eye portions of said left and right ribs are located in said left and right outer locking regions and said left and right second lock plungers are received through said left and right eye apertures, respectively, when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in their locked positions.

13. A loader coupler comprising:

a body comprising a front region, a rear region, an upper region, a lower region, and left and right lateral sides, a tilt actuator pin-on location, and left and right arm pin-on locations;

left and right laterally spaced-apart inner rib mounts provided on the body and adapted to mate respectively with left and right ribs of a first type of attachment coupling structure;

left and right inner locking regions defined by the body and vertically aligned with the left and right inner rib mounts, respectively;

left and right laterally spaced-apart outer rib mounts provided on the body and adapted to mate respectively with left and right ribs of a second type of attachment coupling structure;

left and right outer locking regions defined by the body and vertically aligned with the left and right outer rib mounts, respectively;

a lock system comprising left and right plunger assemblies that each move between a locked and unlocked position, said left and right plunger assemblies each comprising a first lock plunger located on a first lock plunger axis and a second lock plunger located on a second lock plunger axis; wherein:

said left and right first lock plungers extend into said left and right inner locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said locked position, and wherein said left and right first lock plungers are at least partially withdrawn from said left and right inner locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said unlocked position; and,

said left and right second lock plungers extend into said left and right outer locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said locked position, and wherein said left and right second lock plungers are at least partially withdrawn from said left and right outer locking regions when said left and right plunger assemblies are located in said unlocked position;

said body comprises left and right body portions defined respectively between a vertical centerline and said left and right lateral sides, each of said left and right body portions comprising a plurality of parallel and spaced-apart vertically extending ribs;

said left and right pin-on locations are located between a first pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively;

said left and right outer ribs mounts and said left and right outer locking regions are located between a second pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively;

said left and right inner ribs mounts and said left and right inner locking regions are located between a third pair of ribs of said left and right body portions, respectively; and

wherein, on both said left and right body portions:

said first pair of ribs of comprises a first rib and a second rib;

said second pair of ribs comprises said second rib and a third rib;

said third pair of ribs comprises said third rib and a fourth rib.

14. The coupler as set forth in claim 11 , wherein one of the left and right plunger assemblies comprises a hydraulic fitting adapted to mate with a third-function hydraulic fitting of the associated attachment mated with the coupler.

Assignments (9)