Visual indicator for a coupler
AssigneeWedgelock Equipment Limited
InventorsGarth Colin Keighley, Andrew James Phillip Rider, Ashley Craig Gibson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicator for a quick coupler for the mounting of an attachment to an earth working machine. The indicator (10) has a sensor (14,15) which, in response to movement of a movable pin engagement component (F) of a coupler (A), determines that the pin engagement component (F) will have moved sufficiently to engage and lock a pin (P2) of an attachment with the coupler (A). The indicator (10) has an indicating part (17) which is caused to be moved in response to the sensor (14,15) to thereby provide a visual indication (25) that engagement and locking of the pin (P2) has occurred.
Claims20
An indicator which includes a combination of a profiled surface and a follower one of which is adapted to be coupled to a movable pin engagement element of a quick coupler and the other of which is coupled to a visual indicator that is adapted to, in use, be movable in response to relative movement occurring between the profiled surface and follower, the profiled surface is of a profile whereby upon movement of the pin engagement element to engage with a pin of an attachment the visual indicator is caused to provide a positive visual indication that the pin engagement element has engaged with the pin,
- wherein the profiled surface is profiled whereby upon the pin engagement element failing to engage with the pin the visual indicator is caused to provide a negative visual indication that indicates that engagement with the pin has failed,
- where the pin engagement element can move between a retracted and over-extended position, where at the over-extended position the negative visual indication is indicated and the pin cannot be engaged.
A quick coupler comprising a recess to receive a pin, a movable pin engagement element to engage the pin of an attachment in the recess, and an indicator to indicate the extent of extension of the pin engagement element, the indicator comprising a profiled surface and a follower one of which is coupled to the movable pin engagement element and the other of which is coupled to a visual indicator that is movable in response to relative movement occurring between the profiled surface and follower during movement of the pin engagement element, the profiled surface is of a profile whereby upon movement of the pin engagement element, to engage a pin of an attachment with the quick coupler to
- a) a partially extended position where the visual indicator is caused to provide a negative visual indication to indicate that the pin engagement element has not engaged with the pin,
- b) an over-extended position where the pin cannot be engaged, where the visual indicator is caused to provide a negative visual indication to indicate that the pin engagement element has not engaged with the pin, and
- c) an extended position intermediate the partially extended position and over-extended position, where the visual indicator is caused to provide a positive visual indication to indicate that the pin engagement element has engaged with the pin.
A quick coupler with a recess configured to receive a pin of an attachment, the coupler comprising a movable pin engagement element configured to extend between a retracted position where the recess can receive the pin, to an over-extended position where the pin engagement element cannot engage the pin within the recess, and an indicator comprising a follower and a profiled surface with which the follower is engaged, a visual indicator, the follower is coupled to one of the movable pin engagement element or the visual indicator, the profiled surface is coupled to the other of the visual indicator or movable pin engagement element, the visual indicator is mounted to be movable in response to relative movement occurring between the profiled surface and follower during movement of the movable pin engagement element, the profiled surface is configured to provide a profile whereby upon movement of the movable pin engagement element to a position where it engages a pin of an attachment within the recess to the quick coupler, the visual indicator is caused to provide a visual indication that the pin engagement element has engaged with the pin and the profiled surface is further profiled whereby upon the movable pin engagement element failing to engage with the pin the visual indicator is moved to a position that indicates that engagement with the pin has failed, wherein engagement failure is at least indicated when the movable pin engagement element is at the over-extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.