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US 7,458,588 B2Granted
Rider platform for self-propelled vehicle
OwnerBruce E. Kalleviginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-propelled vehicle comprises a frame and a platform pivotally mountable to a rear portion of the vehicle frame. The platform is pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends generally horizontally from the rear portion of the frame to support a rider during operation of the vehicle, and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position-adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle.
Claims30
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a rider support assembly including at least one support element and a platform extending generally outward from the at least one support element, wherein the at least one support element is pivotally mounted, via a pivot mechanism, relative to a rear portion of the vehicle frame, the at least one support element is pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends in a generally horizontally orientation from the rear portion of the frame and is spaced above a ground surface to support a rider standing in an elevated position during ride-on operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the at least one support element is in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle, wherein the at least one support element is interposed between the pivot mechanism and the platform to cause the platform to be spaced apart from the pivot mechanism;
- a stop mechanism located at the rear portion of the vehicle and configured to releasably engage the at least one support element to prevent pivotal movement of the platform downward beyond the generally horizontal orientation of the first position of the platform, wherein the stop mechanism is independent and separate from the platform, and wherein the stop mechanism is separate and independent of the pivot mechanism;
- and
- a latch mechanism disposed on the at least one support element of the rider support assembly, the latch mechanism configured to be automatically releasably engaged at the rear portion of the vehicle frame via an at least one-handed, first manipulation of the platform to releasably secure the platform in the second position and the latch mechanism configured to be automatically disengaged via an at least one-handed, second manipulation of the platform to release the platform from the second position for movement into the first position.
2 more elements
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a platform including an inner end pivotally mounted, via pivot mechanism, relative to a rear portion of the vehicle frame, the platform being pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends in a generally horizontally orientation from the rear portion of the frame and is spaced above a ground surface to support a rider standing in an elevated position during ride-on operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle, wherein the pivot mechanism is disposed on each of opposite sides of the platform and comprises a pivot pin and wherein the pivot mechanism also comprises the inner end of the platform including a first slot slidably movable along and rotatable about the pivot pin;
- a stop mechanism mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle adjacent to the pivot mechanism, the stop mechanism configured to engage the inner end of the platform to prevent pivotal movement of the platform downward beyond the generally horizontal orientation of the first position of the platform,
- wherein the stop mechanism is independent and separate from the platform, and
- wherein the stop mechanism is separate from, and independent of, the pivot mechanism;
- and
- a latch mechanism disposed on at least one of the opposite sides of the platform at the inner end of the platform, and configured to be engaged to releasably secure the platform relative to the rear portion of the frame when the platform is in the second position and to be disengaged relative to the rear portion of the frame when the platform is in the first position.
4 more elements
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a platform including an inner portion pivotally mounted, via a pivot mechanism, relative to a rear portion of the vehicle frame, the platform being pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends in a generally horizontally orientation from the rear portion of the frame and is spaced above a ground surface to support a rider standing in an elevated position during ride-on operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle;
- a stop mechanism mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle adjacent to the pivot mechanism, the stop mechanism configured to releasably engage the inner portion of the platform to prevent pivotal movement of the platform downward beyond the generally horizontal orientation of the first position of the platform, wherein the stop mechanism is independent and separate from the platform and wherein the stop mechanism is separate and independent of the pivot mechanism;
- at least one mounting member including:
- a first portion mountable to an end surface of the rear portion of the vehicle frame and extending generally parallel to the end surface;
- and
- a second portion extending outwardly from the first portion of the mounting member, in a plane generally perpendicular to the first portion of the mounting member, to enable the pivotal mounting of the inner portion of the platform at a point spaced from, but adjacent to the end surface.
4 more elements
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- a platform including an inner portion pivotally mounted, via a pivot mechanism, relative to a rear portion of the vehicle frame, wherein the platform is pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends in a generally horizontally orientation from the rear portion of the frame and is spaced above a ground surface to support a rider standing in an elevated position during ride-on operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle;
- a stop mechanism mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle adjacent to the pivot mechanism, wherein the stop mechanism is configured to releasably engage the inner portion of the platform to prevent pivotal movement of the platform downward beyond the generally horizontal orientation of the first position of the platform, wherein the stop mechanism is independent and separate from the platform, and wherein the stop mechanism is separate and independent of the pivot mechanism;
- at least one mounting member including:
- a first portion mountable to a side surface of the frame of the vehicle and extending generally parallel to the side surface of the frame;
- and
- a second portion extending outwardly and rearwardly from the first portion of the mounting frame, in a plane generally parallel to the first portion, to enable the pivotal mounting of the inner portion of the platform at a point spaced from, but adjacent the rear portion of the vehicle frame.
4 more elements
A platform system for a self-propelled vehicle, the platform system comprising:
- a platform including a surface sized and shaped to define an operator zone, the platform comprising an inner portion and an outer portion;
- a pivoting mechanism configured for pivotally mounting the inner portion of the platform relative to a rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle to enable movement of the outer portion between a releasably securable, generally upright storage position adjacent the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle and a generally horizontal in-use position extending outwardly away from the rear portion of the vehicle to locate the operator zone adjacent a control mechanism of the self-propelled vehicle;
- a limiting mechanism configured to be secured relative to the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle and configured to prevent pivotal movement of the outer portion of the platform downward below the generally horizontal in-use position,
- wherein the limiting mechanism is independent of, and separate from, the platform, and
- wherein the limiting mechanism is independent of, and separate from, the pivot mechanism;
- and
- a latch mechanism at least partially disposed on the inner portion of the platform and configured to be automatically releasably engaged relative to the rear portion of the vehicle frame via one-handed manipulation of the outer portion of the platform to releasably secure the platform in the generally upright storage position and configured to be automatically disengaged relative to the rear portion of the vehicle frame via one-handed manipulation of the outer portion of the platform to release the platform from the upright storage position for movement into the in-use position.
4 more elements
A platform system comprising:
- a platform including a surface sized and shaped to define an operator zone;
- a positioning mechanism configured to pivotally mount the platform relative to a rear portion of a self-propelled vehicle such that the platform is movable between a releasably securable, generally upright storage position adjacent the rear portion of the vehicle and a generally horizontal in-use position extending outwardly and rearwardly away from the rear portion of the vehicle to locate the operator zone adjacent a control mechanism of the self-propelled vehicle, wherein the positioning mechanism comprises:
- a mounting frame securable onto the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle;
- a first portion disposed on the mounting frame to enable the pivotal mounting of the platform relative to the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle;
- a second portion disposed on the platform to enable the releasable securing of the platform in the storage position;
- and
- a first reciprocating portion disposed on at least one of the mounting frame or the platform, the first reciprocating portion sized and positioned to releasably engage the second portion when the platform is in the upright storage position;
- and
- a limiting mechanism configured to be secured in a fixed position relative to the rear portion of the self-propelled vehicle and configured to prevent pivotal movement of the platform downward below the generally horizontal in-use position, wherein the limiting mechanism is independent of, and separate from, the platform and wherein the limiting mechanism is independent of, and separate from, the positioning mechanism.
6 more elements
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame;
- and
- a platform pivotally mounted, via a pivot pin, to a rear portion of the vehicle frame and pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends generally horizontally from the rear portion of the frame to support a rider during operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle,
- wherein the platform comprises a support arm including a first portion positioned underneath the platform and a second portion forming a generally obtuse angle relative to the first portion, the second portion extending away from the platform inwardly toward the frame of the vehicle for pivotal mounting to the pivot pin, wherein the second portion of the support arm rests on top of the stop mechanism when the platform is in the first position.
1 more element
A self-propelled vehicle comprising:
- a frame including a rear portion;
- a platform pivotally mounted, via a pivot mechanism, to the rear portion of the vehicle frame wherein the pivot mechanism includes a pivot pin located adjacent to the rear portion of the frame on each of opposite sides of the platform, wherein the platform is pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends generally horizontally from the rear portion of the frame to support a rider during operation of the vehicle and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle;
- a latch mechanism disposed on at least one of the opposite sides of the platform, and configured to be engaged to releasably secure the platform relative to the rear portion of the frame when the platform is in the second position and to be disengaged relative to the rear portion of the frame when the platform is in the first position,
- wherein the pivot mechanism includes a stop mechanism positioned adjacent to, and spaced from, the pivot pin to limit downward pivoting movement of the platform relative to the frame when the platform is in the first position, and
- wherein the stop mechanism is a generally rectangular-shaped block rotatably positionable into at least two positions, in which each position causes a different surface of the block to support the pivot arm, and each different surface being at a different angle relative to the frame, to cause the support to be at a different height relative to the frame to thereby position the operator on the platform at different heights relative to the frame.
2 more elements
A method of supporting a rider behind a self-propelled loader, the method comprising:
- mounting, via a pivot mechanism, at least one support arm of a platform relative to a rear portion of the self-propelled loader to enable positioning the platform in a generally upright storage position to operate the loader in a walk-behind mode or positioning the platform in a generally horizontal position to operate the loader in a ride-on mode in which a user stands on the platform behind the loader;
- providing the walk-behind mode of operation of the loader via releasably securing the platform in the generally upright position adjacent to, and relative to, the rear portion of the loader via a hands-free releasable engagement of a latch mechanism relative to the rear portion of the loader, and including arranging the latch mechanism to be located on at least one of the rear portion of the loader and the at least one support arm;
- providing the ride-on mode of operation of the loader, when the latch mechanism is disengaged, via preventing downward pivotal movement of the platform beyond the generally horizontal position by releasably engaging the at least one support arm of the platform via a stop mechanism, and including arranging the stop mechanism to be located at the rear portion of the loader and wherein the stop mechanism is separate from, and independent of, the pivot mechanism;
- and
- switching between the walk-behind mode and the ride-on mode via selectively pivotally moving the platform, via a single-handed manipulation of an outer end of the platform, between the releasably securable generally upright position and the generally horizontal position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.