QUICK COUPLER FOR REVERSIBLE COUPLING

DISPOSITIF D'ACCOUPLEMENT RAPIDE POUR ACCOUPLEMENT REVERSIBLE

English Abstract

A quick coupler for reversibly coupling an actuating arm of a vehicle to an implement having a hinge plate assembly, the hinge plate assembly comprising front and rear receptacles, the hinge plate assembly further defining a locking aperture comprising a narrow entry expanding into a wider portion. The quick coupler includes a link assembly, at least one protrusion, a lock member movably connected relative to the link assembly and an actuator operably connected to the lock member and adapted to move the lock member between an extended and retracted positions. The front and rear receptacles are shaped to receive the at least one protrusion and the locking aperture is shaped for removable engagement with the lock member for coupling and decoupling the actuating arm from the implement.

French Abstract

Il est décrit un coupleur rapide pouvant coupler de façon amovible un bras de commande dun véhicule à un appareil muni dun ensemble plaque de charnière, lensemble plaque de charnière comprenant une prise avant et une prise arrière, lensemble plaque de charnière définissant aussi une ouverture de blocage comprenant une entrée étroite qui sétend en dans une partie plus large. Le coupleur rapide comprend un ensemble de liaison, au moins une saillie, un élément de verrouillage relié de façon amovible à lensemble de liaison et un actionneur raccordé de manière fonctionnelle à lélément de verrouillage et adapté pour déplacer lélément de verrouillage dune position allongée à une position repliée. La prise avant et la prise arrière ont une forme prévue pour la réception dau moins une saillie et louverture de blocage a une forme destinée à se mettre en prise de façon amovible avec lélément de verrouillage afin de coupler et de désaccoupler le bras de commande de lappareil.

Claims

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CLAIMS
1. A quick coupler for reversibly coupling an actuating arm of a vehicle to an
implement having a hinge plate assembly, the hinge plate assembly comprising
front and rear receptacles, the hinge plate assembly further defining a
locking
aperture comprising a narrow entry expanding into a wider portion, the coupler
comprising:
a link assembly comprising two opposite plates, each plate having at least
one aperture;
at least one protrusion mounted on each plate and adapted to engage the
front receptacle for a front load configuration or the rear receptacle for a
backhoe configuration;
a lock member movably connected relative to the link assembly, said lock
member movable between an extended position and a retracted position;
and
an actuator operably connected to the lock member and adapted to move
the lock member between its extended and retracted positions,
wherein the front and rear receptacles are shaped to receive the at least one
protrusion, the locking aperture is shaped for removable engagement with the
lock member and, wherein in the extended position, the lock member engages
the locking aperture thereby coupling the actuating arm to the implement and
wherein in the retracted position, the lock member disengages the locking
aperture thereby decoupling the actuating arm from the implement.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-04

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P4176CA00
2. A quick coupler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture of
each plate is transversely aligned with an adjacent at least one aperture of
an
adjacent plate.
3. A quick coupler as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one
protrusion
is circular.
4. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the
actuator
comprises a rod connected to the lock member to move said lock member
between its extended and retracted positions.
5. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the
actuator is
a mechanical actuator.
6. A quick coupler as claimed in claim 5, wherein the actuator further
comprises
a biasing element biasing the position of the lock member towards a default
position.
7. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the
actuator is
a hydraulic actuator.
8. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the
opposite
plates are parallel.
9. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the link
assembly further comprises a flat surface connected to the opposite plates and
zo .. adapted to rest against the implement.
10. A quick coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the link
assembly further comprises a stopper mounted on the opposite plates guiding
the lock member into the locking aperture.
11. A quick coupler for reversibly coupling an actuating arm of a vehicle to
an
implement, the coupler comprising:
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-04

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P4176CA00
a hinge plate assembly comprising front and rear receptacles, the hinge
plate assembly further defining a locking aperture comprising a narrow
entry expanding into a wider portion;
a link assembly comprising two opposite plates, each plate having at least
one aperture;
at least one protrusion mounted on each plate and adapted to engage the
front receptacle for a front load configuration or the rear receptacle for a
backhoe configuration;
a lock member movably connected relative to the link assembly, said lock
member movable between an extended position and a retracted position;
and
an actuator operably connected to the lock member and adapted to move
the lock member between its extended and retracted positions,
wherein the front and rear receptacles are shaped to receive the at least one
protrusion, the locking aperture is shaped for removable engagement with the
lock member and, wherein in the extended position, the lock member engages
the locking aperture thereby coupling the actuating arm to the implement and
wherein in the retracted position, the lock member disengages the locking
aperture thereby decoupling the actuating arm from the implement.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-04

Description

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QUICK COUPLER FOR REVERSIBLE COUPLING
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to coupling devices. More particularly, the
present invention relates to a universal quick coupler for use with equipment
of
various types of construction and earth-moving machines in a front load
configuration or a backhoe configuration.
Background of the invention:
Quick couplers are commonly used for securing construction tools and
attachments such as buckets, impact hammers, etc., to a dipping or actuating
arm of a vehicle or a machine. Couplers allow rapid change of the attachments
on the vehicle or the machine. Known to the Applicant is US patent No.
5,431,528 issued on July 11th, 1995.
There are many variations in the design of quick couplers. For example, some
couplers are designed to pick up a range of attachments by clamping onto
mounting pins while others are designed to work only with attachments designed
to suit a dedicated coupler. Other designs may also include reversible
couplers.
Couplers are usually ranked by categories according to the force of the
vehicle or machine. There are hundreds or thousands of different attachments
that can be used for each category depending on the task required from the
operator.
However, there is a need for a quick coupler to rapidly secure the various
different attachments in a reversible configuration with a single vehicle or
machine.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved system
which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some
of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

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Summary of the invention:
The object of the present invention is to provide a device which, by virtue of
its design and components, satisfies some of the above-mentioned needs and is
thus an improvement over other related coupling devices known in the prior
art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above mentioned object is
achieved, as will be easily understood, by a quick coupler such as the one
briefly
described herein and such as the one exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
quick
coupler for reversibly coupling an actuating arm of a vehicle to an implement
having a hinge plate assembly, the hinge plate assembly comprising front and
rear receptacles, the hinge plate assembly further defining a locking aperture
comprising a narrow entry expanding into a wider portion, the coupler
comprising:
a link assembly comprising two opposite plates, each plate having at least
one aperture;
at least one protrusion mounted on each plate and adapted to engage the
front receptacle for a front load configuration or the rear receptacle for a
backhoe
configuration;
a lock member movably connected relative to the link assembly, said lock
member movable between an extended position and a retracted position; and
an actuator operably connected to the lock member and adapted to move the
lock member between its extended and retracted positions,
wherein the front and rear receptacles are shaped to receive the at least one
protrusion, the locking aperture is shaped for removable engagement with the
lock member and, wherein in the extended positon, the lock member engages
the locking aperture thereby coupling the actuating arm to the implement and
wherein in the retracted position, the lock member disengages the locking
aperture thereby decoupling the actuating arm from the implement.

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In some implementations, the quick coupler comprises the hinge plate
assembly.
In some implementations, at least one aperture of each plate is transversely
aligned with an adjacent at least one aperture of an adjacent plate.
In some implementations, the at least one protrusion is circular.
In some implementations, the actuator comprises a rod connected to the lock
member to move said lock member between its extended and retracted positions.
In some implementations, the actuator is a mechanical actuator.
In some implementations, the actuator further comprises a biasing element
biasing the position of the lock member towards a default position.
In some implementations, the actuator is a hydraulic actuator.
In some implementations, the opposite plates are substantially parallel.
In some implementations, the link assembly further comprises a flat surface
connected to the opposite plates and adapted to rest against the implement.
In some implementations, the link assembly further comprises a stopper
mounted on the opposite plates guiding the lock member into the locking
aperture.
The objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become
more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of
preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief description of the drawings:
Figure 1A is a perspective view of a coupler mounted on an implement
according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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Figure 1B is another view of what is shown in Figure 1A.
Figure 2A is a perspective view a hinge plate assembly mounted on an
implement according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2B is another view of what is shown in Figure 2A.
Figure 2C is a perspective view of the hinge plate assembly shown in Figures
2A and 2B.
Figure 3A is a perspective view of a coupler according to an embodiment of
the present invention.
Figure 3B is another view of what is shown in Figure 3A.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a stopper according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view, fragmented, of a coupler according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a lock member according to an embodiment
of the present invention.
Figure 7A is a side view of a mechanically actuated coupler according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7B is a side view of a hydraulically actuated coupler according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8A is a perspective view of a coupler mounted on an implement in a
front load configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8B is a perspective view of the coupler shown in Figure 8A in a
backhoe configuration.

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Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention:
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar
elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to
not
unduly burden the figures with several reference numbers, not all figures
contain
5 references to all the components and features, and references to some
components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and
features of the present invention illustrated in other figures can be easily
inferred
therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations, materials mentioned
and/or dimensions shown in the figures are optional, and are given for
exemplification purposes only.
Furthermore, although the present invention may be used with various
objects, such as buckets, for example, it is understood that it may be used
with
other tool and attachments. For this reason, expressions such as "bucket",
"impact hammer", "tool", "attachment", etc. as used herein should not be taken
as
to limit the scope of the present invention to these machine attachments in
particular. These expressions encompass all other kinds of attachments, tools
and/or purposes with which the present invention could be used and may be
useful, as can be easily understood.
As shown in Figures 1 to 8, there is provided a quick coupler 10 for
reversibly
coupling an actuating arm of a vehicle or a machine to an implement 12, such
as
a bucket. It is understood that the quick coupler 10 may also be used with
other
attachments, such as an impact hammer or a grapple, as known by a person
skilled in the art.
In some implementations, the quick coupler 10 includes a hinge plate
assembly 14, composed of two plates 40, as the one shown in Figure 2C.
Alternatively, the hinge plate assembly 14 can be provided with the implement
12. In the latter case, the hinge plate assembly 14 may be connected to the
implement 12 by welding or other connection means as known by a person
skilled in the art. The hinge plate assembly 14 comprises front 16 and rear 18

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receptacles and further define a locking aperture 20 having a narrow entry 22
expanding into a wider portion 24.
In some implementations, the quick coupler 10 includes a link assembly 26, at
least one protrusion 28, a lock member 30 and an actuator 32.
The link assembly 26 comprises two opposite plates 34, each plate 34 having
at least one aperture 36. The apertures 36 can be used to connect the quick
coupler 10 with the actuating arm. The apertures 36 can have circular and/or
other shapes. As known by a person skilled in the art, the shape, size and
location of the apertures 36 will depend on the design of the actuating arm.
According to an embodiment, the aperture 36 of each plate 34 is transversely
aligned with an adjacent aperture 36 of an adjacent plate 34. The plates 34
may
have different shapes and sizes as well as different materials. Preferably,
the
opposite plates 34 are substantially parallel. The plates 34 also support the
at
least one protrusion 28. The link assembly 26 can further include a flat
surface 38
connected to the opposite plates 34 and adapted to rest against the implement
12. The flat surface 38 allows for a greater surface contact with the
implement 12
and thus creates more stability and support when operating the excavation
machine or vehicle.
One protrusion 28 is mounted on each plate 34 and adapted to engage the
zo front
receptacle 16 for a front load configuration, as shown in Figure 8A, and the
rear receptacle 18 for a backhoe configuration, as shown in Figure 8B. The
protrusions 28 can have different shapes, preferably they have a circular
shape.
They can also be made of a rod that is simply insertable through aligned
openings, such as the apertures 36 on each plate 34. In operation, the quick
coupler 10 is locked by the engagement of the protrusions 28 with the
receptacles 16 or 18 and by extending the lock member 30 to engage the locking
aperture 20.
The lock member 30 is movably connected relative to the link assembly 26.
The lock member 30 is movable between an extended position 80 and a

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retracted position 90. When connecting the quick coupler 10 to the hinge plate
assembly 14, the lock member 30 is guided into the locking aperture 20 through
the narrow entry 22. According to an embodiment, there is provided a stopper
42
to guide the lock member 30 into the locking aperture 20 and to block
horizontal
movement between the quick coupler 10 and the hinge plate assembly 14. The
stopper 42 may have a polygonal shape, as shown in Figure 4, a circular or a
combination between straight and curved segments. The actuator 32 is adapted
to move the lock member 30 between its extended position 80 and its retracted
position 90.
The actuator 32 is operably connected to the lock member 30. According to
an embodiment, the actuator 32 moves the lock member 30 through a connector
connected between the actuator 32 and the lock member 30. The connector may
comprise a rod or any other connector as known to a person skilled in the art.
The actuator 32 can be operated by different sources of energy, such as
mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic, etc. Figure 7A illustrates a
mechanical actuator 44. In this configuration, the operator will manually
rotate a
screw type rod to displace the lock member 30. According to an embodiment, the
mechanical actuator 44 further comprises a biasing element 46, such as a
spring,
to bias the position of the lock member 30 towards a default position.
Alternatively, Figure 7B illustrates a hydraulic actuator 48. The hydraulic
actuator
can be connected to the excavation machine or vehicle for hydraulic, pneumatic
or electrical power.
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described
embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in
the
appended claims.

Representative Drawing