Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlled elements
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-31
2004-11-16
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlled elements
C200S00600C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817261
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a monolever operating device, and more particularly, to a monolever operating device, which is excellent in abrasion resistance, good in durability and high in reliability and can be conformed to many kinds of machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inventions have been already known relating to an operating lever device, in which a single operating lever (referred below to as a “monolever”) is operatively inclined to generate an operating signal and two hydraulic actuators are drivingly controlled on the basis of the operating signal. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 89515/1997 discloses an electrical type operating lever device, in which a monolever is operatively inclined to have each of four pistons issuing an electric signal representative of its displacement. Two hydraulic actuators can be drivingly controlled on the basis of an electric signal issued from the electrical type operating lever device.
Also, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 49167/1995 discloses a hydraulic type operating lever device
60
which outputs a hydraulic signal. In this publication, the hydraulic type operating lever device
60
comprises a hydraulic body
63
having four pistons
62
, which are pressed upon inclination of a monolever
61
in a front and rear direction and in a right and left direction, and of which respective displacements are output as hydraulic signals, on the basis of which two hydraulic actuators can be drivingly controlled.
With the hydraulic body
63
, four pistons
62
a
,
62
b
,
62
c
,
62
d
(shown in FIG.
2
), which constitute a piston
62
, are arranged in equidistant positions on a circumference in a manner to abut against a disk plate
64
mounted on the monolever
61
. The four pistons
62
a
,
62
b
,
62
c
,
62
d
are pushed and displaced by the disk plate
64
in accordance with an orientation and an amount of inclination of the monolever
61
.
Hydraulic pressure generating means Hd for generating a hydraulic signal of a magnitude corresponding to respective displacements of the pistons
62
a
,
62
b
,
62
c
,
62
d
are provided on the hydraulic body
63
. In addition, the hydraulic body
63
comprises a drive signal generating body and the hydraulic pressure generating means Hd comprise a drive signal generating means.
The monolever
61
is mounted to the hydraulic body
63
through a universal joint
65
. The hydraulic body
63
is mounted on a mount plate
66
shown in FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
) and on a vehicle body
68
near a driver seat by means of bolts
67
extending through vehicle body bolt holes
66
a
formed in the mount plate
66
.
In FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
), the mount plate
66
is provided with a ring-shaped stopper projection
69
, which in turn is provided with arcuate-shaped projections
69
a
adapted to abut against the disk plate
64
to restrict an inclination &thgr; of the monolever
61
. The mount plate
66
is provided with an annular groove
69
b
on an outer periphery of the ring-shaped stopper projection
69
. One end of a boot
70
covering the four pistons
62
is inserted into the annular groove
69
b
. Also, the other end of the boot
70
is inserted into an annular groove
71
a
provided on an outer periphery of a coupling
71
, which connects the universal joint
65
and the monolever
61
to each other as shown in FIG.
6
.
In recent years, the operating lever device constituted in the above manner has been improved in operability and made small in size to be used in many construction machines and industrial machinery such as small-sized and large-sized hydraulic shovels, bulldozers, rough terrain cranes and so on.
With the above constitution, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 49167/1995 proposes the provision of a single mount plate for parts to improve an increase in cost, caused by an increased number of parts due to the fact that a part for mounting of a boot is separate from a mount plate.
However, since the operating lever device has been used in many construction machines and industrial machinery in recent years as described above, the mount plate shown in FIGS.
7
(
a
) and
7
(
b
) differ in configuration and dimension of inclination every machine, and so manufacture of the single mount plate necessitates a new metallic mold to lead to an increase in cost of parts and a large amount of expense in manufacture of a metallic mold.
For example, the mount plate is fabricated from a sintered material to shape the projection for stoppage and the arcuate projection in order to facilitate manufacture and realize cost reduction. There is caused a problem that a metallic mold for manufacture of the sintered material is increased in manufacture cost since an annular groove is provided on a side of the mount plate and manhour in assembling is increased at the time of manufacture.
Also, since the mount plate is fabricated from a sintered material, the projection for stoppage and adapted to abut against the disk plate is worn. Such wear causes a problem that the operating lever device becomes hard to operate because an operating lever is increased in stroke after use over a long term.
When the projection for stoppage is further increased in thickness in order to prevent the wear, there is caused a problem that the operating lever device becomes large and so difficult in use for small-sized construction machines or a major part of the device must be made large to impose a limitation on a driver seat. Also, a part for mounting of a boot and a mount plate are conventionally separate from each other, and so there is caused a problem that the boot is worsened in assembling property and cost is increased since the part does not function as a bearing portion for inclination of the operating lever and so other part is needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been thought of in view of the above problems, relates to a monolever operating device and has its object to provide a monolever operating device, which is favorable in assembling property and susceptible of less wear and can be made small in size and inexpensively conformed to many kinds of machines.
In order to attain the above objects, a monolever operating device according to the invention comprises a monolever capable of inclining in a two-dimensional optional direction conformed to at least a front and rear direction and a right and left direction, drive signal generating means received in a drive signal generating body to output two drive signals to components in the front and rear direction and in the right and left direction in accordance with an orientation and an amount of inclination of the monolever, a universal joint mounted on the drive signal generating body to support the monolever in an inclinable manner, a mount plate for mounting the drive signal generating body mounted thereto to a vehicle body, a boot provided between the monolever and the mount plate to cover the drive signal generating means, and a monolever bearing member provided on an upper surface of the mount plate and provided with lever bearing portions and boot holding portions alternately arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction.
In this case, the monolever bearing member comprises a press formed part of a low-carbon steel material subjected to carburization.
Also, the monolever bearing member may comprise lever bearing portions provided perpendicular to a surface thereof being mounted on the mount plate and boot holding portions provided in parallel to the surface to hole the boot.
Also, slits may be provided between the lever bearing portions and the boot holding portions of the monolever bearing member.
Also, the lever bearing portions of the monolever bearing member may be formed to be arcuate Ra as viewed in plan view.
With the above constitution, the monolever operating device comprises a mount plate for mounting the drive signal generating body to a vehicle body and a monolever stopping member for stopping an inclination of the monolever, and the arrangemen
Hori Shuuji
Mototani Masayoshi
Bucci David A.
Komatsu Ltd.
McAnulty Timothy
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
LandOfFree
Monolever device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Monolever device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Monolever device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3346605