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US 11,110,746 B2Granted
Work vehicle
AssigneeKubota Corporation
InventorRobert Walden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A work vehicle includes a pair of left and right pivotal connecting units provided on a front frame, a caster wheel, a caster axle and a caster bracket connected to the pivotal connecting unit. The caster bracket includes side walls supporting the caster axle, a top wall extending rearwards from the upper side of the caster wheel and interconnecting the left side wall and the right side wall, and left and right cover portions for covering gaps between the side walls and the caster wheel.
Claims18
A work vehicle comprising:
- a driving rear wheel unit;
- a front frame extending in a vehicle body transverse direction;
- a pair of left and right pivotal connecting units provided on the front frame;
- a caster wheel;
- a caster axle;
- and
- a caster bracket connected to the pivotal connecting unit, the caster bracket including:
- a left side wall that supports a left end portion of the caster axle;
- a right side wall that supports a right end portion of the caster axle;
- a top wall extending rearwards from the upper side of the caster wheel and interconnecting the left side wall and the right side wall;
- a left cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and being arranged below a front edge of the left side wall and that extends from the left side wall to a left side face of the caster wheel for covering the left side face of the caster axle;
- and
- a right cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and being arranged below a front edge of the right side wall and that extends from the right side wall to a right side face of the caster wheel for covering the right side face of the caster axle,
- wherein all of the left side wall, the right side wall, and the top wall are formed of a single piece,
- wherein, when the caster wheel is facing a front travel direction, the top wall, the front edge of the left side wall and the front edge of the right side wall define a U-shaped front open area located behind a forward most portion of the caster wheel, and
- wherein the left cover portion is perpendicular to the left side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the left side wall to a left cover portion terminal end, and
- wherein the right cover portion is perpendicular to the right side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the right side wall to a right cover portion terminal end.
14 more elements
A work vehicle comprising:
- a driving rear wheel unit;
- a front frame extending in a vehicle body transverse direction;
- a mower deck;
- a pair of left and right pivotal connecting units provided on the front frame;
- a caster wheel;
- a caster axle;
- and
- a caster bracket configured to prevent foreign objects from being flung up onto the mower deck and being connected to the pivotal connecting unit, the caster bracket including:
- a left side wall provided with an opening therein that receives a left end portion of the caster axle so that the caster axle is supported by the left side wall;
- a right side wall provided with an opening therein that receives and supports a right end portion of the caster axle so that the caster axle is supported by the left side wall;
- a top wall extending rearwards from the upper side of the caster wheel and interconnecting the left side wall and the right side wall;
- a left cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and being arranged below a front edge of the left side wall and that extends from the left side wall to a left side face of the caster wheel for covering the left side face of the caster axle;
- a right cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and being arranged below a front edge of the right side wall and that extends from the right side wall to a right side face of the caster wheel for covering the right side face of the caster axle, and
- wherein the left cover portion is perpendicular to the left side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the left side wall to a left cover portion terminal end, and
- wherein the right cover portion is perpendicular to the right side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the right side wall to a right cover portion terminal end.
12 more elements
A work vehicle comprising:
- a driving rear wheel unit;
- a front frame extending in a vehicle body transverse direction;
- a mower deck;
- a pair of left and right pivotal connecting units provided on the front frame;
- a caster wheel;
- a caster axle;
- and
- a caster bracket configured to prevent foreign objects from being flung up onto the mower deck and being connected to the pivotal connecting unit, the caster bracket including:
- a left side wall provided with an opening therein that receives a left end portion of the caster axle so that the caster axle is supported by the left side wall;
- a right side wall provided with an opening therein that receives and supports a right end portion of the caster axle so that the caster axle is supported by the left side wall;
- a top wall extending rearwards from the upper side of the caster wheel and interconnecting the left side wall and the right side wall;
- a left cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and:
- being arranged in front of and adjacent to the caster axle and below a front edge of the left side wall;
- and
- that extends from the left side wall to a left side face of the caster wheel for covering the left side face of the caster axle;
- and
- a right cover portion configured to prevent contact between grass and the caster axle and:
- being arranged in front of and adjacent the caster axle and below a front edge of the right side wall;
- and
- that extends from the right side wall to a right side face of the caster wheel for covering the right side face of the caster axle,
- wherein the left side wall, the right side wall, and the top wall cover substantially an entire rear portion of the caster wheel,
- wherein, when the caster wheel is facing a front travel direction, the top wall, the left side wall and the right side wall define a U-shaped front open area located behind a forward most portion of the caster wheel, and
- wherein the left cover portion is perpendicular to the left side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the left side wall to a left cover portion terminal end, and
- wherein the right cover portion is perpendicular to the right side wall and extends orthogonally inward from the right side wall to a right cover portion terminal end.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.