INDUSTRIAL VEHICLE SUN PROTECTOR

Abstract

An industrial vehicle sun protector for the protection of an operator located in the cabin of an industrial vehicle, comprising: a mounting arrangement configured to be installed in the cabin of an industrial vehicle, and a rigid shade member for obstructing the passage of sun rays therethrough, the shade member being pivotably connected to the mounting arrangement such that the shade member is pivotable between a stored position and different selectable deployed positions, wherein adjustment from one of the deployed positions to another one of the deployed positions allows for protecting the operator from sun rays at different positions of the sun, wherein a pivoting of the shade member from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions results in an angular displacement of the shade member greater than 90?.

Claims

1. An industrial vehicle sun protector for the protection of an operator located in the cabin of an industrial vehicle, comprising: a mounting arrangement configured to be installed in the cabin of an industrial vehicle; and a rigid shade member for obstructing the passage of sun rays therethrough, the shade member being pivotably connected to the mounting arrangement such that the shade member is pivotable between a stored position and different selectable deployed positions, wherein adjustment from one of the deployed positions to another one of the deployed positions allows for protecting the operator from sun rays at different positions of the sun, wherein a pivoting of the shade member from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions results in an angular displacement of the shade member greater than 90?.

2. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 1, wherein said different selectable deployed positions comprise a plurality of discrete predefined deployed positions.

3. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 1, wherein a pivoting of the shade member from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions results in an angular displacement of the shade member within a range of 130?-185?.

4. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 1, wherein said different selectable deployed positions comprise at least three discrete predefined positions: a first deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 130?-140? relative to the stored position, such as 135? relative to the stored position; a second deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 145?-155? relative to the stored position, such as 150? relative to the stored position; and a third deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 175?-185? relative to the stored position, such as 180? relative to the stored position.

5. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 1, wherein said mounting arrangement comprises a hook-shaped hinge and a locking member, wherein the shade member is fixedly connected to the hook-shaped hinge and follows the movements of the hook-shaped hinge, wherein the hook-shaped hinge is pivotably connected to the locking member, and is lockable to the locking member in different rotational positions relative to the locking member, said different rotational positions corresponding respectively to the stored position and the different selectable deployed positions of the shade member.

6. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 5, wherein one of said hook-shaped hinge and said locking member is provided with a locking pin, wherein the other one of said hook-shaped hinge and said locking member is provided with a pattern of holes or recesses that present a plurality of areas for receiving the locking pin, wherein the locking pin is selectively insertable into any one of said areas to lock said hook-shaped hinge in a desired one of said different rotational positions relative to the locking member.

7. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 5, wherein the hook-shaped hinge has a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate portion located between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion extend at an angle relative to each other.

8. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 7, wherein the pivotable connection between the hook-shaped hinge and the locking member is located at the first end portion of the hook-shaped hinge, wherein the fixed connection between the shade member and the hook-shaped hinge is located at the second end portion of the hook-shaped hinge.

9. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 5, wherein the mounting arrangement comprises at least another pivotable hook-shaped hinge, wherein the shade member is fixedly connected to said at least another pivotable hook-shaped hinge.

10. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 9, wherein the mounting arrangement comprises at least one spring device, such as a gas spring, wherein the spring device accumulates potential energy when the shade member is pivoted towards the stored position and wherein the spring device releases potential energy when the shade member is pivoted away from the stored position.

11. The industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 10, wherein the spring device has a first end connected to a remote connection point of the mounting arrangement, and a second end connected to said another pivotable hook-shaped hinge.

12. An industrial vehicle comprising a cabin for an operator and the industrial vehicle sun protector of claim 1, wherein the mounting arrangement of the industrial vehicle sun protector is installed in the cabin.

13. The industrial vehicle of claim 12, wherein, in the stored position, the shade member is located inside the cabin, and in each one of the different selectable deployed positions, the shade member is located outside the cabin and is positioned relative to an opening in the cabin to provide an obstruction to sun rays through the opening and thereby restrict passage of sun rays through the opening and onto an operator located in the cabin.

14. The industrial vehicle of claim 12, wherein in the stored position, the shade member is held in parallel with and adjacent to the roof of the industrial vehicle.

15. The industrial vehicle of claim 12, further comprising another industrial vehicle sun protector such that the industrial vehicle comprises two oppositely disposed industrial vehicle sun protectors attached to the roof thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of aspects of the disclosure cited as examples.

[0031] FIGS. 1-4 are perspective views of an industrial vehicle equipped with an industrial vehicle sun protector according to one example, wherein a shade member of the industrial vehicle sun protector is illustrated in different positions.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a front view of a cabin of the industrial vehicle, wherein different deployed positions of the shade member are illustrated.

[0033] FIGS. 6-8 are different close-up views of the industrial sun protector mounted to a roof of the industrial vehicle, wherein different positions of the shade member are illustrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Aspects set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0035] Operating an industrial vehicle may sometimes be a challenge for an operator as far as ambient conditions are concerned. High temperatures and direct sunlight may cause unnecessary inconvenience to an operator. To block the sun rays in an effective way throughout the working day is highly desirable. On the other hand, when there is no need to block any sun rays, it is desirable that any shading device used to block the sun can be conveniently stored and kept out of the way so that it avoids obstructing the operator's freedom to move around in the cabin. The present disclosure suggests providing an industrial vehicle sun protector in which a rigid shade member is pivotably connected to a mounting arrangement such that it can be pivoted at least 90? from a stored position to different selectable deployed positions. This allows for convenient storage of the shade member when not needed, while also allowing for adjusting the shade member based on the position of the sun when the operator wishes to block the sun rays.

[0036] FIGS. 1-4 are perspective views of an industrial vehicle 1 equipped with an industrial vehicle sun protector 10 according to one example, wherein a shade member 12 of the industrial vehicle sun protector 10 is illustrated in different positions. The industrial vehicle 1 in this example is a paver. It should, however, be understood that the industrial vehicle sun protector 10 may be mounted to other types of industrial vehicles as well. Furthermore, in FIGS. 1-4 there is actually mounted two industrial vehicle sun protectors 10, one for the left side of the vehicle 1 and one for the right side of the vehicle 1. It should, however, be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to two sun protectors being mounted to a vehicle. In other examples, the industrial vehicle may be provided with an industrial vehicle sun protector on only one side, for example on a driver side where the operator/driver will spend most of the time in the vehicle.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the shade member 12 of the industrial vehicle sun protector 10 is in its stored position. In this example, in the stored position, the shade member 12 may be held in parallel with and adjacent to the roof of the industrial vehicle 1. In particular, as indicated by the dotted lines, the shade member 12 may, in the stored position, extend along the inside of the roof, i.e. within the driver's cabin of the vehicle 1. FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which the shade member 12 is in a deployed position and extends at 135? relative to the stored position. In FIG. 3, the shade member 12 has been moved even further to another deployed position, at 150? relative to the stored position. Finally, in FIG. 4, the shade member 12 is in another deployed position, which may suitably be the most deployed position, extending at 180? relative to the stored position.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a front view of a cabin of the industrial vehicle 1, wherein different deployed positions 12a-12c of the shade member are illustrated. The deployed positions 12a-12c shown in FIG. 5 may correspond to those of FIGS. 2-4. As can be seen in FIG. 5 different positions 14a-14c of the sun during the day are illustrated. FIG. 5 illustrates when the sun is at its highest position 14a, around noon. Although the roof of the vehicle will protect the operator from being directly hit by sun rays, it may be advantageous to move the shade member to a fully deployed position 12a (corresponding to FIG. 4), which is here illustrated as a substantially horizontal position. In this fully deployed position 12a, a large shade area is created around the vehicle 1. Hereby, the operator will be exposed to less heat radiation from the ground. Furthermore, oftentimes the operator may lean outside to have a view on the front of the vehicle 1, for example while unloading material in a hopper area. The fully deployed position 12a may thus allow the operator to still be in the shade even though he/she is leaning out through a lateral opening of the vehicle. Later in the afternoon the sun has moved to a slightly lower position 14b and the operator may now change to another deployed position 12b (corresponding to FIG. 3) to obstruct the sun rays from hitting the operator. The operator will normally select the deployed position at which the sun rays hit the shade member as perpendicularly as possible. As time passes, and the sun has moved further down to an even lower position 14c, the operator may again change to a different deployed position 12c (corresponding to FIG. 2). It should of course be understood that the deployed positions 12b and 12c may also be used early in the morning and later in the morning, as the sun rises from lower position 14c to position 14b.

[0039] It should be understood that although specific angles for the deployed positions have been discussed in relation to FIGS. 2-5, other angles are also conceivable. For instance, in a general example, a pivoting of the shade member from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions may result in an angular displacement which is greater than 90?. For example, a pivoting of the shade member from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions may result in an angular displacement of the shade member within a range of 130?-185?. For instance, said different selectable deployed positions may comprise at least three discrete predefined positions: [0040] a first deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 130?-140? relative to the stored position, such as 135? relative to the stored position, [0041] a second deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 145?-155? relative to the stored position, such as 150? relative to the stored position, and [0042] a third deployed position at a pivoting angle within the range of 175?-185? relative to the stored position, such as 180? relative to the stored position.

[0043] Turning now to FIGS. 6-8 the industrial vehicle sun protector 10 will be discussed in more detail. It should be noted that FIG. 7 is a view seen from an opposite side compared to the views in FIGS. 6 and 8.

[0044] FIGS. 6-8 are different close-up views of the industrial vehicle sun protector 10 mounted to a roof 16 of the industrial vehicle, wherein different positions of the shade member 12 are illustrated. The industrial vehicle sun protector 10 may, for example, be the one illustrated in connection with FIGS. 1-4, and the industrial vehicle may, for example, be the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

[0045] The industrial vehicle sun protector 10 is configured to protect an operator located in the cabin of an industrial vehicle. The industrial vehicle sun protector 10 shown in FIGS. 6-8 comprises a mounting arrangement 18 configured to be installed in the cabin of the industrial vehicle. The industrial vehicle sun protector 10 also comprises the rigid shade member 12 configured to obstruct the passage of sun rays therethrough. The shade member 12 is pivotably connected to the mounting arrangement 18 such that the shade member 12 is pivotable between a stored position and different selectable deployed position. For instance, the different selectable deployed positions may be the positions illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, however, other deployed positions are of course also conceivable. Furthermore, the number of deployed positions, may be fewer than the three shown in the previous figures, i.e. two deployed position, or may be more, such as four, five of even more deployed positions. In some examples, the deployed positions may be steplessly selectable, while in other examples, the deployed positions may be discretely selectable. In any one of the above examples of different deployed positions, the adjustment from one of the deployed position to another one of the deployed positions allows for protecting the operator from sun rays at different positions of the sun. A pivoting of the shade member 12 from the stored position to any one of the different selectable deployed positions results in an angular displacement of the shade member 12 greater than 90?.

[0046] As can be seen in FIG. 6, the mounting arrangement 18 may comprise one or more hook-shaped hinges 20 to enable the pivoting of the shade member 12. In the illustrated example the mounting arrangement 18 has three hook-shaped hinges 20, but other number of hinges are also conceivable. The shade member 12 is fixedly connected to the hook-shaped hinges 20 and follows the movements of the hook-shaped hinges 20. As shown in FIGS. 6-8, each hook-shaped hinge 20 has a first end portion 22, a second end portion 24, and an intermediate portion located between the first end portion 22 and the second end portion 24. The first end portion 22 and the second end portion 24 extend at an angle relative to each other. The fixed connection between the shade member 12 and each hook-shaped hinge 20 may be located at the second end portion 24 of the hook-shaped hinge 20.

The mounting arrangement 18 further comprises a locking member 26 (best seen in FIG. 7). At least one of the hook-shaped hinges 20, in this case the central hook-shaped hinge 20, may cooperate with such a locking member 26. More specifically, the hook-shaped hinge 20 may be pivotably connected to the locking member 26 and may be lockable to the locking member 26 in different rotational positions relative to the locking member. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the pivotable connection 28 between the hook-shaped hinge 20 and the locking member 26 may be located at the first end portion 22 of the hook-shaped hinge 20.

[0047] The different lockable positions of the hook-shaped hinge 20 to the locking member 26 correspond respectively to the stored position and the different selectable deployed position of the shade member 12. In FIG. 6, a fully deployed position of the shade member 12 is illustrated, extending substantially horizontally out from below the roof 16. The hook-shaped hinge 20 allows the shade member 12 to be located under the roof 16, extending substantially horizontally in its stored position and in parallel with the adjacent roof 16 (see FIG. 7), and then be swung around the edge of the roof and out through the cabin via a lateral opening of the cabin into any one of the deployed positions (see e.g. FIGS. 6 and 8). As best seen in FIG. 7, the locking member 28 may be provided with a pattern of holes or recesses that present a plurality of receiving areas 30, 32, 34 for receiving a locking pin. In the present example, the locking member 28 is substantially plate-shaped and three such receiving areas 30, 32, 34 can be seen. The two receiving areas 30, 32 located close to each other correspond to the first and the second deployed positions, while the third recessed area 34 corresponds to the fully deployed position, i.e. the position shown in FIG. 6.

[0048] As can be seen in FIG. 6 the shade member 12 has been moved to the fully deployed position, and a locking pin 36 is indicated as extending through the hook-shaped hinge 20 and into the third receiving area 34 (that receiving area is shown in FIG. 7) of the locking member 26, thereby locking the shade member 12 in this fully deployed position. Although not seen in the drawings, the locking member 26 has a corresponding receiving area for locking the shade member 12 in the stored position (i.e. the position in FIG. 7).

[0049] As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 8, the mounting arrangement 18 may comprise at least one spring device 38, such as a gas spring. In the illustrated example, the mounting arrangement 18 comprises two spring devices 38, one spring device 38 for the respective outer hook-shaped hinge 20. Thus, in the illustrated example, the central hook-shaped hinge 20, which cooperates with the locking member 26, is not associated with a spring device 38.

[0050] The spring device 38 may accumulate potential energy when the shade member 12 is pivoted towards the stored position. The spring device 38 may release potential energy when the shade member 12 is pivoted away from the stored position. This facilitates moving the shade member 12 from the stored position towards the selectable deployed positions. The spring device 38 may have a first end connected to a remote connection point 40 of the mounting arrangement 18 (in this example the remote connection point is at a beam 42 extending along or forming part of the roof 16), and a second end 44 connected to one of the hook-shaped hinges 20.

[0051] As best seen in FIG. 6, the shade member 12 may suitably be provided with one or more handles 46, 48 in order to facilitate for the operator to move the shade member 12 between its different positions. For instance, there may be provided a first handle 46 at a distal end 50 of the shade member 12, i.e. the end which is opposite to the end connected to the one or more hook-shaped hinges 20, which in turn could be referred to as a proximal end 52. Such a first handle 46 may be grippable from the outside of the vehicle, as well as from the inside of the vehicle. The first handle 46 may, for example, be gripped when the shade member 12 is in its stored position. A second handle 48 may be provided on the shade member 12 on the operator-facing side 54, i.e. the side opposite to the sun-facing side 56 of the shade member 12. The second handle 48 may be conveniently be gripped by the operator from within the cabin when the shade member 12 is in one of the deployed positions. Other or further handle locations are also conceivable. From this disclosure, it can be understood that in the stored position, the operator-facing side 54 may face upwardly towards the roof 16, while the sun-facing side 56 will face downwardly away from the roof 16. As the shade member is pivoted through the deployed positions to the fully deployed position, the sun-facing side 56 will get closer and closer to facing upwardly in the straight vertical direction, while the operator-facing side 54 will get closer and closer to facing downwardly in the straight vertical direction. It should also be noted that in the deployed positions, the distal end 50 of the shade member 12 may be the portion of the shade member that is located furthest from the longitudinal center (roll axis) of the vehicle, while the proximal end 52 may be the portion of the shade member 12 that is located closest to the longitudinal center of the vehicle. However, in the stored position of the shade member 12, the distal end 50 may be located closest to the longitudinal center of the vehicle, while the proximal end 52 is located furthest therefrom.

[0052] From this disclosure, it may also be understood, that the path traveled by the distal end 50 when the shade member 12 is moved, is a path that follows an arc of a circle. For instance, when moving the shade member 12 from its stored position to its fully deployed position, the distal end 50 of the shade member 12 may follow a path which substantially corresponds to half a circle.

[0053] It should also be understood that for a hinge-shaped hook 20 to which the second end 44 of a spring device 38 is connected, the pivot axis of such a hinge-shaped hook 20 may be offset from the connecting point between the spring device 38 and the hinge-shaped hook 20, whereby a linear movement of the spring device 38 is transferred into a pivoting movement of the hinge-shaped hook 20.

[0054] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms comprises, comprising, includes, and/or including when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0055] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] Relative terms such as below or above or upper or lower or horizontal or vertical may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being connected or coupled to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly connected or directly coupled to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0057] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0058] It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and appended claims. In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed aspects for purposes of illustration only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the inventive concepts being set forth in the following claims.