Abstract:
A foot pod for use with the operator cab of a construction vehicle is designed to pivot separately from the operator cab. The operator cab may be pivoted toward the rear of the construction vehicle and the foot pod may be pivoted toward the front of the construction vehicle. Pivoting the foot pod toward the front of the vehicle permits ground access to the foot pod and any controls carried thereby. Separately pivoting the foot pod forward is particularly advantageous for cleaning the foot pod or servicing any controls carried by the foot pod. Isolation mounts may be used to dampen vibrations from the chassis to the foot pod and the operator cab.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed generally to a construction vehicle such as a skid steer vehicle or a compact track-type vehicle or loader and, more particularly, to a tilting foot pod for the operator cab of a such a vehicle which facilitates cleaning and servicing of the foot pod. 
     Early construction vehicles, such as a skid loaders, were designed with an exposed operator cab that enabled the operator to easily enter and exit the operator cab as well as communicate with ground workers during loading, moving, excavating or other operations. Increasingly, skid steer vehicles with enclosed operator cabs were developed. The enclosed operator cabs provided a number of advantages over conventional open operator cabs, including climate control, noise control and safety. 
     Enclosed operator cabs are generally equipped with a front door to permit the ingress to and the egress from the operator cab. While convenient for entering or exiting the operator cab, such a configuration does not permit much room to clean the operator cab or perform maintenance on the various controls that are located in the operator cab. A skid steer vehicle is commonly used in highly dirty or dusty environments so it is not uncommon for the operator cab to eventually become soiled with dirt, dust and grime. As a result, new operator cab designs have been proposed to make accessing the interior of operator cab for cleaning or maintenance purposes less cumbersome. 
     For example, U.S. Publ. No. 2007/0145779 describes a machine cab having a cab frame and toe guard extending forward of the cab frame. The machine cab is designed to pivot about a rearward axis to permit access to various components that are generally inaccessible when the machine cab is in the working position. The base of the cab frame remains stationary as the cab frame is titled rearward. Thus, to clean the base, or foot area, or perform any maintenance on any controls that are mounted to or around the foot area, it is necessary to climb into the cab to access the foot are, which may be difficult. Moreover, the range of motion of the cab frame may limit the amount of clearance available. 
     Others, such as Albright et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,731 and Muraro in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,563, have also described pivoting operator cabs for skid steer vehicles. These patents describe operator cabs having recessed areas specifically designed to receive the feet of an operator when the operator is seated in the operator cab. The recessed areas are fastened to the operator cabs so as to pivot therewith. These pivoting operator cabs therefore provide access to components of the skid steer vehicle that are generally inaccessible when the operator cab is in a working position, but access to the interior of the operator cab, including the foot area, is not improved when the operator cab is tilted. 
     The present invention is directed to an operator cab for a skid steer vehicle having a separately tilting foot pod. The foot pod may be titled or pivoted forward thereby separately allowing ground access to the foot pod for cleaning or maintenance purposes. In operation, an upper frame portion of the operator cab is pivoted rearward to expose the foot pod. The foot pod may then be pivoted toward the front of the skid steer vehicle. In one representative embodiment, joystick controls may be supported by the foot pod and thus pivot with the foot pod. This allows ground access to the joystick controls for maintenance and other purposes when the upper portion of the operator cab has been pivoted rearward and the foot pod is in its forward titled position. Isolation mounts are preferably used to dampen any vibratory forces that may otherwise be transferred from the vehicle chassis to the foot pod. The operator cab frame may carry seals that seal the interior of the operator cab from dust and dirt. In one representative embodiment, the foot pod is made of fiberglass. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a separately pivotable foot pod for an operator cab of a construction vehicle. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to improve access to the interior of an operator cab for cleaning and maintenance purposes. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a foot pod for an operator cab that is isolated from vibrations from the chassis of the construction vehicle. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide ground access to operator controls mounted to the foot pod of an operator cab of a construction vehicle. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a construction vehicle that includes a pivotable operator cab and foot pod that are constructed and arranged to enable the interior of the cab to be sealed for climate control and pressurization. 
     Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a foot pod for use with an operator cab of a construction vehicle includes a frame adapted to be positioned on the chassis of the operator cab. A cavity is defined in the frame for receiving the feet of an operator when the operator is positioned within the operator cab. A mounting assembly couples the frame to the chassis in a manner that allows the frame to be titled upward and toward the front of the chassis. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an operator cab assembly for a construction vehicle includes an operator cab frame pivotably coupled to a rearward portion of the chassis. A foot pod is pivotably coupled to a forward portion of the chassis so that the foot pod may be pivoted about the forward portion of the chassis when the operator cab frame has been pivoted rearwardly about the rearward portion of the chassis. 
     According to another aspect, the present invention includes a construction vehicle having a chassis, and an operator cab mounted to the chassis and tiltable in a first direction away from the chassis. The skid steer vehicle is further equipped with a foot pod mounted to the chassis and tiltable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, away from the chassis. The foot pod is configured to rest beneath the operator cab when the operator cab and the foot pod are in non-tilted working positions. 
     In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, a method of cleaning the foot pod of an operator cab of a construction vehicle is proposed. The method includes rearwardly tilting the operator cab relative to a chassis of the vehicle and then forwardly tilting the foot pod relative to the chassis. The foot pod has a cavity into which the feet of an operator may extend during normal operation of the vehicle. The method involves removing any unwanted material from the cavity when the foot pod is in a forward tilted position. 
     Various other features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention. 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial view of a construction vehicle, in the form of a skid steer loader, incorporating a separately tiltable operator cab and a foot pod in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of the operator cab and foot pod mounted to a chassis of the skid steer loader shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the operator cab and foot pod with the operator cab titled upward toward the rear of the chassis; 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the operator cab and foot pod with the foot pod tilted upward toward the front of the chassis; 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged isometric view of the foot pod in the forward tilted position; 
         FIG. 4B  is an enlarged isometric view of a foot pod with joystick controls mounted thereon according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the chassis with the foot pod in the forward tilted position; 
         FIG. 6  is front elevation view of the foot pod seated in the chassis; and 
         FIG. 7  is a partial section view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a foot well or pod for a construction vehicle such as a skid steer loader  10 , such as shown in  FIG. 1 . The skid steer loader  10  has an operator cab  12  that is secured in a known manner to a chassis  14 . The chassis  14  supports two axles (not numbered) that each support two wheel and tire assemblies  16 , as is known. The chassis  14  also supports a pair of lift arms  18  or booms that may lift bucket  20 , or other attachment, such as a fork lift. Tilt arms  22  are coupled to the lift arms  18  and operate to tilt the bucket  20 . The lift arms  18  and the tilt arms  22 , as well operation of the loader  10  in general, are controlled by controls (not shown), such as joysticks, levers, push buttons, etc., contained within the operator cab  12 . 
     In general, the chassis  14  includes two posts  24  for mounting the lift arms  18  to the chassis  14  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The mounting posts  24  are positioned near the rear of the chassis  14  and are separated from one another so that a space  26  is defined therebetween. The operator cab  12  has a cab frame  28  that is supported by the chassis  14  generally forward of the space  26 . The cab frame  28  includes a top wall  30 , a pair of sidewalls  32 , and a rear wall  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the operator cab  12  has an exposed forward opening, but is contemplated that a door may be coupled to the cab frame  28  to fully enclose the cab frame  28 , such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/348,145, entitled “Operator Cab Having Inwardly Folding Access Door”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. The cab frame  28  generally defines a cockpit  36  for the operator and generally includes a seat (not shown) and various user-controls for controlling operation of the skid steer loader  10 . The controls may be mounted to the cab frame  28 , carried by the seat, or mounted to other structures contained within the cockpit  36 . The operator cab  12  also includes a one-piece foot pod  38  that provides a recess for the operator to place his or her feet when seated or standing in the cockpit  36 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the cab frame  28  may be pivoted upward and toward the rear of the chassis  14  to expose a cavity  40  formed in the chassis  14 . When the cab frame  28  is fully seated on the chassis  14 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , the cab frame  28  together with the chassis  14  provide an enclosure for various components of the skid steer loader  10 , such as hydraulic lines, pumps, motors, and the like used in the operation of the skid steer loader  10 . When the cab frame  28  is raised, e.g., tilted toward the rear of the chassis  14 , the cavity  40  of the chassis is exposed thereby allowing access to those components contained in the cavity  40 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the cab frame  28  may be tilted rearward independent of the foot pod  38 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the foot pod  38  may be titled toward the front of the chassis  14  separate from the cab frame  28 . This forward tilting of the foot pod  38  further exposes the cavity  40  of the chassis  14 . 
       FIG. 4A  provides an enlarged view of the foot pod  38  in the forward tilted position. As shown, the foot pod  38  includes a single piece body  42  with a recess  44  formed therein. The recess  44  is defined by a series of side walls and a bottom wall, and preferably has a depth sufficient to receive the feet of an operator when the operator is seated in the operator cab  28 . The recess has a relatively wider front area and a narrower rear area, which allows an operator to freely move his or her feet within the recess when the operator is seated. The body  42  includes a pair of flanged edge surfaces  46 ,  48  that sit atop chassis members  14   a ,  14   b  when the foot pod  38  is in the seated (not-tilted) position, such as shown in  FIG. 3 . To reduce the transference of vibrations from the chassis  14  to the foot pod  38 , iso-mounts  50  are mounted to chassis members  14   a ,  14   b  and engage the underside of the flanged edge surfaces  46 ,  48  when the foot pod  38  is in the seated position. The foot pod  38 , which may be made of metal, plastic, fiberglass or other material may be fabricated in a number of known techniques including, for example, casting and injection molding. 
     In addition to the flanged side edge surfaces  46 ,  48 , the foot pod  38  also includes a flanged front surface  47  and a flanged rear surface  49 . The floor of the cab  12  includes an opening  51 , which has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the upper area of foot pod  38  defined by flanged side edge surfaces  46 ,  48 , flanged front surface  47  and flanged rear surface  49 . The opening  51  is configured so that the areas of the cab floor adjacent opening  51  overlie the flanged side edge surfaces  46 ,  48 , the flanged front surface  47  and the flanged rear surface  49  when the cab  12  is lowered and in the operative position. The flanged side edge surfaces  46 ,  48 , the flanged front surface  47  and the flanged rear surface  49  together define a continuous single upwardly facing surface that is well suited for sealing the interior of cab  12 , in a manner to be explained. 
     When the foot pod  38  is tilted forward, such as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 4A , the recess  44  may be accessed by someone standing on the ground, e.g., supporting surface for the skid steer loader  10 . In other words, tilting the foot pod  38  forward provides ground access to the recess  44 . This improved access to the recess  44  allows the foot pod  38  to be cleaned of any dirt, dust, trash, and grime much more easily than when the foot pod  38  is in the seated position. To clean the foot pod  38  when it is seated requires someone to climb aboard the skid steer loader and either balance oneself on the chassis  14  or position oneself in the cockpit  36  which does not leave much room to maneuver. The present invention avoids these drawbacks by allowing the foot pod  38  to be tilted forward to a ground-accessible position. Additionally, and referring to  FIG. 4B , if any controls, such as joysticks J 1  and J 2 , are mounted to the foot pod  38 ′, the controls may be accessed from the ground which makes it easier to perform any maintenance on the controls. In this regard, it should be understood that the controls, such as joysticks J 1  and J 2 , may be secured to the foot pod as shown in  FIG. 4B , or alternatively may be mounted in any other location within the operator cab  12  as in  FIG. 4A . 
     As noted above, when the cab frame  28  is in the rearward tilted position and the foot pod  38  is in the forward tilted position, the cavity  40  of the chassis  14  can be easily accessed from above the chassis  14 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The cab frame  28  is shown removed in  FIG. 5  but one skilled in the art will appreciate that the cab frame  28  is coupled to frame member  14   c  extending between frame members  14   a ,  14   b . Conventional pivot mounts  52  may be used couple the cab frame  28  to the chassis  14 . The pivot mounts  52  permit the cab frame  28  to be pivoted upward and toward the rear of the chassis  14  and occupy the space  26  between the frame member  14   c  and the rear of the chassis  14 . As described above, after the cab frame  28  is pivoted toward the rear of the chassis  14 , the foot pod  38  may be pivoted toward the front of the chassis  14 . However, when the foot pod  38  is seated on the chassis  14  and the cab frame  28  is in the working or un-tilted position, the cab frame  28  effectively clamps the foot pod  38  to the chassis  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the chassis  14  includes a front chassis member  14   d  to which the foot pod  38  is pivotably mounted. More particularly, the foot pod body  42  includes a pair of downwardly extending mounts  56 . Each mount  56  includes a mounting arm  58  that carries a boss  60 . The boss  60  includes a pair of smaller diameter ends  62 ,  63  that are received by a pair of brackets  64 ,  65  that extend upwardly from the front chassis member  14   d . The smaller diameter ends  62 ,  63  are free to rotate relative to the brackets  64 ,  65  thereby allowing the foot pod  38  to be pivoted relative to the front chassis member  14   d . The foot pod  38  is free to pivot until the mounting arms  58  hit the front surface of the forward chassis member  14   d . Preferably, the foot pod  38  is free to pivot past the vertical axis of the front chassis member  14   d  so that the recess  44  faces downward when the foot pod  38  is fully pivoted, as illustrated in  FIG. 4A . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , a front bulb seal  66  and a pair of side bulb seals  68  may be employed to seal the operator cab  12 . The front bulb seal  66  is secured to the forward lower edge of the operator cab frame  28  whereas the side bulb seals  68  are secured to the lower side edges of the operator cab frame  28 . In addition, a peripheral inner bulb seal  69  is secured to the floor of the cab  12  about the opening  51 .  FIG. 7  illustrates the manner in which seal  69  engages surface  46  of foot pod  38  when cab  12  is in the lowered, operative position. It can be appreciated that seal  69  engages surfaces  46 ,  47 ,  48  and  49  about the entire upper periphery of foot pod  38 , which provides a continuous seal to both the interior of cab  12  and the recess  44  of foot pod  38 . The bulb seals  66 ,  68  and  69  reduce the ingress of dirt, dust and grime into to the operator cab  12  through the interface of the operator cab frame  28  and the foot pod  38  to the chassis. Additionally, if the operator cab  12  includes a door mounted to the cab frame  28 , the operator cab  12  can be pressurized in a known manner to further reduce the ingress of dirt, dust, and grime into the operator cab  12 . Further, maintaining a sealed operator cab  12  provides more efficient climate control of the operator cab  12 . 
     The present invention has been described with respect to an operator cab of a skid steer vehicle, but is understood that the invention may be applicable with the operator cabs of other types of vehicles and particularly other types of construction and agricultural vehicles that are commonly operated in dusty conditions.