Systems and methods for coupling an implement to a work vehicle
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorKenneth Herrig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system to couple an implement to a work vehicle includes a first lock assembly coupled to an arm of the work vehicle. The first lock assembly includes a latch. The first lock assembly also includes a first hook and a second hook positioned on opposite lateral sides of the latch. The first lock assembly further includes a first actuator configured to drive rotation of the latch to trap a laterally-extending bar of the implement between a curved inner surface of the latch and respective curved bar-contacting surfaces of the first and second hooks to form a first connection that couples the implement to the work vehicle.
Claims20
A system configured to couple an implement to a work vehicle, comprising:
- a first lock assembly coupled to an arm of the work vehicle, wherein the first lock assembly comprises:
- a latch;
- a first hook and a second hook positioned on opposite lateral sides of the latch;
- and
- a first actuator configured to drive rotation of the latch to trap a laterally-extending bar of the implement between a curved inner surface of the latch and respective curved bar-contacting surfaces of the first and second hooks to form a first connection that couples the implement to the work vehicle.
A system, comprising:
- an implement comprising a laterally-extending bar and a pair of openings;
- a work vehicle comprising:
- a first lock assembly coupled to an arm of the work vehicle, wherein the first lock assembly comprises a latch and a first actuator configured to drive rotation of the latch to engage the laterally-extending bar of the implement to form a first connection between the implement and the arm of the work vehicle;
- and
- a second lock assembly coupled to a frame of the work vehicle, wherein the second lock assembly comprises a first pin, a second pin, and one or more second actuators configured to drive the first pin and the second pin laterally to engage the pair of openings of the implement to form a second connection between the implement and the frame of the work vehicle.
A method, comprising:
- positioning a laterally-extending bar of an implement adjacent to a latch of a first lock assembly associated with an arm of a work vehicle;
- actuating a first actuator of the first lock assembly to drive rotation of the latch to engage the laterally-extending bar of the implement to form a first connection between the implement and the arm of the work vehicle;
- aligning a first pin and a second pin of a second lock assembly associated with a frame of the work vehicle with respective openings of the implement;
- and
- actuating one or more second actuators to drive the first pin and the second pin laterally to engage the respective openings of the implement to form a second connection between the implement and the frame of the work vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.