Earth working – With means to facilitate mounting of implement on motor vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-17
2003-12-16
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Earth working
With means to facilitate mounting of implement on motor vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662881
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to commercial work vehicles such as skid steer loaders and attachments therefore, and more particularly relates to the operation and/or hydraulic control of attachments attached to commercial work vehicles such as skid steer loaders.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Skid steers, loader tractors and other commercial work vehicles are commonly used for many industrial, agricultural, and landscaping operations. These work vehicles typically have two laterally spaced loader arms that extend in front of the vehicle that are adapted to attach to a wide variety of attachments. A number of attachments can be selectively attached and detached from the loader arms or the three point hitch to make these work vehicles applicable to a wide variety of applications. For example, a bucket is commonly provided to dig, dump, and transport loose materials such as dirt, sand, and gravel. The loader arms are hydraulically driven to raise and lower the attachment and pivot the attachment in a horizontal axis.
Skid steer loaders and other work vehicles commonly have a single hydraulic hook-up, which is typically comprised of a pair of quick connect hydraulic couplings (one for pressurized hydraulic flow and the other for low pressure return flow) that can be utilized by the attachment for any desired purpose. A control valve is provided in the operator cab for controlling the hydraulic flow to the attachment through the hydraulic couplings. The control valve may be a manually operated rocker lever valve which is common in older skid steer loaders (or less complex or less expensive current models) or an electronically operated control valve that is activated with an electronic trigger integrated into the control levers used to mobilize the vehicle in certain complex or modern skid steer loaders.
One common use of the hydraulic output includes positioning the attachment tool (e.g. shifting the tool left or right about a vertical axis to effect a windrow and/or to direct dirt, gravel or debris, or raising and lowering or tilting the tool). The hydraulic output may also be used for hydraulically driving an engaging device such as the rotary rake of a rock raking attachment, a rotary blower of a snowblower, a rotary planner of a cold planner, or other rotary tool. More complex attachments include two or more hydraulic functions or actuators. For example, rotary broom attachments, snow-blower attachments, backhoes, cold planners are some of the attachments that often have two or more hydraulic functions or actuators.
Although a single hydraulic hook up from the skid steer loader is sufficient for many applications, it is often insufficient for certain attachments where it is required, or desirable, to have hydraulic control over more than one function, such as rotary broom attachments. For example, rotary broom attachments often include: (1) a hydraulic cylinder for tilting the broom left or right about a vertical axis to direct swept debris or effect a windrow and (2) a hydraulically driven motor that rotates the broom to sweep material. Each of these two functions, however, must be supplied with hydraulic power from the single hydraulic hook up.
The common approach for controlling two separate hydraulic functions with a single power source has been to use an electronically operated solenoid on the attachment downstream of the single hydraulic hook up. These solenoid valves switch the hydraulic power between the two functions. As is expressly recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,081, this can have significant drawbacks. One drawback is that electrical wiring harnesses, electrical hook-ups and electrical couplings from the skid steer loader are necessary to power and control solenoid valves. These electrical components increase the time and difficulty of attaching and detaching attachments. Loose wires can also break or sever when not properly secured or when not properly located out of the way when not in use. Due to the environment in which work attachments operate, these electrical components are also often subject to wear, poor and increased resistance connections, bent connector pins, short circuits and the like. In view of the foregoing, electrical hook-ups, wiring and couplings have lead to much aggravation for work vehicle operators, require frequent replacement, and are not desirable.
A further complexity existing in the art is that loader vehicles are made by several different manufacturers that may or may not have integrated control systems wired into the electronics of the loader vehicle. Integrated control systems among different manufacturers may also have different protocols or operational standards/configurations. As noted above, some modern and complex machines have integrated triggers in the control levers that have traditionally operated the wheels of the loader vehicle. Older or less complex loader vehicles or less expensive modern loader vehicles are more simplistic and do not have integrated controls, but bare handle levers in the cab of the loader vehicle. Further, conforming the attachment control design to the available controls from a skid steer loader has severely limited the design of such attachments. That is, while the attachment manufacturer could implement advanced control features, the limitation of the type of control interface provided by the loader vehicle has prevented many of these advanced features from being released. Some attachments may be designed to be compatible with only one or a limited number of loader vehicles because of such interface constraints.
In view of the foregoing, it is difficult to make an attachment that can be universally used with the different loader machines that exist in the commercial market. This has provided a barrier to technological innovations in the marketplace. If a work attachment were to have a specially configured control system that is set up for electrical communication with one commercial make and brand of a skid steer loader machine, the attachment would be incompatible or difficult to use with other types of skid steer machines, such as those providing insufficient controls to operate the work attachment. This has several disadvantages. For example, specialized work attachment control systems can make it difficult for distributors and retail companies to stock attachments for customers who own different makes, models and brands of skid steer loaders. This also makes it difficult for work attachment rental companies to stock work attachments for different customers who may have different brands, makes and models of skid steer loader machines. Lastly, this can also reduce the resale value of the work attachment for a customer as it may make the work attachment more unique and therefore more difficult to find a buyer, thus providing a disincentive for purchasing the work attachment in the first place.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the above, it is a general aim of the present invention to eliminate the need for electrical wiring hook ups, electrical couplings, and electrical wiring on attachments for work vehicles that have more than one operational parameter or hydraulic function.
In that regard, it is a further objective of the present invention to provide a work attachment that is substantially universal and can be used among different brands, makes and models of machinery without concern about whether sufficient controls on the skid steer loader exist for operating the work attachment.
In accordance with these and other objectives, the present invention is directed towards a wireless remotely controlled work attachment for a skid steer loader vehicle or other similar commercial loader vehicle. Wireless communication is achieved through a manual input device and transmitter, which may be mounted on the loader vehicle and a receiver on the work attachment that receives wireless transmissions from the transmitter.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the manual input device and transmitter module is independently powered and not connected to the
Pezzuto Robert E.
Sweepster, LLC
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