CAB SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT FOR A UTILITY VEHICLE

Abstract

A cabin suspension arrangement for a utility vehicle, having a plurality of trailing arms that extend in a longitudinal direction, by which a driver's cabin is mounted and can pivoted relative to a vehicle frame. Two of the trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, are connected to one another by a torsion bar spring that extends in the transverse direction, and are arranged at the same height in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and to the transverse direction, thereby forming a first trailing arm pair. Two other trailing arms are arranged spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction, are arranged at the same height in the vertical direction, and thereby form a second trailing arm pair, which is spaced apart, in the vertical direction, from the first trailing arm pair.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A cabin suspension arrangement, for a utility vehicle, comprising: a plurality of trailing arms (11, 12) that extend in, or essentially in a longitudinal direction (x), by which a driver's cabin (2, 6) being mounted and movable on a vehicle frame (4), two of the trailing arms (11) being arranged spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction (y) that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction (x), being connected to one another by a torsion bar spring (13) that extends in the transverse direction (y), being arranged at a same height in a vertical direction (z) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (x) and to the transverse direction (y), and forming a first trailing arm pair, and two other trailing arms (12) being arranged spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction (y), being arranged at a same height in the vertical direction (z), and forming a second trailing arm pair, which is spaced away from the first trailing arm pair in the vertical direction (z).

14. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the trailing arms (11; 12) of each of the first and the second trailing arm pairs have an equal length with regard to their longitudinal extension.

15. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the trailing arms (11) of the first trailing arm pair have a same length as the trailing arms of the second trailing arm pair with regard to their longitudinal extension.

16. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the trailing arms (11; 12) of each of the first and the second trailing arm pairs are arranged parallel to one another.

17. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second trailing arm pairs are arranged parallel to one another.

18. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the trailing arms (11; 12) of each of the first and the second trailing arm pairs are mounted and pivotable, at a first end, to the driver's cabin and, at a second end, to the vehicle frame (4).

19. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the trailing arms (11) of the first trailing arm pair are mounted to the driver's cabin (2, 6) so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis (18) which extends in the transverse direction (y) and mounted to the vehicle frame (4) so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis (21) extending in the transverse direction (y), and the trailing arms (12) of the second trailing arm pair are mounted so as to pivot on the driver's cabin (2, 6) about a third pivot axis (19) extending in the transverse direction (y) and on the vehicle frame (4) about a fourth pivot axis (22) extending in the transverse direction (y).

20. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the first pivot axis (18) and the third pivot axis (19) lie in a first plane (28) that extends in the transverse direction (y) and in the vertical direction (z), and the second pivot axis (21) and the fourth pivot axis (22) lie in a second plane (29) that extends in the transverse direction (y) and in the vertical direction (z), and the second plane is a spaced away from the first plane (28) in the longitudinal direction (x).

21. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the driver's cabin (2, 6) is supported on the vehicle frame (4), in the transverse direction (y), by a supporting member (17).

22. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the supporting member (17) is spaced away from the first and the third pivot axes (18, 19) in the longitudinal direction (x).

23. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 21, wherein the supporting member (17) is mounted so as to be pivotable on the vehicle frame (4) about a first supporting member pivot axis (24) that extends in the longitudinal direction (x) and so as to be pivotable on the driver's cabin (2, 6) about a second supporting member pivot axis (25).

24. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the driver's cabin (2, 6) is supported on the vehicle frame (4) by four spring-damper devices (8).

25. A cabin suspension arrangement for a utility vehicle, and the cabin suspension arrangement comprising: first and second pairs of trailing arms extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a driver's cabin being mounted, via the first and the second pairs of trailing arms, on a vehicle frame; the first pair of trailing arms being arranged spaced apart from one another in a transverse direction that extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, the first pair of trailing arms being connected to one another by a torsion bar spring that extends in the transverse direction, the first pair of trailing arms being arranged at a same height in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and to the transverse direction; and the second pair of trailing arms being arranged spaced away from one another in the transverse direction, the second pair of trailing arms being arranged at a same height in the vertical direction, and the second pair of trailing arms being spaced away from the first trailing arm pair in the vertical direction.

26. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 25, wherein the trailing arms of the first pair of trailing arms and the trailing arms of the second pair of trailing arms having equivalent longitudinal lengths.

27. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the trailing arms of the first pair of trailing arms and the trailing arms of the second pair of trailing arms are parallel to one another.

28. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 27, wherein the trailing arms of the first and the second pairs of trailing arms each have a first end and an opposite second end, the first ends of the trailing arms of the first and the second pairs of trailing arms are pivotably mounted to the driver's cabin, and the second ends of the trailing arms of the first and the second pairs of trailing arms are pivotably mounted to the vehicle frame.

29. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 28, wherein the first ends of the trailing arms of the first pair of trailing arms are pivotable about a first pivot axis, the second ends of the trailing arms of the first pair trailing arms are pivotable about a second pivot axis, the first ends of the trailing arms of the second pair of trailing arms are pivotable about a third pivot axis, and the second ends of the trailing arms of the second pair of trailing arms are pivotable about a fourth pivot axis, and the first, the second, the third and the fourth pivot axes each extend in the transverse direction.

30. The cabin suspension arrangement according to claim 29, wherein the first and the third pivot axes are parallel to one another and define a first plane that extends in the transverse and the vertical directions, and the second and the fourth pivot axes are parallel to one another and define a second plane that extends in the transverse and the vertical directions, and the first and the second planes are parallel to one another and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Below, the invention is described with reference to a preferred embodiment and in relation to the drawing, which shows:

[0031] FIG. 1: A schematic side view of a utility vehicle with a driver's cabin,

[0032] FIG. 2: A perspective view of part of a vehicle frame of the utility vehicle and a frame structure of the driver's cabin, which is mounted on the vehicle frame by an embodiment of a cabin suspension arrangement,

[0033] FIG. 3: A perspective view of part of the vehicle frame, the frame structure of the driver's cabin and the cabin suspension arrangement,

[0034] FIG. 4: A perspective view of the cabin suspension arrangement, with the vehicle frame and the driver's cabin omitted, and

[0035] FIG. 5: Another perspective view of part of the vehicle frame, the frame structure of the driver's cabin and the cabin suspension arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a utility vehicle 1 designed as a tractor with a driver's cabin 2. Furthermore the utility vehicle 1 has a usual forward driving direction 3 that extends in a longitudinal direction x of the utility vehicle. With supplementary intent, a transverse direction y of the vehicle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction x and a vertical direction z of the vehicle perpendicular to the longitudinal direction x of the utility vehicle 1 are also shown, the vehicle's transverse direction y being only indicated since it extends out of the plane of the figure. The utility vehicle 1 has a vehicle frame 4 on which the driver's cabin 2 is suspended and able to move by virtue of a cabin suspension arrangement 5 according to an embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the driver's cabin 2 has a frame structure 6 which is covered in FIG. 1 by cladding elements 7. The vehicle frame 4, the frame structure 6 and the cabin suspension arrangement 5 can be seen in various views and partial views in FIGS. 2 to 5. Since the frame structure 6 is the load-bearing part of the driver's cabin, references to the frame structure 6 should be understood as references to the driver's cabin 2, and conversely, unless expressly otherwise stated.

[0037] The frame structure 6 is mounted on the vehicle frame by means of four spring-damper devices 8. Rigidly connected to the frame structure 6 there are two brackets 9 and 10 arranged a distanced apart from one another in the transverse direction y of the vehicle, on which are fitted respectively two trailing arms 11 and 12 arranged one under the other in the vertical direction z of the vehicle, each with one of their ends mounted so that it can pivot about respective pivot axes 18 and 19 that extend in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. In this case the trailing arms 11 and 12 are articulated to the brackets 9 and 10 by rubber mountings 20. Moreover, the pivot axes 18 and 19 lie in a plane 28 that extends in the transverse direction y of the vehicle and the vertical direction z of the vehicle. The trailing arms 11 opposite one another in the vehicle's transverse direction y are of similar design and form a first trailing arm pair. Furthermore, the trailing arms 11 of the first trailing arm pair are connected firmly to one another by a torsion bar spring 13 that extends in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. The ends of the torsion bar spring 13 each have a polygonal circumferential contour 14 and are press-fitted into correspondingly contoured holders of the trailing arms 11, so that the ends of the torsion bar spring 13 are firmly connected to the trailing arms 11. The trailing arms 12 opposite one another in the vehicle's transverse direction y are also similarly designed and form a second trailing arm pair. The brackets 9 and 10 are arranged, relative to the travel direction 3, at the front of and underneath the frame structure 6 and extend downward away from the latter.

[0038] Rigidly connected to the vehicle frame 4 there are two brackets 15 and 16 arranged a distance apart from one another in the transverse direction y of the vehicle, to which the trailing arms 11 and 12 are fitted each at another of its ends so that they can pivot about respective pivot axes 21 or 22 that extend in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. The trailing arms 11 and 12 are articulated to the brackets 15 and 16 by rubber mountings 23. Moreover, the pivot axes 21 and 22 lie in a plane 29 that extends in the transverse direction y of the vehicle and in the vertical direction z of the vehicle. The plane 29 is a distance away from the plane 28 in the longitudinal direction x. Relative to the travel direction 3 the brackets are arranged behind the brackets 9 and 10. Furthermore, the brackets 15 and 16 extend upward and away from the vehicle frame 4.

[0039] Behind the brackets 9, 10, 15 and 16 in the travel direction 3, the frame structure 6 is connected to the vehicle frame 4 by a Panhard bar 17 that extends in, or substantially in the transverse direction y of the vehicle. The Panhard bar 17 is mounted at one end so that it can pivot on the vehicle frame 4 about a pivot axis 24 extending in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle. Furthermore, at its other end the Panhard bar 17 is mounted so that it can pivot on the frame structure 6 about a pivot axis 25 also extending in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle. The Panhard bar 17 is articulated by a rubber mounting 26 to the vehicle frame 4 and by a rubber mounting 27 to the frame structure 6.

INDEXES

[0040] 1 Utility vehicle [0041] 2 Driver's cabin [0042] 3 Travel direction [0043] 4 Vehicle frame [0044] 5 Cabin suspension arrangement [0045] 6 Frame structure of the driver's cabin [0046] 7 Cladding elements of the driver's cabin [0047] 8 Spring-damper device [0048] 9 Bracket [0049] 10 Bracket [0050] 11 Trailing arm [0051] 12 Trailing arm [0052] 13 Torsion bar spring [0053] 14 Polygonal circumferential contour [0054] 15 Bracket [0055] 16 Bracket [0056] 17 Panhard bar [0057] 18 Pivot axis [0058] 19 Pivot axis [0059] 20 Rubber mounting [0060] 21 Pivot axis [0061] 22 Pivot axis [0062] 23 Rubber mounting [0063] 24 Pivot axis [0064] 25 Pivot axis [0065] 26 Rubber mounting [0066] 27 Rubber mounting [0067] 28 Plane [0068] 29 Plane [0069] x Longitudinal direction of the vehicle [0070] y Transverse direction of the vehicle [0071] z Vertical direction of the vehicle