Work attachment for loader vehicle having wireless control over work attachment actuator

A work apparatus for performing a work operation, comprising in combination:

• a loader vehicle comprising:
• (a) at least one lift arm adapted to be selectively attached and detached from different work attachments;
• (b) a hydraulic power system providing a hydraulic power source;
• (c) an electrical system;
• (d) an operator input device adapted to receive manual input;
• (e) a transmitter generating wireless transmissions based on the manual input;
• and
• (f) a battery independent of the electrical system and not electrically connected thereto, the battery independently powering the transmitter and the operator input device;
• a work attachment removably attached to the lift arms through a quick attach mechanism and hydraulically connected to the hydraulic power source through a quick attach hydraulic coupling, the work attachment comprising:
• (a) a tool adapted to perform the work operation;
• (b) at least one hydraulic actuator acting upon the tool;
• (c) at least one solenoid valve controlling hydraulic flow from the hydraulic power source to the at least one hydraulic actuator;
• and
• (d) a wireless receiver in electrical communication with the at least one solenoid valve, the wireless receiver receiving the wireless transmissions and communicating with the at least one solenoid valve to operate the at least one hydraulic actuator.

A work apparatus for performing a work operation, comprising in combination:

• a loader vehicle comprising:
• (a) at least one lift arm adapted to be selectively attached and detached from different work attachments;
• (b) a hydraulic power system providing a hydraulic power source;
• (c) an operator input device adapted to receive manual input;
• and
• (d) a transmitter generating wireless transmissions based on the manual input;
• a work attachment removably attached to the lift arms through a quick attach mechanism and hydraulically connected to the hydraulic power source through a quick attach hydraulic coupling, the work attachment comprising:
• (a) a tool adapted to perform the work operation;
• (b) at least one hydraulic actuator acting upon the tool;
• (c) at least one solenoid valve controlling hydraulic flow from the hydraulic power source to the at least one hydraulic actuator;
• (d) a wireless receiver in electrical communication with the at least one solenoid valve, the wireless receiver receiving the wireless transmissions and communicating with the at least one solenoid valve to operate the at least one hydraulic actuator;
• and
• (e) wherein the wireless receiver is manually configurable to provide the wireless transmissions to the solenoid valve in one of a momentary and a latched state.

A work apparatus for performing a work operation, comprising in combination:

• a loader vehicle comprising:
• (a) at least one lift arm adapted to be selectively attached and detached from different work attachments;
• (b) a hydraulic power system providing a hydraulic power source;
• (c) an operator input device adapted to receive manual input for a plurality of channels;
• and
• (d) a transmitter including an encoder, generating wireless transmissions based on the manual input, each wireless transmission being encoded in one of the plurality of channels;
• a work attachment removably attached to the lift arms through a quick attach mechanism and hydraulically connected to the hydraulic power source through a quick attach hydraulic coupling, the work attachment comprising:
• (a) a tool adapted to perform the work operation;
• (b) a plurality of hydraulic actuators acting upon the tool;
• (c) a plurality of solenoid valves controlling hydraulic flow from the hydraulic power source to the hydraulic actuators;
• (d) a wireless receiver including a decoder, the wireless receiver receiving and decoding wireless transmissions and generating electrical output signals in one of the plurality of channels, each electrical output signal corresponding directly to the manual input received at the operator input device;
• and
• (e) a plurality of separate dedicated electrical lines, at least one dedicated electrical line for each of the channels, respectively, each dedicated electrical line being directly coupled to electrical output signals of the respective channel for independently controlling different parameters on the work attachment such that parameters on the work attachment are directly responsive to the manual input, each solenoid valve being connected to at least one of the dedicated electrical lines to receive electrical output signals transmitted along a corresponding one of the channels.

On a work attachment having a tool adapted to perform a work operation, the work attachment being powered from a remote source of hydraulic power to perform the work operation, the work operation being controlled by at least one solenoid control valve, a wireless control mechanism, comprising:

• a wireless transmitter having user operated controls thereon to control the work operation, the wireless transmitter transmitting control signals in response to user manipulation of the controls;
• a wireless receiver mounted on the work attachment and adapted to receive the control signals from the wireless transmitter, the wireless receiver producing wired control signals corresponding to the control signals from the wireless transmitter;
• a configurable power switching circuit selectively coupling an electrical power supply to the solenoid control valve, the configurable power switching circuit having a first configuration providing a normally energized output to the solenoid control valve, and a second configuration providing a normally de-energized output to the solenoid control valve;
• and
• a configurable control switching circuit coupled to receive the wired control signals from the wireless receiver, the control switching circuit controlling the coupling of the electrical power supply to the solenoid control valve.