Snow plow mounting assembly

Abstract

A snow plow assembly having a mounting assembly including a locking mechanism for securing a snow plow frame to a mounting frame of a vehicle, and for enabling the snow plow frame to be dismounted from the vehicle mounting frame. The locking mechanism may be configured such that a locking member is biased toward a lock position when an actuator is moved in a first direction beyond a threshold position, and the locking member is biased toward a release position when the actuator is moved in an opposite direction beyond the threshold position. The locking mechanism may include a plurality of locking members that are simultaneously moved between lock and release positions when the actuator effects such simultaneous movement. The snow plow assembly may include a stand assembly having a stand that can freely drop from an elevated position to the ground when actuated to release the stand.

1 . A snow plow mounting assembly comprising:
 a snow plow frame configured to be mounted to a mounting frame of a vehicle;   a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the snow plow frame, the locking mechanism having an actuator and a locking member, the actuator being operatively coupled to the locking member and configured to selectively move the locking member between a lock position for securing the snow plow frame to the mounting frame of the vehicle, and a release position for enabling the snow plow frame to be dismounted from the mounting frame;   wherein the locking mechanism is configured such that the locking member is biased toward the lock position when the actuator is moved in a first direction beyond a threshold position, and the locking member is biased toward the release position when the actuator is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction beyond the threshold position.   
     
     
         2 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the locking member further includes a first biasing member operatively coupled to the actuator, the locking mechanism being configured such that the first biasing member urges the actuator to move the locking member toward the lock position when the actuator is moved in the first direction beyond the threshold position; and
 wherein the locking mechanism further includes a second biasing member operatively coupled to the locking member, the locking mechanism being configured such that the second biasing member urges the locking member toward the release position when the actuator is moved in the second direction beyond the threshold position.   
     
     
         3 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the locking member is configured as a locking pin that is configured to move linearly along an axis between the lock and release positions through a hole in the frame to engage or disengage from the mounting frame. 
     
     
         4 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a locking pin linkage operatively coupled to the locking pin and operatively coupled to the actuator for enabling the actuator to move locking pin. 
     
     
         5 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a cam that is operatively coupled to the actuator and is operatively coupled to the locking pin linkage. 
     
     
         6 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the actuator includes an actuator linkage operatively coupled to cam, such that movement of the actuator linkage moves the cam about a rotation axis, thereby moving the locking pin linkage which moves the locking pin linearly between the lock and release positions. 
     
     
         7 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein movement of the actuator in the first direction beyond the threshold position causes the actuator linkage to rotate the cam in a first rotational direction, thereby linearly moving the locking pin outwardly away from the cam and toward the lock position; and
 wherein movement of the actuator in the second direction beyond the threshold position causes the actuator linkage to rotate the cam in a second opposite rotational direction, thereby linearly moving the locking pin inwardly toward the cam and toward the release position.   
     
     
         8 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the threshold position is an over-center position of the lever. 
     
     
         9 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuator includes an actuator linkage that is connected to the lever via a connector at a position offset from a center of rotation of the lever;
 wherein, movement of the actuator linkage in the first direction causes the actuator linkage to rotate the cam in a first rotational direction, and when the actuator linkage is moved in the first direction such that the connector of the actuator linkage moves beyond the over-center position of the lever, the first biasing member is activated to automatically urge the actuator linkage further in the first direction, thereby rotating the cam further in the first rotational direction, which biases the locking pin via the locking pin linkage toward the lock position; and/or   wherein, movement of the actuator linkage in the second direction causes the actuator linkage to rotate the cam in a second opposite rotational direction, and when the actuator linkage is moved in the second direction such that the connector of the actuator linkage moves beyond the over-center position of the lever to a hold position in which the biasing force of the first biasing member is negated, and the second biasing member is activated to urge the locking pin toward the release position.   
     
     
         10 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the locking pin linkage includes a slot through which a connector of the cam is slidably received for driving the locking pin linkage and thereby the locking pin. 
     
     
         11 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the locking pin linkage includes a stop that restricts movement beyond a certain point when the actuator is moved in the second direction. 
     
     
         12 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the actuator linkage is configured as an actuator arm, the actuator further including a lever pivotably connected to the actuator arm, such that pivoting of the lever about a pivot axis moves the actuator arm which thereby moves the cam. 
     
     
         13 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a second locking pin operatively coupled to a second locking pin linkage which is operatively coupled to the cam, in which rotational movement of the cam causes simultaneous linear movement of both the first locking pin and second locking pin. 
     
     
         14 . A snow plow mounting assembly comprising:
 a snow plow frame having laterally spaced apart first and second receivers configured to receive corresponding first and second mounting brackets of a mounting frame of a vehicle for enabling the snow plow frame to be mounted to the vehicle;   a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the snow plow frame, the locking mechanism comprising:
 a first locking member configured to interface with the first receiver of the snow plow frame; 
 a second locking member configured to interface with the second receiver of the snow plow frame; and 
 an actuator operatively coupled to both the first and second locking members, 
   wherein the locking mechanism is configured such that movement of the actuator in a first direction simultaneously moves the first and second locking members toward respective lock positions for securing the first and second receivers to the respective first and second mounting brackets thereby mounting the snow plow frame to the mounting frame of the vehicle; and   wherein the locking mechanism is configured such that movement of the actuator in a second direction opposite the first direction simultaneously moves the first and second locking members toward respective release positions for enabling the respective first and second mounting brackets to be removed from the first and second receivers thereby enabling dismounting of the snow plow frame from the mounting frame of the vehicle.   
     
     
         15 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the locking members are each configured as locking pins that are each configured to move linearly along an axis between the lock and release positions through respective hole in the first and second receivers to engage or disengage from the respective first and second mounting brackets. 
     
     
         16 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes respective locking pin linkages operatively coupled to the locking pins and operatively coupled to the actuator for enabling the actuator to move locking pins. 
     
     
         17 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the locking mechanism further includes a cam that is operatively coupled to the actuator and is operatively coupled to the locking pin linkage. 
     
     
         18 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 17 , wherein the actuator includes an actuator linkage operatively coupled to cam, such that movement of the actuator linkage moves the cam about a rotation axis, thereby simultaneously moving the locking pin linkages which simultaneously moves the locking pins linearly between the lock and release positions. 
     
     
         19 . The snow plow mounting assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the actuator linkage is configured as an actuator arm, the actuator further including a lever pivotably connected to the actuator arm, such that pivoting of the lever about a pivot axis moves the actuator arm which thereby moves the cam. 
     
     
         20 . A snow plow assembly comprising:
 a snow plow frame;   a stand assembly operatively coupled to the snow plow frame, the stand assembly comprising:
 a stand that is axially moveable relative to the snow plow frame between a lower position in which the stand engages the ground and supports at least a portion of the snow plow frame, and an upper position in which the stand is elevated above the ground; and 
 a stand locking mechanism operatively coupled to the snow plow frame, the stand locking mechanism having an actuator and a locking member, 
   wherein the actuator is operatively coupled to the locking member and is configured to move the locking member between a lock position in which the locking member engages and secures the stand in either the upper or lower position, and a release position in which the locking member disengages from the stand to allow the stand to freely move between the upper and lower positions.   
     
     
         21 . The snow plow assembly according to  claim 20 , wherein the actuator is linearly moveable along a first axis, and the locking member is linearly movable along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis.