Device for actuating a system for tilting a cab or an engine hood of a vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for actuating a system for tilting a cab or an engine hood of a vehicle, the device being of the type comprising at least one double-acting actuator controlled by a hydraulic pump, the device (1) for actuating a tilting system comprising a frame supporting a transmission shaft (3) having a free end (4), and also an actuating assembly for actuating the transmission shaft (3), the assembly being designed to be able to impart to the transmission shaft (3) a pivoting movement of pivoting back and forth relative to a starting position, and comprising a motor (5), connected to power-supply means, which is connected to the transmission shaft (3) through a rotary shaft (6) coupled to a connecting rod (7) – crank (70) system.

Description

Device for actuating a tilting system for a cabin or engine hood of a vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of tools for the maintenance of industrial type vehicles, such as in particular trucks, tractors, public works machinery, etc.

[0002] Its subject is a device for actuating a system for tilting an element such as a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle, between a position in which the element prevents access to the vehicle's engine and a position in which the element allows access to this same engine.

[0003] As is well known, in order to ensure the safety of drivers, guarantee the quality and continuity of goods transport or ongoing construction sites, and limit their environmental impact, industrial vehicles are subject to regular maintenance of their various equipment, and in particular their engine.

[0004] In this regard, owners of such vehicles must ensure that the oil is changed regularly, that the filters are clean, and that the coolant and brake fluids are at the optimal level. Likewise, to detect any untimely wear or damage, belts and hoses must be inspected periodically. In other words, accessing the engine of a heavy goods vehicle, tractor, or construction machine to perform these tasks, replace defective parts, or even install additional components, is part of the daily routine of specialized mechanics, as well as drivers and some personnel in other related fields.

[0005] Currently, in many models of trucks circulating around the world, and some construction machinery, the engine is located directly under the cab, and is only accessible after tilting the latter towards the front of the chassis.

[0006] More precisely, in this type of vehicle, the cab is pivotally mounted on the chassis to which it is connected via one or two double-acting cylinders. Its movement towards the front of the chassis is carried out by acting on the pump of the cylinder(s), conventionally by means of a pumping lever supplied by the manufacturer, to which a continuous back-and-forth movement is given manually until the position of the cab is reached in which the engine is released. The return of the cab to its vertical position, in which it overhangs the engine, is carried out in the same way, after reversing the direction of operation of the hydraulic pump.

[0007] However, it has been observed that moving a truck or tractor cab from its vertical position forward, then back to its vertical position, requires an operator to perform on average two hundred and fifty back-and-forth movements with the pumping lever. It will be easily understood that, given the weight of such a cab, this way of proceeding requires a very significant physical effort, and therefore a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders in people regularly confronted with such a task. In addition, proceeding in this way is particularly time-consuming and generates both organizational and economic problems within the companies involved. The same is also true for certain construction site vehicles equipped with an engine protected by a hood, the movement of which to its position in which access to the engine is possible, and vice versa, requires the assistance of a hydraulic pump.

[0008] The present invention falls within this context and aims to propose new equipment intended to overcome the problems mentioned above.

[0009] More precisely, the device according to the invention has been specifically designed to allow automatic actuation of a hydraulic pump of a double-acting cylinder connecting a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle to its chassis, and thus eliminate the difficulty of tilting operations of a vehicle cabin or engine hood required by interventions at the engine level, while promoting an acceleration of the rates.

[0010] To this end, the present invention relates to a device for actuating a tilting system of a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle, of the type comprising at least one double-acting cylinder controlled by a hydraulic pump, said device for actuating a tilting system comprising a chassis supporting a transmission shaft having a free end, as well as an assembly for actuating said transmission shaft, said assembly being designed to be capable of giving said transmission shaft a pivoting movement, back and forth, relative to a starting position and comprising a motor, connected to power supply means and connected to said transmission shaft through a rotary shaft coupled to a connecting rod-crank system.

[0011] Furthermore, depending on the case, the device according to the invention may also have one or more of the following characteristics:

[0012] – It includes means of regulating the engine speed;

[0013] - The frame has a bar whose ends are fitted with grip handles;

[0014] - One of the handles is equipped with a lever for actuating the motor, while the other has a lever acting on the means for regulating the speed of the motor;

[0015] - The motor is selected from the group comprising a 12V motor, a 24V motor, a 220V motor powered by a battery, a compressed air type motor, an axial flux type motor;

[0016] - It has a pumping lever intended to be connected to the free end of the transmission shaft;

[0017] - The free end of the transmission shaft and a free end of the pumping lever have complementary sections;

[0018] -The free end of the transmission shaft is female type and has an M-shaped section;

[0019] – It has a base supported by the chassis;

[0020] - The base is removable, or retractable between a use position and a rest position.

[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

[0022] corresponds to a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention comprising a protective casing for part of its constituent elements,

[0023] is a view of the device without its protective casing, and

[0024] represents a view from a different angle of the device without its protective casing.

[0025] As indicated above, the present invention relates to a device 1 for actuating a tilting system for a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle, of the type conventionally comprising a double-acting cylinder controlled by a hydraulic pump.

[0026] With reference to the figures, in the illustrated embodiment variant, the device 1 according to the invention comprises a bar 2, acting as a frame, preferably made of a light material, such as for example aluminum, plastic, a composite material or any other material with equivalent properties.

[0027] The bar 2 comprises a through passage 26, with an axis perpendicular to the bar 2, in which a transmission shaft 3, having a free end 4, is rotatably mounted. The bar 2 further supports an assembly for actuating said transmission shaft 3, capable of giving the latter a pivoting movement, back and forth, for example a quarter turn, relative to a starting position.

[0028] More precisely, this actuation assembly comprises a motor 5 connected to the transmission shaft 3 through a connecting rod 7-crank 70 system coupled to a rotary shaft 6, mounted in rotation in a second through passage 27 of the bar 2, with an axis parallel to the passage 26.

[0029] With reference to the, the connecting rod 7 is fixedly connected, on the one hand, by one of its ends to the crank 70, itself mounted on the rotary shaft 6, and on the other hand, by its other end to a first end of a pivoting arm 25, having a second end fixedly mounted on the transmission shaft 3. In fact, the crank 70 is intended to be driven in rotation by the rotary shaft 6 when the motor 5 is actuated, and thus to cause a back and forth translational movement, from a starting position, of the connecting rod 7. The movement of the latter will then jointly induce a back and forth pivoting of the pivoting arm 25 and consequently of the transmission shaft 3.

[0030] According to a characteristic of the invention, the connecting rod 7 is advantageously designed to be telescopic and is formed of an internal part 23 and an external part 24 mounted to move in translation relative to each other and comprising means for locking in position relative to each other. Thus, the length of the connecting rod 7 can be adjusted in order to modify, if necessary, the stroke of the reciprocating movement applied to the transmission shaft 3.

[0031] It should also be noted that in the illustrated embodiment variant, the transmission shaft 3, the rotary shaft 6 as well as the connecting rod 7 - crank 70 system and the pivoting arm 25 are housed in a protective housing 8. This is parallelepipedal in shape, is made for example of plastic, and has a face having an outlet orifice 14 from the housing 8 of the free end 4 of the transmission shaft 3. Of course, the shape and dimensions of this protective housing 8 can be adapted according to those of the constituent elements of the device 1 and in particular be provided in such a way that they also allow the motor 5 and its power supply 50 to be housed therein if necessary.

[0032] It is also specified that in accordance with a characteristic of the invention, the motor 5 can be chosen from the group comprising a 12V motor, a 24V motor, a 220V motor, powered by means of a lithium-type battery 50, a compressed air type motor, an axial flux type motor, or any other type of motor having appropriate properties.

[0033] In addition, the device 1 advantageously comprises means for regulating the speed of the motor 5, such as a torque limiter 15 adapted to be actuated by an operator, and which can for example be adjusted in such a way that the speed of the motor 5 cannot cause more than 3 pivotings / second of the transmission shaft 3.

[0034] Such a speed in fact makes it possible to achieve the aim of device 1, which is to quickly and with little effort operate a tilting system for a cabin or engine hood of a vehicle, and to protect the hydraulic pump of the hydraulic cylinder(s) with which most of the vehicles concerned are currently equipped.

[0035] Furthermore, the torque limiter 15 comprises means for adjusting the limitation that it induces, having the effect of allowing a user to obtain, if necessary, a maximum pivoting speed of the transmission shaft other than 3 pivots / second.

[0036] In short, this makes it possible to envisage adapting device 1 according to the type of hydraulic pump used in cabin tilting systems or vehicle engine hoods, which is advantageous in the event that the type of pump currently in use should evolve in the future.

[0037] Furthermore, with reference to the figures, in the illustrated embodiment variant, the bar 2 supporting the motor 5 has ends advantageously provided with gripping handles 9 for an operator handling the device 1.

[0038] In this regard, it should be noted that one of the handles 9 is equipped with a lever 10 connected to the torque limiter 15, and allowing the operator to act, with a simple finger action, on the pivoting speed of the transmission shaft 3. The other handle 9 is, for its part, provided with a lever 16 allowing the motor 5 to be actuated and consequently to power it or not.

[0039] For safety purposes, it has also advantageously been provided, within the framework of the invention, that in the event that an operator ceases to act on one or other of the levers 10 or 16, for example by releasing one or other of the handles 9, the motor 5 immediately stops operating.

[0040] Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the bar 2 is designed to be telescopic and is formed of two portions 20, 21 mounted to slide relative to each other, between different relative positions allowing different spacings between the two handles 9. In short, such a characteristic makes it possible to bring the two handles 9 closer or further apart from each other, and consequently to adapt the device 1 to the stature of each user to guarantee their comfort of use. It is specified that a spacing of the order of 50 cm is suitable for a user of average build.

[0041] An additional characteristic of the device 1 according to the present invention is further defined by the fact that the bar 2 supports a base 17, preferably adapted to adopt a position of use in which it allows the device 1 to rest on the ground, and a rest position in which it facilitates the storage and transport of the device 1.

[0042] In this regard, and with reference to the figures, in the illustrated embodiment variant, the base 17 comprises a rod 18, connected by means of a fixing flange 22 to the bar 2, in such a way that it extends perpendicular to the latter, and one end of which has a stirrup 19 adapted to accommodate a user's foot.

[0043] Such a base 17 is furthermore provided to be removable and can be easily detached from the bar 2 outside of periods of use of the device 1 by removing the fixing flange 22 to facilitate the transport and storage of the device 1 while reducing its size.

[0044] Furthermore, if necessary, the length L of the area of ​​the rod 18 extending between the fixing flange 22 and the stirrup 19 can be adjusted by simply sliding the rod 18 in said flange 22, in order to adapt the dimensions of the base to the size of the user.

[0045] On the other hand, the device 1 according to the invention also comprises a pumping lever 11, having free ends 12, 13, intended to be connected on the one hand to a pump of a hydraulic cylinder, and on the other hand to the free end 4 of the transmission shaft 3.

[0046] For this purpose, in the illustrated embodiment variant, the free end 4 of the transmission shaft 3 and a free end 12 of the pumping lever 11 have complementary sections. It can thus, for example, be provided that the free end 4 of the transmission shaft 3 is of the female type, while the free end 12 of the pumping lever 11 is of the male type, or vice versa, and that they both have a section, for example in an “M” shape, or any other shape of section, allowing easy and reliable assembly of the two elements. As mentioned above, the free end 13 of the pumping lever 11 is intended to be coupled in a conventional manner to a pump of a hydraulic cylinder.

[0047] Finally, it is clear from the above that the objectives described in the preamble are achieved thanks to the aforementioned characteristics of device 1.

[0048] Indeed, thanks to such a device 1, a hydraulic pump of a tilting system of a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle can be operated automatically and without effort, unlike current practice involving restrictive and time-consuming manual operation.

[0049] Thus, in order to carry out such an operation of tilting a cabin or an engine hood, by acting on a hydraulic pump by means of the device 1, it is necessary to connect the end 12 of the pumping lever 11 to the free end 4 of the transmission shaft 3, then the other free end 13 of the pumping lever to a nozzle with which said hydraulic pump is conventionally equipped.

[0050] The user can then maintain the device 1 in an appropriate position relative to the hydraulic pump, by means of the handles 9 and by engaging his foot in the stirrup 19 of the base 17 resting on the ground. The concomitant actuation of the levers 10 and 16 makes it possible to start the motor 5 and to maintain it at an adequate speed throughout the intervention. The motor 5 then drives the rotation of the rotary shaft 3 and consequently a back and forth pivoting of the transmission shaft 6 through the connecting rod-crank system described previously. This pivoting is reflected on the pumping lever 11, which thus acts on the hydraulic pump and allows the double-acting cylinder to cause a tilting, as the case may be, in one direction or another of a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle.

Claims

Device (1) for actuating a tilting system of a cabin or an engine hood of a vehicle, of the type comprising at least one double-acting cylinder controlled by a hydraulic pump, said device (1) for actuating a tilting system comprising a chassis supporting a transmission shaft (3) having a free end (4), as well as an assembly for actuating said transmission shaft (3), said assembly being designed to be capable of giving said transmission shaft (3) a pivoting movement, back and forth, relative to a starting position and comprising a motor (5), connected to power supply means, connected to said transmission shaft (3) through a rotary shaft (6) coupled to a connecting rod (7) - crank (70) system. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means for regulating the speed of the motor (5). Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the frame comprises a bar (2) the ends of which are provided with gripping handles (9). Device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that one of the handles (9) is equipped with a lever (16) for actuating the motor, while the other handle (9) comprises a lever (10) acting on the means for regulating the speed of the motor (5). Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the motor (5) is chosen from the group comprising a 12V motor, a 24V motor, a 220V motor, a compressed air type motor, an axial flow type motor, while the power supply means of the motor (5) are defined by a battery (50). Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a pumping lever (11) intended to be connected to the free end (4) of the transmission shaft (3). Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the free end (4) of the transmission shaft (3) and a free end (12) of the pumping lever (11) have complementary sections. Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the free end (4) of the transmission shaft (3) is of the female type and has an M-shaped section. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a base (17) supported by the chassis. Device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the base (17) is removable or retractable between a position of use and a rest position.

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