Abstract:
An operator station ( 100 ) for a work vehicle comprises a roof, a roof ( 102 ), that defines an outside air inlet ( 201 ); a floor ( 115 ); several windows ( 106 ) extending between the floor ( 115 ) and the roof ( 102 ) that together define in enclosed operator compartment; an operator seat ( 108 ) disposed within the operator compartment; an air-conditioning module ( 112 ) disposed adjacent to the floor ( 115 ); a first air conduit extending between an outside air inlet ( 201 ) and the air-conditioning module ( 112 ); and a second air conduit extending between the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) and a first conditioned air outlet of the roof ( 102 ).

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to the patent application Ser. No. 14/746,998 entitled “Roof for a Work Vehicle” that is being filed contemporaneously herewith. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to work vehicles, such as construction or agricultural vehicles. More particularly it relates to air-conditioning systems and air conduits for operator stations of such work vehicles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Work vehicles, such as construction or agricultural vehicles typically have small enclosed operator stations. These operator stations are small, enclosed cabins, typically with seating for only a single person who is the operator of the work vehicle, although some enclosed operator stations may provide a small, stowable sitting platform or “jump seat” to temporarily accommodate a second person within the cabin for short periods of time. 
     Unlike the driver seat of an automobile or over-the-road truck, the operator seat is centrally located (side-to-side) within the operator station. This is beneficial since the operator station is intended (one) to accommodate a single operator and (two) to provide significant operator visibility to the work vehicle and to the surrounding environment upon which the work vehicle works. 
     Unlike automobiles and over-the-road trucks, the operator station has significantly greater visibility of the vehicle and the surrounding environment typically by providing glass walls. In one common arrangement, the operator station includes a glass front wall, left side wall, and right side wall that extend substantially from the floor of the operator station to the roof of the operator station. 
     A significant problem with operator stations is maintaining a comfortable working environment for the operator. Due to the small internal volume of operator compartments, the air must be regularly recirculated and supplemented with fresh outside air to keep the operator comfortable. Work vehicles, however, are typically operated in dirty environments with significant dust, dirt, and particles of plant matter contaminating the outside air. As a result, not only must the air be recirculated at a relatively high rate, but it must also be filtered very well to keep clean the operator, his clothing, his lungs, and the various controls. 
     Further, and due to the great deal of glass that defines the walls of the operator station, the interior of the operator compartment can become extremely hot or extremely cold due to solar radiation received through the large glass walls and lost through those same walls due to outward radiation and thermal conduction. 
     As a result, operator stations of work vehicles are typically provided with high-capacity air filtration and air-conditioning modules—both for heating and cooling. These air-conditioning modules are typically mounted on the interior of the operator station roof, with holes provided to the roof to permit the easy flow of air. Due to the limited size of the operator compartments, however, these air-conditioning modules typically reduce the operator&#39;s headroom. Further, conduits for distributing air within the operator compartment typically extend downward from the air-conditioning modules, thus further invading the operator&#39;s headroom and workspace. 
     What is needed, therefore, is an operator station with a new air-conditioning arrangement. It is an object of this invention to provide such an operator station. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an operator station ( 100 ) for a work vehicle comprises: a roof ( 102 ), wherein the roof ( 102 ) defines an outside air inlet ( 201 ) for receiving outside air and defines a first conditioned air outlet; a floor ( 115 ) disposed underneath the roof ( 102 ); a plurality of windows ( 106 ) extending between the floor ( 115 ) and the roof ( 102 ) and together with the floor ( 115 ) and the roof ( 102 ) defining an operator compartment that is enclosed on all sides; an operator seat ( 108 ) supported on the floor ( 115 ) and disposed within the operator compartment; an air-conditioning module ( 112 ) disposed adjacent to the floor ( 115 ), wherein the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) has a first air inlet and a first conditioned air outlet; a first air conduit extending between the outside air inlet ( 201 ) and the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) and configured to communicate outside air from the outside air inlet ( 201 ) into the first air inlet of the air-conditioning module ( 112 ); and a second air conduit extending between the first conditioned air outlet of the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) and the first conditioned air outlet of the roof ( 102 ) and configured to communicate conditioned air from the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) to the first conditioned air outlet of the roof ( 102 ). 
     The first air conduit may include a first generally vertical conduit portion disposed behind the operator seat ( 108 ). 
     The second air conduit may include a second generally vertical conduit portion disposed behind the operator seat ( 108 ). 
     The air-conditioning module may have a second air inlet opening directly into the operator compartment, wherein the second air inlet is disposed adjacent to the floor ( 115 ). 
     The air-conditioning module may have a second conditioned air outlet opening directly into the operator compartment, wherein the second conditioned air outlet of the air-conditioning module ( 112 ) is disposed adjacent to the floor ( 115 ). 
     The first generally vertical conduit portion may be coupled to a first generally horizontal air conduit portion, and the first generally horizontal air conduit portion may be disposed within the roof ( 102 ). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an operator station of a work vehicle having a roof in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the operator station of  FIG. 1  looking upward from the left rear side of the operator station. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the air conditioning module and associated vents of the operator station of  FIGS. 1-2  with the rest of the operator station removed. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the operator station of  FIGS. 1-3  showing the air conditioning module, the vertical air vent, and the roof of the operator station. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an operator station  100  for a work vehicle is shown. The operator station  100  includes a roof  102 , vertical supports  104 , windows  106 , an operator seat  108 , air-conditioning module  112 , and a rear vertical conduit  114 . 
     The operator station is completely enclosed in the arrangement shown herein. It has a floor  115  from which the vertical supports  104  extend upward. Between the vertical supports are windows  106  which provide a view to the front, both sides, and the rear of the vehicle. The operator seat  108  faces forward so the operator can view vehicle operations through the windshield (the front facing window  106 ). A door  116  is provided to provide the operator with a left side view of vehicle operations. One of the windows  106  is disposed in the door  116 . 
     The air-conditioning module  112  is disposed underneath the operator seat  108  where it will not block the operator&#39;s view. Air inlets  118  are provided in a front-facing surface of the air-conditioning module  112  to receive air from within the cab. The air-conditioning module  112  is configured to condition the air (heating, cooling, or both) and to force the air upward through the rear vertical conduit  114 . 
     The rear vertical conduit  114  is coupled to the roof  102 . The roof  102  receives air transmitted upward through the rear vertical conduit  114 . The roof  102  distributes the air laterally and forwardly through internal conduits in the roof  102 , whereupon the air exits through downwardly facing air directors at the terminus of those conduits. The air exits into the operator station, thereby providing the operator with a continuous source of conditioned air. 
     The roof  102  has a molded roof portion  200 , that is formed by rotational molding. The molded roof portion  200  has a first surface  202  that is an outer and upwardly facing surface. The first surface  202  is exposed to the elements, and is integrally formed as part of the rotational molding process. There may be passages that extend through the first surface  202  to accommodate the heads of fasteners, antennas, and the like, but the first surface  202  is generally slightly convex, planar, and otherwise continuous over substantially its entire length and width. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , outside air is received in an outside air inlet  201  that is disposed in a portion of the roof  102  that overhangs the left side of the operator station  100  and is disposed outside the operator compartment itself. The operator compartment is defined as the portion of the operator station that is enclosed by the roof  102 , the floor  115 , the windows  106  which form the front, left and right side walls of the operator station  100 , and the vertical supports  104 . 
     Air is received in the outside air inlet  201  and is communicated rearward through a horizontal air conduit  204  formed inside the roof  102 . The horizontal conduit around the rear of the roof  102  to an air outlet  206  disposed in the roof  102 . A vertical conduit  208  is coupled to the air outlet  206  directly behind the operator seat and carries the air vertically downward to a point adjacent to the floor  115 . The lower end of the vertical conduit  208  is coupled to a further conduit  210 . Conduit  210  extends around the floor  115  and an exposed lower portion of the air-conditioning module  112  that extends through the floor  115 . Conduit  210  is in turn coupled to an air inlet  213  on the bottom of the air-conditioning module  112  to communicate air into the air-conditioning module  112 . In this manner, a fan in the air-conditioning module  112  sucks air from roof  102 , high outside the vehicle, through the outside air inlet  201  and down into the air-conditioning module  112  for conditioning. 
     The air-conditioning module  112  is also configured to receive air from inside the operator compartment through the air inlets  118  and to condition it. The air-conditioning module  12  includes a fan to suck air into the air-conditioning module  112 , and to blow air out of the air-conditioning module  112 . The air-conditioning module  112  further includes a means for conditioning the air passing their through, which can include heat exchangers for conveying engine heat to the air being conditioned (i.e. heating the air). It can also include heat exchangers such as evaporators for conveying heat out of the air being conditioned (i.e. cooling the air). It can also include various vents, flaps and internal conduits to direct the air between the various inlets and outlets of the air-conditioning module  112  and through the various air-conditioning elements. These various internal elements are of conventional arrangement. 
     Air that has been conditioned in the air-conditioning module  112  is directed out of the air-conditioning module  112  and through air outlets  212  adjacent to the floor  115  to enter the operator compartment directly. 
     Air that has been conditioned in the air-conditioning module  112  is also directed out of the air-conditioning module  112  and into the rear vertical conduit  114 , which carries the air upward and into the roof  102  at a location above and directly behind the operator. The air received into the roof  102  is communicated forward and to each side of the vehicle through conduits  214  formed in the roof  102 . Air outlets  215  disposed in the roof  102  receive air from the conduits  214  and pass the conditioned air into the operator compartment at the roof level. Further details of the construction of the air conduits in the roof  102  can be found in the patent application Ser. No. 14/746,998 entitled “Roof for a Work Vehicle” filed contemporaneously herewith and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all that it teaches. 
     The air-conditioning module  112  is of conventional arrangement, having operator controls that are configured to alternatively and selectively heat and cool the air in the operator compartment. The operator can select heating or cooling. The operator can select a desired source of air and air inlet (i.e. outside air inlet  201  or inside air inlet  118 ). The operator can also select the desired conditioned air outlets  215  in the roof, or air outlet  212  adjacent to the floor. 
     The operator controls by which the operator makes these selections of airflow and air temperature are disposed inside the operator compartment and are configured in a conventional manner. 
     The operator station that is described and illustrated in this document is provided to illustrate just one way the invention might be made. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims. The particular arrangements described and illustrated in this document are merely examples.