WO2010020849A1

WO2010020849A1 - Utility vehicle steering wheel assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2010020849A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/006425
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kimmo Wihinen
Original assignee: Valtra Oy Ab
Priority date: 2008-08-22
Filing date: 2009-08-03
Publication date: 2010-02-25
Also published as: GB0815324D0; GB2462852A

Abstract

A utility vehicle comprising a cab which houses a steering wheel assembly is provided wherein a steering wheel (22) is rotatably mounted to a support body (24). The support body, or steering console, is mounted on an armrest assembly (40) or control console positioned to one side of a driver's seat (18). By providing an asymmetric mounting arrangement for the steering console, the space underneath is left clear of any supporting structure thus providing improved Iegroom for the driver.

Description

DESCRIPTION

UTILITY VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY

The invention relates to a steering wheel assembly fitted within the cab of a utility vehicle such as an agricultural tractor.

Traditionally, steering wheels are mounted to a console located centrally in front of a driver's seat in a utility vehicle. The mechanical connections between the rotatable steering wheel and the steering mechanism typically comprises a steering column which extends through the console and into the region under the bonnet and/or under the floor of the cab.

It is an object of the invention to provide a utility vehicle having increased leg room for the driver.

According to the invention there is provided a utility vehicle comprising a cab which houses a steering wheel assembly having a steering wheel rotatably mounted to a support body which is mounted to an armrest assembly located and affixed to one side of a driver's seat. By supporting the support body, or console, at one side in an asymmetric manner, the floor space directly in front of the driver is left clear of any support structure thus increasing the leg room and improving the comfort for the driver.

The armrest assembly may for example comprise a longitudinally extending member affixed to the driver's seat at its rearward end, and a transversely extending member serving to mount the support body to the forward end of the longitudinally extending member.

In this manner, the steering wheel assembly is connected to the seat to form a unitary seat/steering assembly. This lends itself well to a rotatable seat arrangement in which the seat is mounted on a rotatable platform on a cab floor. In forestry and digger applications for example, the cab is traditionally provided with two steering wheels; one forward facing unit and one rearward facing unit, wherein the seat is rotatable between the two positions. By providing a unitary assembly, only one steering wheel assembly is required which can be used for both forward-facing and rearward-facing applications.

The armrest assembly may comprise a consol having at least one user interface such as a joystick controller and/or hydraulic spool levers thus exploiting the availably surface provided by the armrest. Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments with reference to the appended drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tractor;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a the left hand side of the steering assembly and driver's seat of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the right hand side of the steering assembly of Figure

1 shown in a steering position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the steering assembly of Figure 1 shown in an intermediate position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the steering assembly of Figure 1 shown in a table position;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the steering assembly of Figure 1 shown in the table position and with a driver sitting on a driver's seat;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a steering assembly and driver's seat in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a steering assembly and driver's seat in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

With reference to Figure 1 a tractor 10 which includes a steering wheel assembly 20. The tractor 10 comprises a cab 12, a pair of rear wheels 14 and a pair of steerable front wheels 16. In addition to the steering wheel assembly 20 the cab 12 also houses a driver's seat 18 from which the driver operates the vehicle.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3 the steering wheel assembly 20 comprises a steering wheel 22 rotatably mounted to a support body 24. The rotation of the steering wheel 22 is sensed by electronic sensing means (not shown) which serves to translate the rotational motion of the steering wheel into an electrical signal which is communicated to a steering control unit located elsewhere on the tractor 10. This electrical signal is then interpreted and translated into movement of the steerable front wheels 16.

The steering assembly 20 further comprises a pillar 26 which is fixed to the cab floor 30. At its upper end the pillar 26 is fixed to a side face 27 of the support body 24. The support body 24 and pillar 26 are mounted together so as to allow rotation of the support body 24 about an axis X which is substantially transverse to the forward direction of the tractor 10. The rotatable fixing employs known technology such as a simple shaft rotatable and held in place within a bore for example. The support body is therefore rotatable between a first position suitable for steering the vehicle as shown in Figures 2 and 3, through an intermediate position (Figure 4) to a position in which the underside 28 of the support body 24 is upward facing so as to provide a table as shown in Figure 5 and 6. The support body 24 is locked in the steering position of Figure 3 and the table position of Figure 5 by releasable locking means (not shown).

By exploiting the underside of the support body 24 to provide a table an extra surface is provided for a driver 35 to rest his lunch upon for example (Figure 6).

It will be appreciated that a safety mechanism is included to prevent movement or even starting of the tractor 10 when the support body 24 is not in the steering position. Therefore it is envisaged that the releasable locking means to move the support body away from the steering position may include an electrically activate solenoid for example which prevents such unlocking when the vehicle is in motion.

In an alternative arrangement which is not illustrated in the drawings the pillar 26 comprises an upper fork portion having two branches, one to the left and one to the right. The support body 24 is mounted at respective mounting points located on the side faces thereof and connected to the branches of the pillar structure. Advantageously this provides a more sturdy structure in which the support body 24 is held in place by two mounting points.

In a first embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 7 the support body 24 is mounted to an arm rest assembly 40 located and affixed to the right hand side of driver's seat 18. In a similar manner to above the support body is rotatably mounted to the forward end of the arm rest assembly 40 so as to provide a steering position (as shown in the drawing) and a table position. In the absence of a pillar structure this arrangement in accordance with the invention advantageously provides increased leg room for a driver. In a second embodiment as shown in Figure 8 the support body 24 is again mounted to a forward end of an arm rest 40 by a transversely extending connecting member 42 about which the support body is rotatable. The arm rest assembly 40 comprises a console having a joystick 44 which exploits the available surface area provided by the arm rest assembly 40. However, it will be appreciated that the armrest could accommodate many more user interface devices such as levers and buttons for example.

The driver's seat 18 is mounted on a rotatable platform 50 which is fixed to the cab floor 30. The provision of the steering wheel assembly being mounted to the arm rest 40 in combination with a rotating platform 50 delivers a unitary driver's station which can rotate potentially through 360°. Advantageously this removes the need for multiple steering wheel assemblies located at the forward and rearward ends of the cab as provided in known forestry tractors. Furthermore the rotating platform can be provided with pedals 52 for the control of the vehicle wherein such pedals rotate with the driver's station.

Although the invention has been described above in relation to a tractor it is envisaged that the steering assembly can instead be implemented on any utility vehicle without deviating from the scope of the invention.

The above-described embodiments comprise a support body 24 that is rotatably mounted on an armrest 40. However, it should be understood that the support body (or steering console) 24 can be rigidly attached, that is without rotation.

The support body 24 can alternatively be attached to a console or frame part located to one side of the longitudinal axis of the tractor, which is independent of the driver's seat without deviating from the scope of the invention. It should be appreciated that such an arrangement still benefits from increased legroom for a driver whilst allowing increased design freedom for the armrest.

Furthermore it should be understood that any electrical connections to the steering wheel sensor and any display element located on the dashboard 24 can be routed through the armrest 40 to the necessary electronic control means for example.

In summary, there is provided a utility vehicle comprising a cab which houses a steering wheel assembly wherein a steering wheel is rotatably mounted to a support body. The support body, or steering console, is mounted on an armrest or control console positioned to one side of a driver's seat. By providing an asymmetric mounting arrangement for the steering console, the space underneath is left clear of any supporting structure thus providing improved legroom for the driver.

From reading the present disclosure, other modification will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the field of steering assemblies and component parts therefore and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.

Claims

1. A utility vehicle comprising a cab which houses a steering wheel assembly having a steering wheel rotatably mounted to a support body which is mounted to an armrest assembly located and affixed to one side of a driver's seat.

2. A utility vehicle according to Claim 1, wherein the armrest assembly comprises a consol having at least one user interface.

3. A utility vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the driver's seat is mounted on a rotatable platform on a cab floor.

4. A utility vehicle according to any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the armrest assembly comprises a longitudinally extending member affixed to the driver's seat at its rearward end, and a transversely extending member serving to mount the support body to the forward end of the longitudinally extending member.

5. A utility vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the steering wheel is mounted to a face of the support body which serves as a dashboard having at least one display element.

6. A steering wheel assembly constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in accompanying Figures 7 and 8.