Installation assembly, work assembly, work vehicle
The mounting assembly for drawbars on work vehicles protects against soil and debris by extending a support plate forward, ensuring rotation and easy detachment, addressing clogging issues and simplifying installation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KUBOTA CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-01
Smart Images

Figure 2026109594000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of work vehicles such as tractors, and more particularly to a mounting assembly for attaching a drawbar such as a work vehicle.
Background Art
[0002] Work vehicles such as agricultural tractors are widely used to tow work devices used in agricultural fields, such as seeding and spreading devices for sowing seeds, mowing devices for mowing grass, fertilizer spreading devices for spreading fertilizers, transplanting devices for planting seedlings, and irrigation devices for irrigation. A drawbar is used to attach a work device to a mounting assembly of a tractor. This mounting assembly is disposed on the lower rear side of the tractor and constitutes a receiving space for receiving the front end portion of the drawbar. This mounting assembly includes a pin disposed in the receiving space, and this pin is configured to pass through an anchor hole at the front end portion of the drawbar in order to attach the front end portion of the drawbar to the mounting assembly while allowing the drawbar to rotate around the pin.
[0003] Since the mounting assembly is disposed below the tractor, the pin of the mounting assembly and the drawbar are in a position close to the ground. When the tractor moves in the field, both the drawbar and the pin may come into contact with crops and soil, or other dirt (soil), and as a result, the pin of the mounting assembly and the front end portion of the drawbar may be clogged with soil or other dirt (soil). Then, rotation around the pin is hindered, and it may be difficult to remove the drawbar, for example, when replacing a work device used with the tractor.
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to efficiently protect the drawbar and the pin using a device that is easy to manufacture and easy to attach to a work vehicle.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] An object of the present invention is to at least substantially improve the above problems.
[0006] The idea behind this invention is to protect the drawbar and the pins of the mounting assembly from crops, soil, and dirt. A further idea of this invention is to provide such protection without preventing the drawbar from rotating around the pins. Another idea of this invention is to achieve the above advantages using a device that is easy to manufacture and easy to mount on a work vehicle.
[0007] In this regard, this disclosure relates to a mounting assembly for attaching a drawbar to a work vehicle, the mounting assembly being: A mounting plate configured to be fixed to the bottom surface of the work vehicle, Spacer part, Support plate and The spacer portion is joined to the mounting plate and the support plate so as to define a receiving space between the mounting plate and the support plate for receiving the front end of the drawbar. A pin positioned within the receiving space, configured to penetrate the anchor hole of the front end of the drawbar in order to attach the front end of the drawbar to the mounting assembly within the receiving space, The support plate is configured to extend forward along the longitudinal direction from the pin, beyond the distance between the anchor hole and the front surface of the drawbar.
[0008] In this specification, with respect to the direction of the work vehicle, "front side" refers to the side facing the forward direction of the work vehicle, and "rear side" refers to the side facing the reverse direction of the work vehicle. "Upper side" refers to the ground. The side moving away from the ground is called the "downside," and the side facing the ground is called the "downside." In other words, components extending "upward" extend in the direction away from the ground, and components extending "forward" extend in the direction of the work vehicle's forward movement. Furthermore, the longitudinal direction is the direction from the rear to the front, and the width direction is the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
[0009] Such mounting assemblies protect the drawbar from contact with crops and prevent the accumulation of soil or other debris. In particular, by extending the support plate forward beyond the distance between the anchor hole and the front of the drawbar, the support plate can reliably protect the drawbar along its entire front end. In fact, crops, soil, and other debris from the ground are deflected (pushed down) by the support plate before they can come into contact with the drawbar or pin. Thus, the drawbar is protected from clogging and damage by crops or other external elements and can be kept rotatable around the pin.
[0010] Furthermore, since the support plate supports and protects the front end of the drawbar, such protection of the drawbar can be easily achieved by the mounting assembly. In other words, the mounting assembly according to the present invention does not require any auxiliary components to provide protection for the drawbar. Such a mounting assembly is easy to install (mount) on a work vehicle because it only requires fixing a mounting plate to the underside of the work vehicle to achieve both the mounting and protection of the drawbar.
[0011] According to embodiments of the present invention, the mounting assembly may have the following features individually or in combination.
[0012] According to one embodiment, the support plate extends further forward than the mounting plate. Preferably, the support plate is longer than the mounting plate.
[0013] The support plate and / or mounting plate may have any suitable shape, such as a square, rectangle, or other shape.
[0014] According to one embodiment, the mounting plate is larger than the support plate in the width direction.
[0015] According to one embodiment, the mounting plate includes a first hole, and the support plate includes a second hole, the first and second holes having a circular shape with their centers aligned along the vertical direction, and a pin passing through the first and second holes. However, the first and second holes may have other shapes, such as rectangular shapes, so that a pin passes through both the first and second holes and is attached to the receiving space between the mounting plate and the support plate.
[0016] According to one embodiment, the pin is fixed in the receiving space. For example, the pin is attached to the first and second holes, with both ends of the pin extending outward from the receiving space and cooperating with a locking means such as a nut, a rod passing through both ends of the pin, or other locking mechanism.
[0017] According to one embodiment, the mounting assembly further comprises a front plate, the front plate extending upward from the front end of the support plate.
[0018] Such a front plate further protects the drawbar and pin within the receiving space.
[0019] Preferably, the front plate extends forward from the front end of the support plate. In other words, the front plate is preferably inclined relative to the support plate, and this inclination is in both forward and upward directions. Such a front plate can more effectively protect the drawbar and pins from being knocked over by the work vehicle as it moves forward.
[0020] The front plate and support plate may be joined together in various embodiments. The front plate and support plate may consist of a single member manufactured in a desired shape, or they may be composed of multiple members joined together. In one embodiment, the front plate and support plate are formed by bending a single plate, with a first portion of the single plate forming the support plate and a second portion of the single plate forming the front plate. In one embodiment, the front plate and support plate are two welded plates.
[0021] According to one embodiment, the front plate has at least the same size as the front end portion of the support plate, that is, the size in the width direction.
[0022] According to one embodiment, the spacer portion includes a first spacer plate and a second spacer plate. The first spacer plate joins the first side surface of the mounting plate to the corresponding first side surface of the support plate, and the second spacer plate joins the second side surface of the mounting plate to the corresponding second side surface of the support plate. The receiving space is defined by the mounting plate, the support plate, the first spacer plate, and the second spacer plate.
[0023] Such a mounting assembly requires only simple components that integrally join a plurality of plates, so it is easy to manufacture. These plates can be joined by known means such as welding, screws, and nuts.
[0024] According to one embodiment, the mounting plate includes a plurality of fixing holes.
[0025] According to one embodiment, the spacer portion is disposed between a plurality of fixing holes in the width direction. The spacer portion configured in this way facilitates the processing (fixing of the mounting plate) to the fixing holes. According to one embodiment, the fixing holes are disposed between the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate in the width direction.
[0026] According to one embodiment, the spacer portion is disposed longitudinally between the fixing holes. In other words, according to this embodiment, the spacer portion is disposed longitudinally between the front fixing hole and the rear fixing hole of the mounting plate. According to one embodiment, the spacer portion is disposed between a plurality of fixing holes in both the longitudinal direction and the width direction.
[0027] According to one embodiment, the support plate includes a plurality of through holes. Such a plurality of through holes are arranged side by side in alignment with the fixing holes in the vertical direction. Such through holes facilitate the processing (fixing of the mounting plate) to the fixing holes.
[0028] Preferably, the mounting plate includes four fixing holes. More preferably, these fixing holes are arranged at each corner of the mounting plate.
[0029] According to one embodiment, the support plate includes a main portion and a front portion. The front portion forms the front end of the support plate, and the front portion is larger than the main portion in the width direction. The main portion of the support plate may be a part of the support plate arranged between the spacer portions in the width direction.
[0030] This front portion has a wider surface to protect the drawbar and pins from contact with the crop, and suppresses the accumulation of soil or other dirt.
[0031] According to an embodiment, the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate are arranged longitudinally between the front fixing holes and the rear fixing holes of the mounting plate of the mounting plate.
[0032] According to one embodiment, the first spacer plate and / or the second spacer plate extend forward beyond the mounting plate. Preferably, at least one of the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate is configured to extend further forward from the pin than the distance between the anchor hole and the front surface of the drawbar.
[0033] Preferably, the front end of at least one of the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate is joined to the front end of the support plate.
[0034] Such spacer plates provide lateral protection from soil, crops, and other debris, thus more reliably protecting the drawbar and pin. In fact, in this embodiment, the front end of the drawbar is laterally surrounded by the spacer plate, and thus protected laterally by the spacer plate, in addition to being protected from the bottom by the support plate and further protected from the front by the front plate.
[0035] According to one embodiment, at least one of the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate extends longitudinally from the front end to the rear end of the support plate.
[0036] Preferably, at least one of the front ends of the first spacer plate and the second spacer plate is joined to the front plate. This further improves the protection of the drawbar and pin.
[0037] The present invention also provides a work assembly including the above-described mounting assembly and drawbar.
[0038] The present invention also provides a work vehicle including the above-described mounting assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0039] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same components. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a tractor showing a mounting assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a detailed view of Figure 1, showing the mounting assembly and the drawbar attached thereto. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of a drawbar used with the mounting assembly shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly shown in Figure 1, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly shown in Figure 1, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly shown in Figure 1, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the second embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the second embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the third embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the third embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the fourth embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a detailed view of the mounting assembly according to the fourth embodiment, viewed from a different direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0040] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0041] Figure 1 shows a tractor 1, which is an example of a work vehicle. Although tractor 1 is used as a specific example of a work vehicle in this explanation, the work vehicle is not limited to a tractor, and may be any other work vehicle that has a mounting assembly for attaching work equipment to the rear lower part of the work vehicle.
[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the tractor 1 includes a body 2 with wheels, a motor, and a transmission. The motor is a diesel engine or an electric motor, etc. The transmission provides propulsion from the motor to the wheels (not shown), enabling the movement of the work vehicle 1. The body 2 is provided with a cabin 3, and the cabin 3 is provided with a driver's seat 4.
[0043] A mounting assembly 5 is provided at the lower rear of the vehicle body 2. The mounting assembly 5 is intended to connect the vehicle body 2 to a work device (not shown). By connecting the work device to the mounting assembly 5, the work device can be towed by the tractor 1. The work device may be any type of device used in the agricultural field. These work devices include tilling devices for tilling, fertilizer spreading devices for spreading fertilizer, transplanting devices for planting seedlings, irrigation devices for watering, pesticide spreading devices for spraying pesticides, seed sowing and spreading devices, as well as grass cutting devices for cutting grass, grass spreading devices for spreading grass, grass collecting devices for collecting grass, grass shaping devices for shaping grass, and combined devices for performing multiple agricultural tasks.
[0044] As clearly shown in Figure 2, the mounting assembly 5 is fixed to the bottom surface 6 of the vehicle body 2. The working device is attached to the mounting assembly 5 by a drawbar 7.
[0045] Figure 3 shows a specific example of a drawbar 7. Such a drawbar 7 consists of a first end 8, typically a rear end 8, configured to be connected to a work device, and a second end 9, typically a front end 9, configured to be inserted into and mounted to a mounting assembly 5.
[0046] The front end 9 of the drawbar 7 is provided with anchor holes 10 configured to receive the pins 37 (see Figure 4) of the mounting assembly 5. These anchor holes 10 have a circular shape so as to rotate the drawbar 7 around a pivot axis defined by the pins 37 of the mounting assembly 5.
[0047] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the front end 9 includes three anchor holes 10, but the drawbar 7 may include one or more anchor holes 10. The multiple anchor holes 10 provided in the drawbar 7 at the front end 9 allow the drawbar 7 to be inserted and mounted in the mounting assembly 5 at different positions, for example, to accommodate the drawbar 7 with various work equipment and tractors.
[0048] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, which provide a detailed view of the mounting assembly 5 in Figure 1, the mounting assembly 5 includes a mounting plate 11, a spacer portion 12, and a support plate 13.
[0049] In this embodiment, the mounting plate 11 has a rectangular shape. The mounting plate 11 includes fixing holes 14, and in the embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 6, four fixing holes 14 are located at each corner of the mounting plate 11. These fixing holes 14 can be used, for example, with screws (not shown). The mounting plate 11 is then secured to the bottom surface 10 of the tractor 1 by nuts 15 (see Figure 2) or other fastening means.
[0050] The mounting plate 11 includes a central hole 16 configured to receive the pin 37 of the mounting assembly 5.
[0051] The spacer section 12 includes a first spacer plate 17 and a second spacer plate 18. These spacer plates 17 and 18 have a rectangular shape in the embodiments shown in Figures 4 to 6. The spacer plates 17 and 18 extend vertically from the bottom surface 19 of the mounting plate 11, and the bottom surface 19 of the mounting plate 11 faces the bottom surface 6 of the tractor 1, i.e., the surface of the mounting plate 11 that faces the ground. In other words, the spacer plates 17 and 18 are parallel and positioned below the mounting plate 11.
[0052] The spacer plates 17 and 18 are positioned between the fixing holes 14 along the width direction of the fixing holes 14 to facilitate access to the fixing means that cooperate with the fixing holes 14. However, the spacing between the spacer plates 17 and 18 along the width direction is designed to be as large as possible so that the drawbar 7 can rotate around the pin 37 without contacting these spacer plates 17 and 18.
[0053] The support plate 13 is fixed to the spacer portion 12. More specifically, the support plate 13 is fixed to the end of the spacer portion 12 facing the mounting plate 11, that is, to the corresponding end of the spacer plates 17, 18 facing the mounting plate 11.
[0054] The support plate 13 includes a central hole 20 configured to receive the pins 37 of the mounting assembly 5. The central hole 16 of the mounting plate 11 and the central hole 20 of the support plate 13 are circular in shape and are aligned to receive the pins of the mounting assembly 5.
[0055] The lower surface 19 of the mounting plate 11, the spacer plates 17 and 18, and the upper surface 21 of the support plate 13 together define a receiving space 22 for the front end 9 of the drawbar 7. The front end 9 of the drawbar 7 is inserted into this receiving space 22, and the anchor hole 10 is aligned with both the central hole 16 of the mounting plate 11 and the central hole 20 of the support plate 13. Next, with the front end 9 of the drawbar 7 maintained in the receiving space 22, the pin 37 is inserted into the central holes 16 and 20 and the anchor hole 10. The pin 37 is fixed or maintained in place using any locking means, such as a nut, a locking rod inserted into the locking hole (anti-loosening hole) of the pin 37, or other locking mechanism. Since both the pin 37 and the anchor hole 10 have a circular shape, the drawbar 7 can be rotated around the axis defined by the pin 37.
[0056] To protect the pin 37 and the drawbar 7, the support plate 13 extends forward along its longitudinal direction, beyond the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 (see Figure 3). That is, the distance 24 between the front end 25 of the support plate 13 and the central hole 20 of the support plate 13 is at least equal to, and preferably greater than, the maximum distance 26 between the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 and the anchor hole 10 of the drawbar 7. This maximum distance 26 is defined by the distance between the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 and the anchor hole 27 of the anchor hole 10 of the drawbar 7 that is furthest from the front surface 23. Furthermore, the distance 24 is defined as the distance from the foremost point of the front end 25 of the support plate 13 to the nearest point of the central hole 20 of the support plate 13, i.e., to the foremost point of the central hole 20. Similarly, the maximum distance 26 is defined as the distance between the foremost point of the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 and the nearest point of the anchor hole 27 furthest from the front surface 23, i.e., the foremost point of the anchor hole 27 furthest from the front surface 23.
[0057] In this way, the support plate 13, which extends forward beyond the front end 9 of the drawbar 7, can protect the drawbar 7 and pin 37 from contamination such as crops, soil, and dirt when the tractor 1 moves forward.
[0058] To further enhance protection for the drawbar 7 and pin 37, the mounting assembly 5 further includes a front plate 28. This front plate 28 extends upward and forward from the front end 25 of the support plate 13. The front plate 28 protects the receiving space 22 from soil and other debris such as crops and other debris, thereby protecting the drawbar 7 and pin 37. Because the front plate 28 extends upward and forward, when the tractor 1 moves forward, the bottom surface 29 of the front plate 28 can position (pull down) the crops below the mounting assembly 5.
[0059] Preferably, the distance 30 between the front plate 28 and the central hole 20 of the support plate 13 is greater than the maximum distance 26 between the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 and the furthest anchor hole 27. By providing a distance 30 between the front plate 28 and the central hole 20 of the support plate 13, the front surface 23 of the drawbar 7 does not abut against the front plate 28, especially when the drawbar 7 rotates around the pin 37, and the front plate 28 does not hinder the rotation of the drawbar 7.
[0060] Figures 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the mounting assembly 5 according to the present invention. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or have the same function as those described above with reference to Figures 1 to 6.
[0061] The difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the first spacer plate 17 and the second spacer plate 18 are joined to the support plate 13 by curved portions 31. These curved portions 31 are located at the ends of the spacer plates 17 and 18 that face the mounting plate 11. Therefore, the width of the main portion 32 of the support plate 13, that is, the width of the portion of the support plate 13 arranged along the longitudinal direction between the spacer plates 17 and 18, can be made smaller than that of the first embodiment. Reducing the width of the main portion 32 in this way reduces the amount of material required to manufacture the main portion 32, making it lighter than that of the first embodiment.
[0062] However, in order to effectively protect the drawbar 7 and the pin 37, the support plate 13 has a front portion 33 that is larger than the main portion 32. This front portion 33, also called the enlarged portion 33, extends forward from the main portion 32 with a greater width than the main portion 32 and constitutes the front end portion 25 of the support plate 13.
[0063] Figures 9 and 10 show a third embodiment of the mounting assembly 5 according to the present invention. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or have the same function as those described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8.
[0064] In the third embodiment, the spacer plates 17 and 18 extend forward beyond the mounting plate 11. In particular, the spacer plates 17 and 18 extend forward and are joined to the front plate 28. Because the spacer plates 17 and 18 are configured in this way, the receiving space 22 at the front of the mounting assembly 5 is completely protected.
[0065] Figures 11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the mounting assembly 5 according to the present invention. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or have the same function as those described above with reference to Figures 1 to 10.
[0066] In the fourth embodiment, the spacer plates 17 and 18 are fixed to the respective side surfaces 34 of the mounting plate 11. The spacer plates 17 and 18 may be fixed by any fastening means, such as welding. Similarly, these spacer plates 17 and 18 are fixed to the respective side surfaces 35 of the support plate 13.
[0067] Since the spacer plates 17 and 18 are fixed to the side surface 34 of the mounting plate 11, the fixing holes 14 are arranged side by side in the width direction between the spacer plates 17 and 18.
[0068] As shown in Figure 12, the support plate 13 includes a passage hole 36, which is for facilitating work on the two fixing holes 14 located at the rear, i.e., for passing a tool through to screw in nuts for securing the mounting plate 11.
[0069] The front fixing holes 14 are located in front of the support plate 13, i.e., in the main portion 32. In this embodiment, the main portion 32 is larger than the front portion 33. The front portion 33 of the support plate 13 extends from the main portion 32 and forms the front end portion 25 of the support plate 13, but is located between the two front fixing holes 14 in the width direction, so that the support plate 13 does not overlap the front fixing holes 14 in the upward direction, making it easier to work on the front fixing holes 14.
[0070] Although the plates described in the above embodiments mainly have a rectangular shape, these plates may also have a trapezoidal shape, a circular shape, or any other shape suitable for the transmission interface and constituting a receiving space.
[0071] This disclosure refers to specific exemplary embodiments, but these embodiments may be modified or altered without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, individual features of different illustrated and described embodiments may be combined with additional embodiments. Accordingly, the specification and drawings of this application should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.
Claims
1. A mounting assembly (5) for attaching a drawbar (7) to a work vehicle (1), A mounting plate (11) is configured to be fixed to the bottom surface (6) of the work vehicle (1), Spacer part (12) and Support plate (13) and The spacer portion (12) is joined to the mounting plate (11) and the support plate (13) such that a receiving space (22) for receiving the front end portion (9) of the drawbar (7) is defined between the mounting plate (11) and the support plate (13). The receiving space (22) contains a pin (37) configured to penetrate the anchor holes (10, 27) of the front end (9) of the drawbar (7) in order to attach the front end (9) of the drawbar (7) to the mounting assembly (5) in the receiving space (22), The mounting assembly (5) is configured such that the support plate (13) extends forward along the longitudinal direction from the pin (37) and beyond the distance (26) between the anchor holes (10, 27) and the front surface (23) of the drawbar (7).
2. It is further equipped with a front plate (28), The mounting assembly (5) according to claim 1, wherein the front plate (28) extends upward from the front end portion (25) of the support plate (13).
3. The mounting plate (11) includes a plurality of fixing holes (14), The mounting assembly (5) according to claim 1, wherein the spacer portion (12) is arranged between the plurality of fixing holes (14) in the width direction.
4. The support plate (13) includes a main portion (32) and a front portion (33), The aforementioned front portion (33) is larger than the aforementioned main portion (32), The mounting assembly (5) according to claim 1, wherein the front portion (33) forms the front end portion (25) of the support plate (13).
5. The spacer portion (12) includes a first spacer plate (17) and a second spacer plate (18). The first spacer plate (17) joins the first side surface of the mounting plate (11) to the corresponding first side surface of the support plate (13), The second spacer plate (18) connects the second side surface of the mounting plate (11) to the corresponding second side surface of the support plate (13), The mounting assembly (5) according to claim 1, wherein the receiving space (22) is defined by the mounting plate (11), the support plate (13), the first spacer plate (17), and the second spacer plate (18).
6. The mounting assembly (5) according to claim 5, wherein the first spacer plate (17) and the second spacer plate (18) are arranged in the longitudinal direction between the front fixing hole and the rear fixing hole of the mounting plate (11).
7. The mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first spacer plate (17) and the second spacer plate (18) extends further forward from the pin (37) than the distance (26) between the anchor hole (10, 27) and the front surface (23) of the drawbar (7).
8. The mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the front end portions of the first spacer plate (17) and the second spacer plate (18) is joined to the front plate (28).
9. A work assembly comprising the mounting assembly (5) and the drawbar (7) as described in claim 1.
10. A work vehicle equipped with the mounting assembly (5) described in claim 1.