EXCAVATOR COUPLER WITH A FRONT LATCH, AND A BOOM SENSOR ARRANGEMENT

摘要

A coupler (32) for attaching an accessory (34) to an excavator arm (24) of an excavator 820), the coupler comprising a first jaw (54) with a movable first latch (74), a second latch (64) having a retracted position and at least one advanced position, and a blocking member (100) for selective interaction with the second latch (64) via a movement between a non-blocking position and at least one blocking position, such selective interaction being such as to resist movement of the second latch from the appropriate at least one advanced position into the retracted position when the blocking member is in the appropriate at least one blocking position. The coupler comprises two independently actuatable actuators (78,80), a first actuator (78) being for selectively moving both the blocking member and the first latch and a second actuator (80) being for selectively moving the second latch, extension of the first actuator being arranged to move both the blocking member into non-blocking position and the first latch into its non-latching position, either together or in turn, and retraction of the first actuator being arranged to move both the blocking member into one of the at least one blocking positions and the first latch into its latching position, either together or in turn. The invention also provides an excavator comprising an excavator arm, a coupler, a sensor associated with the excavator arm for sensing the status of either a boom arm or dipper arm, or both, thereof, and a control device (42) for an actuator of the coupler, the at least one actuator being selectively controllable by the control device, wherein the control device is switchable between an activatable condition in which condition it can control the actuator and a deactivated condition in which either it cannot control the actuator, or it cannot commence an attachment decoupling procedure step involving the use of the actuator, that switching being automated and controlled in response to the sensed status of the boom arm (26) or the dipper arm (28), or both.