(19)
(11)EP 1 147 947 B1

(12)EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45)Mention of the grant of the patent:
29.08.2018 Bulletin 2018/35

(21)Application number: 01108802.8

(22)Date of filing:  07.04.2001
(51)International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B60R 21/13(2006.01)

(54)

Operator enclosure for an agricultural tractor

Fahrgastzelle für den Fahrer eines Ackerschleppers

Cellule pour le conducteur d'un tracteur agricole


(84)Designated Contracting States:
DE ES FR GB IT TR

(30)Priority: 18.04.2000 US 550823

(43)Date of publication of application:
24.10.2001 Bulletin 2001/43

(73)Proprietor: Deere & Company
Moline, IL 61265 (US)

(72)Inventors:
  • Fryk, Bruce Kevin
    Waverly, IA 50677 (US)
  • Jurek, Ronal Lee
    Denver, IA 50622 (US)
  • Vaughn, Bennie Joe
    Cedar Falls, IA 50613 (US)
  • Kaczmarczyk, Edward Ted
    Welland, Ontario L3B 5N2 (CA)

(74)Representative: Magin, Ludwig Bernhard et al
John Deere GmbH & Co. KG Global Intellectual Property Services John-Deere-Strasse 70
68163 Mannheim
68163 Mannheim (DE)


(56)References cited: : 
EP-A- 0 563 526
DE-A- 2 103 611
DE-A1- 1 938 983
FR-A1- 2 411 120
US-A- 3 388 944
EP-A- 0 958 996
DE-A1- 1 555 915
DE-U- 8 809 155
GB-A- 1 009 626
US-A- 3 656 799
  
      
    Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).


    Description


    [0001] The present invention relates to a operator enclosure for an agricultural tractor and specifically to an enclosure having a rollover protective structure (ROPS).

    [0002] Many modern agricultural tractors have an operator station with a flat floor forward of the operator's seat. This provides greater ease of ingress and egress and improved operator comfort compared to some older designs in which the floor has a raised center portion with lowered foot rests on each side of the raised center portion. To provide the flat floor, the operator station is raised to a higher position relative to the tractor frame than in earlier designs. This results in an overall increase in the height of an operator enclosure, i.e. cab. However, it is generally desired to keep the overall height of the tractor as low as possible, to maximize clearance when entering a building.

    [0003] Also important in the design of the operator enclosure is the operator visibility. When the tractor is equipped with a front-end loader, it is also important to have upward visibility to view the loader bucket in a raised position. While upward visibility can be improved by raising the height of the enclosure roof, there are practical limits to the height of the tractor as mentioned above. One solution to provide greater upward visibility for a raised loader bucket, without increasing the roof height, is to add a viewing window in the roof of the enclosure. While a viewing window enables the bucket to be seen in a raised position, as the loader bucket is being raised, it must pass through a region where visibility is blocked by the front upper cross member of the enclosure frame. Furthermore, the addition of a viewing window in the roof can decrease the packaging space in the roof area for ventilation ducts, radios, etc. and add significant cost to the tractor.

    [0004] DE 19 38 983 A1, DE 15 55 915 A1, FR 24 11 120 A1 and GB 1 009 626 A1 disclose operator's enclosures for agricultural tractors. EP 0 563 526 A1 discloses a further relevant driver's enclosure for a truck.

    [0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an operator enclosure with which the recited problems are overcome and the desires are met. In particular it is an object of the present invention to provide an operator enclosure with improved operator's front upward visibility.

    [0006] This object is solved according to the invention by the teaching of the claim 1. Further advantageous arrangements and developments of the invention appear from the dependent claims.

    [0007] An advantageous embodiment of the present invention provides an operator enclosure that includes a rollover protective structure (ROPS) in which the front side of the ROPS extends above the left, right and rear sides of the ROPS. The front side is defined by a front upper cross member and left and right upright corner members. A roof pan is placed at the top of the ROPS that has a generally horizontal top panel at about the same height as the upper front cross member. The top panel of the roof is curved downward to form left, right and rear side panels extending downwardly from the top panel to approximately the height of the upper members of the ROPS, along the left, right and rear sides. This roof pan replaces prior roof designs that have a generally horizontal top panel with downwardly extending side panels on all four sides.

    [0008] By eliminating the downwardly extending front panel of the roof pan and extending the ROPS and the front windshield further upward, a larger front windshield is provided. The windshield has greater upward visibility, enabling viewing of a loader bucket in the raised position through the windshield. A separate viewing window in the roof is not needed, thereby avoiding the zone where the upper front member of the ROPS blocks visibility of the loader bucket. The added cost of a viewing window is also avoided.

    [0009] The invention and further advantageous developments and arrangements of the invention will now be described and explained in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
    Fig. 1
    is a perspective view of the rollover protective structure and floor of the operator enclosure of the present invention,
    Fig. 2
    is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing the ROPS together with the front windshield and roof pan,
    Fig. 3
    is an enlarged perspective view of the upper left front corner of the enclosure showing the ROPS, windshield and roof pan, and
    Fig. 4
    is a perspective view of the upper left front corner, like Fig. 3, showing only the ROPS and the windshield.


    [0010] The operator enclosure for an agricultural tractor of the present as shown in FIG. 1 and designated generally at 10. The enclosure 10 includes a rollover protective structure (ROPS) 12 that includes left and right front upright corner members 14, 16 respectively as well as left and right rear upright members 18 and 20. The ROPS generally defines front, left, right and rear sides of the enclosure with the front and right sides facing the viewer in Fig. 1. The front, or forward, direction is shown by the arrow 23. The designations left and right as used herein are when facing the forward direction shown by the arrow 23. Left and right intermediate upright members 21, 22 are located along the left and right sides of the ROPS. The operator enclosure includes a floor 24 that is flat between the left and right sides and between the enclosure front side and the seat pedestal 26.

    [0011] The upper end of the ROPS is defined along the left, right and rear sides by an upper horizontal member 30. The front left and right corner members 14 and 16 extend upwardly above the horizontal member 30 and terminate at a front upper cross member 32. The front upper front cross member 32 is thus spaced above the horizontal member 30 on the left, right and rear sides of the ROPS. A triangular shaped reinforcing gusset 34 is positioned above the upper horizontal member 30 and rearward of the front upright corner members 14 and 16 to provide additional support at the upper end of the front side. The operator enclosure may also include a falling object protective structure (FOPS) that is connected to and spans between the front upper cross member 32 and the horizontal members 30 on the left, right and rear sides of the ROPS.

    [0012] A front windshield 40 is mounted to the ROPS and extends between the front upper cross member 32 and a lower cross member 42 and between the front corner members 14 and 16. With reference to Fig. 4, a clip 44 is shown at the top of the windshield to hold the windshield to the front upper cross member 32. Side window panes 45 are provided along the left and right sides, only one of which is shown in the drawings. The side window panes 45 may be fixed to the frame structure or part of a door that is rotatably mounted to the ROPS.

    [0013] Referring to Fig. 2, the operator enclosure is shown with a roof assembly 46. The roof assembly 46 includes a roof pan 48 having a generally horizontal top panel 50 that is placed slightly at or above the front upper cross member 32. The roof pan 48 is bent downward along the left, right and rear sides to form left and right side panels 52, 54 shown in Figs. 2 and 4 respectively, and a rear side panel (not shown). The roof overhangs the ROPS both laterally and forwardly. A soffit 56, shown in Fig. 4, extends between the left side panel 52 and the upper horizontal member 30. Likewise, a front soffit 58 extends between the front edge of the top panel 50 and the windshield 40.

    [0014] Left and right front headlights 60 are mounted to the roof assembly 46 and hang down from the soffit, in front of the windshield 40, at the upper corners thereof. Side marker lamps 62 are also mounted to the soffit outboard of the headlights 60.

    [0015] The invention is directed to the ROPS having a raised front side, particularly a raised front upper cross member, relative to the left and right sides to improve forward visibility. The rear side has been shown as having the same height as the left and right sides. The rear side could be higher or lower than the left and right sides.

    [0016] The operator enclosure of the present invention provides greater upward visibility by extending the ROPS and windshield upwardly on the front side of the enclosure into what was previously part of the roof assembly. This added visibility is particularly advantageous when operating a front-end loader to view the bucket when raised. This is made possible by revising the roof to eliminate the downwardly extending front panel at the front of the roof and by extending the windshield upward. Front lights are still provided on the roof by hanging the lights from the roof in front of the windshield, at the two upper corners.

    [0017] The invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiment, but should be limited solely by the claims that follow.


    Claims

    1. Operator enclosure for an agricultural tractor, comprising a rollover protective structure (ROPS) defining front, left, right and rear sides with appropriate upper sides, and a roof pan (48) having an upper, generally horizontal top panel (50) above the upper end of the front side of the ROPS (12) and downwardly extending left and right side panels (52, 54) extending from the top panel (50) to approximately the upper ends of the left and right sides of the ROPS (12), characterized in that the front side extending upwardly beyond the upper ends of the left, right and rear sides.
     
    2. The operator enclosure as defined by claim 1, characterized in that the ROPS (12) includes a plurality of upright members (14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22) including left and right front upright corner members (14, 16), a front upper cross member (32) extending between the left and right upright corner members (14, 16) at the upper ends thereof and a generally horizontal upper member (30) at the upper ends of the left and right sides at a overall height that is lower than the front upper cross member (32).
     
    3. The operator enclosure as defined by claim 2, characterized in that the top panel (50) is above the front upper cross member (32).
     
    4. The operator enclosure as defined by claim 2 or 3, characterized by a front windshield (40) between the left and right front upright corner members (14, 16) that extends upwardly to the front upper cross member (32).
     
    5. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized by side window panes (45) on the left and right sides that extend upward to the upper horizontal members (30) at the upper ends of the left and right sides.
     
    6. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 2 to 5, characterized by a reinforcing gusset (34) extending rearwardly and downwardly from the left and right front upright corner members (14, 16) at the upper ends thereof to the upper horizontal member (30) at the upper end of the left and right sides.
     
    7. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized by lights (60, 62) carried by the roof pan (48) in front of left and right upper corners of the windshield (40).
     
    8. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the roof pan (48) extends forward of the ROPS front side and further comprising at least one light (60, 62) carried by the roof pan (48) forward of the front side of the ROPS (12).
     
    9. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the roof pan (48) extends forward of the ROPS front side and extends laterally beyond the ROPS (12) on the left and right sides.
     
    10. The operator enclosure as defined by one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized by generally flat floor (24) extending between the left and right sides of the ROPS (12) immediately rearward of the front side.
     


    Ansprüche

    1. Fahrerzelle eines Ackerschleppers, umfassend einen Überrollschutz, der eine vordere, eine linke, eine rechte und eine hintere Seite mit entsprechenden oberen Seiten festlegt, sowie eine Dachpfanne (48), die eine obere, im Allgemeinen waagrechte obere Platte (50) über dem oberen Ende der vorderen Seite des Überrollschutzes (12) und sich nach unten erstreckende linke und rechte Seitenplatten (52, 54) aufweist, die sich von der oberen Platte (50) ungefähr zu den oberen Enden der linken und der rechten Seite des Überrollschutzes (12) erstrecken, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sich die vordere Seite über die oberen Enden der linken, der rechten und der hinteren Seite hinaus nach oben erstreckt.
     
    2. Fahrerzelle nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Überrollschutz (12) eine Vielzahl von aufrechten Elementen (14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22) umfasst, die ein linkes und ein rechtes vorderes aufrechtes Eckelement (14, 16), ein vorderes oberes Querelement (32), das sich zwischen dem linken und dem rechten aufrechten Eckelement (14, 16) an dem oberen Ende derselben erstreckt, und ein im Allgemeinen waagrechtes oberes Element (30) an den oberen Enden der linken und der rechten Seite in einer Gesamthöhe umfassen, die niedriger als das vordere obere Querelement (32) ist.
     
    3. Fahrerzelle nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sich die obere Platte (50) über dem vorderen oberen Querelement (32) befindet.
     
    4. Fahrerzelle nach Anspruch 2 oder 3, gekennzeichnet durch eine vordere Windschutzscheibe (40) zwischen dem linken und dem rechten vorderen aufrechten Eckelement (14, 16), die sich nach oben zu dem vorderen oberen Querelement (32) erstreckt.
     
    5. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 2 bis 4, gekennzeichnet durch Seitenfensterscheiben (45) auf der linken und der rechten Seite, die sich nach oben zu den oberen waagrechten Elementen (30) an den oberen Enden der linken und der rechten Seite erstrecken.
     
    6. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 2 bis 5, gekennzeichnet durch ein verstärkendes Eckblech (34), das sich nach hinten und unten von dem linken und dem rechten vorderen aufrechten Eckelement (14, 16) an den oberen Enden derselben zu dem oberen waagrechten Element (30) an dem oberen Ende der linken und der rechten Seite erstreckt.
     
    7. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, gekennzeichnet durch von der Dachpfanne (48) getragene Leuchten (60, 62) vor der linken und der rechten oberen Ecke der Windschutzscheibe (40).
     
    8. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sich die Dachpfanne (48) bis vor die vordere Seite des Überrollschutzes erstreckt und ferner wenigstens eine Leuchte (60, 62) umfasst, die vor der vorderen Seite des Überrollschutzes (12) durch die Dachpfanne (48) getragen ist.
     
    9. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sich die Dachpfanne (48) bis vor die vordere Seite des Überrollschutzes erstreckt und sich auf der linken und der rechten Seite seitlich über den Überrollschutz (12) hinaus erstreckt.
     
    10. Fahrerzelle nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 9, gekennzeichnet durch einen im Allgemeinen flachen Boden (24), der sich zwischen der linken und der rechten Seite des Überrollschutzes (12) unmittelbar hinter der vorderen Seite erstreckt.
     


    Revendications

    1. Cellule pour l'opérateur d'un tracteur agricole, comprenant une structure de protection contre le retournement (ROPS) définissant des côtés avant, gauche, droit et arrière avec des côtés supérieurs appropriés, et un plateau de toit (48) ayant un panneau supérieur généralement horizontal (50) au-dessus de l'extrémité supérieure du côté avant de la ROPS (12) et des panneaux latéraux gauche et droit (52, 54) s'étendant vers le bas s'étendant du panneau supérieur (50) jusqu'à approximativement les extrémités supérieures des côtés gauche et droit de la ROPS (12), caractérisée en ce que le côté avant s'étend vers le haut au-delà des extrémités supérieures des côtés gauche, droit et arrière.
     
    2. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que la ROPS (12) comprend une pluralité d'éléments verticaux (14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22) comprenant des éléments d'angle verticaux avant gauche et droit (14, 16), un élément transversal supérieur avant (32) s'étendant entre les éléments d'angle verticaux gauche et droit (14, 16) au niveau de leurs extrémités supérieures et un élément supérieur généralement horizontal (30) au niveau des extrémités supérieures des côtés gauche et droit à une hauteur globale qui est inférieure à l'élément transversal supérieur avant (32).
     
    3. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon la revendication 2, caractérisée en ce que le panneau supérieur (50) se trouve au-dessus de l'élément transversal supérieur avant (32) .
     
    4. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon la revendication 2 ou 3, caractérisée par un pare-brise avant (40) entre les éléments d'angle verticaux avant gauche et droit (14, 16) qui s'étend vers le haut jusqu'à l'élément transversal supérieur avant (32).
     
    5. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 2 à 4, caractérisée par des vitres latérales (45) sur les côtés gauche et droit qui s'étendent vers le haut jusqu'aux éléments horizontaux supérieurs (30) au niveau des extrémités supérieures des côtés gauche et droit.
     
    6. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 2 à 5, caractérisée par un soufflet de renforcement (34) s'étendant vers l'arrière et vers le bas à partir des éléments d'angle verticaux avant gauche et droit (14, 16) au niveau de leurs extrémités supérieures jusqu'à l'élément horizontal supérieur (30) au niveau de l'extrémité supérieure des côtés gauche et droit.
     
    7. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 1 à 6, caractérisée par des feux (60, 62) portés par le plateau de toit (48) devant les angles supérieurs gauche et droit du pare-brise (40).
     
    8. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 1 à 7, caractérisée en ce que le plateau de toit (48) s'étend vers l'avant du côté avant de la ROPS et comprend en outre au moins un feu (60, 62) porté par le plateau de toit (48) vers l'avant du côté avant de la ROPS (12).
     
    9. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 1 à 8, caractérisée en ce que le plateau de toit (48) s'étend vers l'avant du côté avant de la ROPS et s'étend latéralement au-delà de la ROPS (12) sur les côtés gauche et droit.
     
    10. Cellule pour l'opérateur selon l'une des revendications 1 à 9, caractérisée par un plancher généralement plat (24) s'étendant entre les côtés gauche et droit de la ROPS (12) immédiatement vers l'arrière du côté avant.
     




    Drawing

















    Cited references

    REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



    This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

    Patent documents cited in the description