FRONT CAB TILT SUPPORT DEVICE

Abstract

A front cabin tilt support device (4), the device comprising: a support rod (100) connecting a vehicle body (3) and a front cabin (1), a holding lever (200) and a hook ring (300) provided on the holding rod (100), and a locking mechanism (400) provided on the holding lever (200), wherein the locking mechanism (400) comprises a rotary lever (420) which is rotatably coupled to the holding lever (200) via a lever shaft (410), wherein a tilting state of the front cabin (1) is arranged to be maintained by an engagement between the locking mechanism (400) and the hook ring (300) in the tilting state of the front cabin (1) in which the support rod (100) is extended when the front cabin (1) is pivoted in a predetermined direction, and wherein one of the holding lever (200) and the rotating lever (420) is provided with at least one hemispherical concave groove (220) and the other of the holding lever (200) and rotating lever (420) is provided with at least one hemispherical projection (460), so that a rotation angle of the rotating lever (420) with respect to the holding lever (200) is determined by the at least one hemispherical projection (460) engaging the at least one hemispherical concave groove (220) when the rotating lever (420) rotates.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for tilting a front cab of a truck, and more particularly to a technique for a front cab tilt support device of a truck capable of improving comfort and safety when tilting the front cab. Description of related technology

[0002] Generally, small to medium-sized trucks have a front cab provided with a driver's seat and a passenger seat, and a cargo area behind it that provides space for loading cargo, with the front cab provided with a tilting structure that can be tilted forward by a mechanic when required, for example, for servicing the vehicle.

[0003] Maintaining the tilted state of the front cab tilted forward can be achieved by a tilt support device connecting a vehicle body and the front cab. In the conventional tilt support device, after a support rod connecting a front cab and a vehicle body is extended straight, a safety pin is inserted into the support rod to prevent the support rod from rotating, thereby maintaining the tilted state of the front cab. However, the disadvantage is that the functionality is affected by the laborious insertion of the safety pin into the hole of the support rod, and in some cases, safety accidents are often caused because the mechanic omits the task of inserting the safety pin.

[0004] The information described in this Background of the Invention section is provided merely to facilitate an understanding of the general background of the invention and is not intended as an acknowledgement or suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to one skilled in the art.

[0005] For example, from CN 1 09 159 826 A or JP 2008 - 62 684 A a front cabin tilt support device is known, comprising: a support rod connecting a vehicle body and a front cabin to each other, a support lever and a hook ring provided on the support rod, and a locking mechanism provided on the support lever, wherein the locking mechanism has a rotary lever rotatably coupled to the support lever via a lever shaft, wherein a tilting state of the front cabin is arranged to be maintained by an engagement between the locking mechanism and the hook ring in the tilting state of the front cabin in which the support rod is extended when the front cabin is pivoted in a predetermined direction.

[0006] Further front cabin tilt support devices using a support rod and a locking mechanism are known, for example, from US 8 408 637 B1, JP S55 - 140 658 A or KR 10 1 744 827 B1.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to further improve a front cabin tilt support device with regard to operability and safety. BRIEF EXPLANATION

[0008] The present invention is directed to providing a front cab tilt support device (e.g., a front cab or a driver's cab) configured to perform a tilting / inclining operation of a front cab by a simple rotary operation of a rotary lever coupled to a support lever, thereby improving safety and operating comfort.

[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a front cab tilt support device having the features of claim 1. Further embodiments of the front cab tilt support device are described in the dependent claims. That is, a front cab tilt support device of a truck is provided, the device comprising: a support rod (hereinafter referred to as a support rod) connecting a vehicle body and a front cab to one another, a support lever (hereinafter referred to as a support lever) and a hook or locking ring or nose (hereinafter referred to as a hook ring) provided on the support rod, and a locking or unlocking element.A locking mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a locking mechanism) provided on the retaining lever, the locking mechanism comprising a rotary lever rotatably coupled to the retaining lever via a lever shaft, wherein a tilting state of the front cab is configured to be maintained by engagement between the locking mechanism and the hook ring in the tilting state of the front cab in which the retaining rod is being extended (e.g., extended or unfolded) when the front cab is rotated in a predetermined direction. Furthermore, the contact surfaces of the retaining lever and the rotary lever are provided with a hemispherical concave groove or recess (hereinafter referred to as a groove) and a hemispherical projection, respectively, so that a rotation angle of the rotary lever with respect to the retaining lever is determined by the projection being inserted into the concave groove upon rotation of the rotary lever.

[0010] The grab bar may, for example, have an upper grab bar portion and a lower grab bar portion which are rotatably connected to each other via a connecting pin while being rotatably connected to the front cabin and the vehicle body, respectively, and the grab lever may, for example, be rotatably or pivotably connected to the upper grab bar portion at a connecting portion of the upper grab bar portion and the lower grab bar portion, and the hook ring may, for example, be fixedly attached to the lower grab bar portion.

[0011] The hook ring may, for example, be an L-shaped bracket which, in a state in which the upper and lower support rod sections are just unfolded, protrudes from one side of the lower support rod section and is then bent upward.

[0012] The locking mechanism may include, for example, a gear member and a rotary shaft connected to each other to sequentially transmit the rotating force of the lever shaft, and a stopper (e.g., a detent; hereinafter referred to as a stopper) coupled to an end portion of the rotary shaft to rotate together with the rotary shaft, and configured such that, when the stopper is engaged with the hook ring, a locking state is maintained between the retaining lever and the lower retaining rod portion so that rotation of the retaining lever is impossible, and when the stopper is detached from the hook ring, the stopper changes to an unlocking state to allow rotation of the retaining lever.

[0013] The rotary lever can, for example, be rotatably coupled via the lever shaft in order to extend at the end section of the holding lever in the longitudinal direction of the holding lever.

[0014] In the unlocking state in which the stopper is not engaged with the hook ring, when the stopper rotates at an angle of 90 degrees in one direction so that the stopper is rotated and engaged with the hook ring, the retaining lever may enter a locking state in which rotation of the retaining lever is impossible, and, in the locking state, when the rotating lever rotates at an angle of 90 degrees in an opposite direction to return to its original position so that the stopper is rotated and disengaged from the hook lever, the retaining lever may enter an unlocking state in which rotation of the retaining lever is possible.

[0015] For example, a flange portion may be further formed to protrude at a right angle from the contact surface of the rotary lever, and a hemispherical projection may be provided on the contact surface of the flange portion.

[0016] For example, a symbol or text (e.g. pictogram) can be attached to the rotary lever at angular intervals of 90 degrees to indicate the locking and unlocking status of the holding lever.

[0017] According to the front cab anti-tilt device of the present invention, upon rotation of a rotary lever coupled to the support lever, the stopper is engaged / disengaged with the hook ring provided at the lower support rod portion, so that the support lever changes between a locking state and an unlocking state, and the effects of performing the anti-tilt of the front cab are realized by a simple rotational operation of the rotary lever, which improves the convenience and safety of operation.

[0018] The apparatus of the present invention has other advantages which will be apparent from or pointed out in more detail in the accompanying drawings set forth herein and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a view illustrating a tilting state of a front cab tilted forward by a front cab tilt support device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a view showing, by way of example, a support rod extending in a straight line from the state of Fig. 1 extends from, Fig. 3 is a view exemplarily showing a state in which the grab bar is folded when the front cabin is tilted down, Fig. 4 is a view exemplifying an unlocking state in which a stopper is not engaged with a hook ring in the anti-roll device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, Fig. 5 is a view showing an example of a section with which Fig. 4 a rotary lever is connected, Fig. 6 is a view showing an example of the operation in which the rotary lever is Fig. 4 is turned clockwise, Fig. 7 is a view showing an example of a section with which Fig. 6 a rotary lever is connected, Fig. 8 is a view showing, by way of example, the locking state in which the rotary lever of Fig. 4 is turned 90 degrees clockwise so that the stopper engages with the hook ring, Fig. 9 is a side view of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a view showing, by way of example, a portion with which the rotary lever in Fig. 8 is connected.

[0019] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and present a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention as contained herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and usage environment.

[0020] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention in the different figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in connection with the exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the present description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments.

[0022] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention contained herein are merely illustrative of the exemplary embodiments according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are embodied in various forms and are not to be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments described in various exemplary embodiments of the present invention or application. It should be understood that while the terms "first...", "second...", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another.Thus, a first element discussed below could be referred to as a second element and vice versa without departing from the nature of the present invention.

[0023] It is understood that when an element is described as "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. Conversely, when an element is described as "directly connected" to another element, no intervening elements are present. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "immediately between" or "adjacent" and "directly adjacent," may also be interpreted in the same way.

[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the," as used herein, are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, it is to be understood that the terms "comprising" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, acts, elements, and / or components thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, acts, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, the meaning of all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, is the same as that commonly understood in the related art to which various exemplary embodiments of the present invention belong. It is further understood that terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the related art and the present invention, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless so defined herein.

[0026] Hereinafter, a front cabin tilt support device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] As in Fig. 1, small to medium-sized trucks may have a front cab 1 equipped with a driver's seat and a passenger seat, and a rear loading area 2 providing space for loading cargo, the front cab 1 being provided with a tilting structure that can be rotated / tilted forward by a mechanic when required, for example, for servicing the vehicle.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a view showing, by way of example, a forward tilting state of the front cabin 1, Fig. 2 is a view showing an example of a straight support rod 100, and Fig. 3 is a view showing, by way of example, a state in which the support rod 100 is folded when the front cabin 1 is tilted downward (e.g., in the initial state).

[0029] Maintaining the tilting state of the front cab 1 tilted forward may require a front cab tilt support device 4 connecting a vehicle body 3 and the front cab 1.

[0030] As in Fig. 1 to 10, the front cab tilt support device 4 of a truck according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a support rod 100 connecting the vehicle body 3 and the front cab 1, a support lever 200 and a hook ring 300 provided on the support rod 100, and a lock mechanism 400 provided on the support lever 200 so that the tilting state of the front cab 1 is maintained by the engagement between the lock mechanism 400 and the hook ring 300 in the tilting state of the front cab 1 in which the support rod 100 is unfolded in a straight line when the front cab 1 is rotated forward.

[0031] The support rod 100 has an upper support rod section 110 and a lower support rod section 120.

[0032] A support member 111 is fixedly connected to the front cabin 1, and an upper portion of the upper support rod portion 110 is rotatably connected to the support member 111 via a first pin 112. A (further) support member 121 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body 3 below the front cabin 1, and a lower portion of the lower support rod portion 120 is rotatably connected to the support member 121 via a second pin 122.

[0033] A lower portion of the upper support rod portion 110 and an upper portion of the lower support rod portion 120 are mounted to overlap each other, and a connecting pin 130 is coupled to the overlapping portion so that the upper support rod portion 110 and the lower support rod portion 120 are coupled to each other around a connecting pin 130 in a rotatable structure.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the lower support rod portion 120 may have a groove 125, and a lever pin 210 of the upper support rod portion 110 and the groove 125 of the lower support rod portion 120 are coupled to each other in a rotatable structure around the connecting pin 130.

[0035] The holding lever 200 is rotatably coupled to the upper holding rod portion 110 via the lever pin 210 at a connecting portion of the upper holding rod portion 110 and the lower holding rod portion 120, and the hook ring 300 is fixedly connected to the lower holding rod portion 120.

[0036] The hook ring 300 is shaped like an L-shaped bracket that protrudes in one direction and is bent upward in the state where the upper support rod portion 110 and the lower support rod portion 120 extend straight and can be firmly welded to the lower support rod portion 120.

[0037] The locking mechanism 400 includes: a rotary lever 420 rotatably coupled to the holding lever 200 via a lever shaft 410; a gear member 430 and a rotary shaft 440 connected to sequentially transmit the rotational force of the lever shaft 410; and a stopper 450 coupled to the rotary shaft 440 to rotate together with the rotary shaft 440 so that during rotation of the rotary shaft 440, when engaged with the hook ring 300, a locking state in which the holding lever 200 cannot be rotated is obtained, and when the stopper is detached from the hook ring 300, an unlocking state in which the holding lever 200 can be rotated about the lever pin 210 is obtained.

[0038] The rotary lever 420 is rotatably coupled via the lever shaft 410 so as to extend at the end portion of the holding lever 200 in the longitudinal direction of the holding lever 200 to facilitate operation by the operator.

[0039] The lever shaft 410 and the rotary shaft 440 extend in the longitudinal direction of the holding lever 200. The lever shaft 410 and the rotary shaft 440 are mounted at a predetermined angle along the shape of the holding lever 200. The lever shaft 410 and the rotary shaft 440 are connected to enable power transmission through the gear element 430. The gear element 430 is preferably, but not exclusively, a bevel gear provided for power transmission between the lever shaft 410 and the rotary shaft 440 and forms an obtuse angle.

[0040] The stopper 450 is an L-shaped bracket whose one end portion is coupled to the rotating shaft 440 to rotate together with the rotating shaft 440, and in which, when the rotating shaft 440 is rotated, the other end portion of the stopper 450 is rotated toward the hook ring 300 to engage with or disengage from the hook ring 300.

[0041] That is, if the stopper 450, as in Fig. 8, from the unlocking state in which the stopper 450 is detached from the hook ring 300, as shown in Fig. 4, is released, rotates at an angle of 90 degrees in one direction, the stopper 450 is rotated and switched to the locking state in which the stopper 450 is engaged with the hook ring 300 so that the holding lever 200 cannot be rotated.

[0042] Accordingly, when the rotary lever 420 is rotated at an angle of 90 degrees in the opposite direction and from the locking state of Fig. 8 in the state of Fig. 4 returns, the stopper 450 is rotated and released from the hook ring 300, so that the holding lever 200 is switched to the unlocking state in which the holding lever can be rotated.

[0043] Further, the contact surfaces of the holding lever 200 and the rotary lever 420 are provided with a hemispherical concave groove 220 and a hemispherical projection 460, respectively, so that when the rotary lever 420 is rotated, the projection 460 is inserted into the concave groove 220 to determine the rotation angle of the rotary lever 420.

[0044] On the other hand, in contrast to the above embodiment, the contact surface of the holding lever 200 may be provided with a hemispherical projection and the contact surface of the rotating lever 420 may be provided with a hemispherical concave groove.

[0045] The contact surface of the holding lever 200 at a distal end portion has a straight shape, and two concave grooves 220 are formed in the straight-shaped contact surface at an angular interval of 180 degrees (e.g., with respect to the lever shaft 410). Furthermore, the contact surface of the rotary lever 420 also has a straight shape, and the two protrusions 460 are formed to be arranged at an angular interval of 180 degrees in the straight-shaped contact surface. A flange portion 470 is further formed to protrude orthogonally from the contact surface of the rotary lever 420, and a hemispherical protrusion 460 is further provided on the contact surface of the flange portion 470.

[0046] A total of three projections 460 are provided on the rotary lever 420 at angular intervals of 90 degrees.

[0047] Therefore, if the rotation of the rotary lever 420 is restricted when the two projections 460 are inserted into the two concave grooves 220 as shown in Fig. 4 to 5, the holding lever 200 switches to the unlocking state in which the holding lever is rotatable.

[0048] When the rotary lever 420 is in the Fig. 8, Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, rotates 90 degrees clockwise from the unlocking state as described above, only one (e.g., single) projection 460 provided in the flange portion 470 is inserted into the concave groove 220, so that the rotation of the rotating lever 420 is restricted and enters the locking state in which the holding lever 200 is not rotatable.

[0049] In addition, when the rotary lever 420 rotates counterclockwise at an angle of 90 degrees and returns to the original or home position, as shown in Fig.4 to 5 from the locked state, the two projections 460 are reinserted into the two concave grooves 220 so that the rotation of the rotary lever 420 is restricted, thereby returning it to the unlocked state in which the holding lever 200 is rotatable.

[0050] A character or text 480 (emoticon / pictogram) is displayed on the rotary lever 420 at 90-degree intervals, indicating the locking or unlocking state of the holding lever 200. The character or text 480 allows the operator to visually recognize the locking or unlocking state of the holding lever 200.

[0051] As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment in which, when the rotary lever 420 coupled to the holding lever 200 rotates, the stopper 450 engages or disengages with the hook ring 300, when the stopper 450 is engaged with the hook ring 300, the holding lever 200 switches to the lock state in which rotation of the holding lever is impossible, so that the tilting state of the front cab 1 swung forward is maintained, and when the stopper 450 is detached from the hook ring 300, the holding lever 200 switches to a rotatable unlocking state, so that the front cab 1 swung forward can be swung to its original position.

[0052] Thus, the front cab tilt support device according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention is configured to enable the tilt support operation of the front cab 1 with a simple rotary operation of the rotary lever 420 coupled to the holding lever 200, which contributes to improving comfort and operational safety.

[0053] For ease of explanation and to accurately define the appended claims, the terms "upper...", "lower...", "inner...", "outer...", "top", "bottom", "upward", "downward", "front...", "backward...", "front", "backward", "inside", "outside", "inside", "outside", "inward / inward", "outside / outward", "forward / forward", and "backward / rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to positions of those features shown in the drawings. It is further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connection.

Claims

[1] A front cabin tilt support device (4), the device comprising: a support rod (100) connecting a vehicle body (3) and a front cabin (1), a holding lever (200) and a hook ring (300) provided on the holding rod (100), and a locking mechanism (400) provided on the holding lever (200), wherein the locking mechanism (400) comprises a rotary lever (420) which is rotatably coupled to the holding lever (200) via a lever shaft (410), wherein a tilting state of the front cabin (1) is arranged to be maintained by an engagement between the locking mechanism (400) and the hook ring (300) in the tilting state of the front cabin (1) in which the support rod (100) is extended when the front cabin (1) is pivoted in a predetermined direction, and wherein one of the holding lever (200) and the rotating lever (420) is provided with at least one hemispherical concave groove (220) and the other of the holding lever (200) and rotating lever (420) is provided with at least one hemispherical projection (460), so that a rotation angle of the rotating lever (420) with respect to the holding lever (200) is determined by the at least one hemispherical projection (460) engaging the at least one hemispherical concave groove (220) when the rotating lever (420) rotates. [2] The front cab tilt support device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the support rod (100) has an upper support rod portion (110) and a lower support rod portion (120) which are rotatably coupled (130) to each other via a connecting pin, the upper support rod portion (110) being rotatably coupled to the front cab (1) and the lower support rod portion (120) being rotatably coupled to the vehicle body (3), and the support lever (200) is rotatably attached to the upper support rod portion (110) and the hook ring (300) is fixedly attached to the lower support rod portion (120). [3] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 2, wherein the hook ring (300) is an L-shaped bracket that protrudes from the lower support rod portion (120) and is then bent in the longitudinal direction of the lower support rod portion (120). [4] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the upper support rod portion (110) has a lever pin (210) to which the support lever (200) is connected, and wherein the lower support rod portion (120) has a groove (125) into which the lever pin (210) of the upper support rod portion (110) selectively engages according to the rotations of the upper support rod portion (110) and the lower support rod portion (120). [5] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking mechanism (400) further comprises: a gear member (430) and a rotary shaft (440) connected to each other, wherein the lever shaft (410) is engaged with the gear member (430) to sequentially transmit a rotational force of the lever shaft (410) via the gear member (430) to the rotary shaft (440), and wherein the rotary shaft (440) and the lever shaft (410) are rotatably mounted on the holding lever (200), and a stopper (450) attached to a first end portion of the rotary shaft (440) to rotate with the rotary shaft (440). [6] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 5, wherein a second end portion of the rotary shaft (440) is engaged with a first end portion of the lever shaft (410) via the gear element (430), and wherein a second end portion of the lever shaft (410) is fixedly connected to the rotary lever (420). [7] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 6, wherein the gear element (430) comprises a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear, and wherein a second end portion of the rotary shaft (440) has the first bevel gear and the first end portion of the lever shaft (410) has the second bevel gear meshing with the first bevel gear. [8] The front cab tilt support device (4) according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein, when the stopper (450) is engaged with the hook ring (300), a locking state of the support lever (200) is maintained on the lower support rod portion (120) so as to prevent rotation of the support lever (200), and, when the stopper (450) is detached from the hook ring (300), the stopper (450) is switched to an unlocking state to allow rotation of the support lever (200) with respect to the lower support rod portion (120). [9] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary lever (420) is rotatably coupled to the support lever (200) via the lever shaft (410) so as to extend at an end portion of the support lever (200) in the longitudinal direction of the support lever (200). [10] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to any one of claims 5 to 9, insofar as dependent on claim 5, wherein, when the stopper (450) rotates in a first direction at a predetermined angle in an unlocking state in which the stopper (450) is not engaged with the hook ring (300), so that the stopper (450) is rotated and engages with the hook ring (300), the holding lever (200) enters a locking state in which rotation of the holding lever (200) is prevented, and wherein, when the rotary lever (420) rotates in the locking state at the predetermined angle in a second direction opposite to the first direction to return to its original position so that the stopper (450) is rotated and released from the hook ring (300), the holding lever (200) enters the unlocking state in which rotation of the holding lever (200) is possible. [11] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees. [12] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the rotary lever (420) has a flange portion (470) protruding from a surface of the rotary lever (420), and wherein an end portion of the flange portion (470) has a hemispherical concave groove or a hemispherical projection which can be selectively engaged with one of the at least hemispherical concave groove (220) and the at least hemispherical projection (460). [13] The front cab tilt support device (4) according to claim 1, further comprising a flange portion (470) formed to protrude in a perpendicular direction from a surface of the rotary lever (420), and a hemispherical projection (460) is provided on the surface of the flange portion (470) to be engaged with the at least hemispherical concave groove (220). [14] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a character or text (480) indicating the locking and unlocking state of the holding lever (200) is displayed at angular intervals of a predetermined angle on the rotary lever (420). [15] The front cabin tilt support device (4) according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees.

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