Motor vehicles – Bodies – Tractor and similar vehicle cabs
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-16
2001-06-12
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Bodies
Tractor and similar vehicle cabs
C296S190080, C296S190110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244369
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an operator's cab structure suitable for use, for instance, on a rotary construction machine such as a hydraulic power shovel and the like, and more particularly to an operator's cab structure especially suitable for use on a rotary construction machine having a relatively small radius of rotation.
BACKGROUND ART
Hydraulic power shovels which are widely used as construction machines, are generally constituted by a lower travelling truck body, an upper rotary body which is rotatably mounted on the lower truck body, and a working mechanism which is provided on a front portion of the upper rotary body.
The upper rotary body is largely constituted by a rotary frame in the form of a frame structure, an operator's cab which is mounted on a left-hand front portion of the rotary frame and internally provided with an operator's seat along with a number of operation control levers of the machine, a housing cover which is extended from right to a rear side of the cab and defining a machine chamber to accommodate an operating fluid tank, an engine, a hydraulic pump and other components on the rotary frame, and a counterweight attached to the rear end of the rotary frame as a balancing member relative to the working mechanism.
The operator's cab is constituted by a cab box, a box-like enclosure including a front side section, rear side section, left side section, right side section and top side or ceiling section, and a door which is attached to a center portion of its left side section and movable between a front closed position and a rear open position.
In connection with hydraulic power shovels, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H1-198929, for example, there has been known in the art a within machine width revolving type or minimal radius revolving type hydraulic power shovel (hereinafter referred to as “small radius revolving type hydraulic power shovel) which is arranged to turn an upper rotary body within the width of the machine.
In the case of the prior art small radius revolving type hydraulic power shovel which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H1-198929, the upper rotary body is arranged substantially in a circular shape when viewed from above, concentrically around the center of its rotation. By this arrangement, the upper rotary body of the hydraulic power shovel is prevented from hitting against an obstacle or a surrounding structure during its rotational movements.
In some cases, the door of the cab is left wide open on the rear side of the cab box during operation of the hydraulic power shovel, for ventilating purposes or when it becomes necessary for the operator to exchange words with someone outside the machine.
Therefore, according to the prior art hydraulic power shovel, in order to retain the cab door always within the radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body even when it is left open as described above, the left side of the cab box which contains the door is located at an indented position inward of the radius of rotational movements, more particularly, at a position which is receded by a distance which corresponds to the dimension over which the door is projected laterally on the left side of the cab box when fully opened.
In the case of the above-mentioned conventional small radius revolving type hydraulic power shovel, due to location of the left side of the cab box in an indented position inward of the radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body, the cab box is necessarily reduced in width, in other words, in spatial capacity between the right and left sides of the cab box.
Therefore, the dwelling space in the cab becomes narrowed down in the transverse direction to such a degree as to arouse oppressive feelings on the part of the operator, and degradations of the working environment and maneuverability of various operation control levers and pedals.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned problems with the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an operator's cab structure for construction machines, which is arranged particularly to minimize the extent of lateral projection of a cab door which is normally projected to an objectionable degree when opened, and to secure a broader dwelling space within the cab.
According to the present invention, there is provided an operator's cab structure for a construction machine which includes a cab box mounted on an upper rotary body which is rotatably mounted on a lower truck body, said cab box having enclosure sections on a front side, rear side, left side, right side and top or ceiling side thereof, and a door attached substantially to a center portion of the left side enclosure section and movable between a or front closed position and a rear open position.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the operator's cab structure according to the present invention is characterized in that the cab box includes: a left side enclosure section having a vertical center pillar erected substantially in an intermediate position between fore and rear ends thereof, a passage opening to be opened and closed by the door and defined on the front side of the center pillar by bordering edges of the center pillar, front side enclosure section and ceiling enclosure section, and a side wall portion provided on the rear side of said center pillar and circumvented by the center pillar, rear enclosure section and ceiling enclosure section; the side wall portion being located in a receded position inward of outer marginal edges of the ceiling enclosure section, and defining an open door accommodating space on the outer side thereof in cooperation with a lower side portion of the ceiling enclosure section and a rear side portion of the center pillar to accommodate the door when moved to the rear open position.
With the arrangements just described, when the cab door is opened, it is received in the open door accommodating space in such a way as to minimize the extent of lateral projection of the door. Therefore, this makes it possible to locate the left side enclosure section in an outer position on the upper rotary body of the machine, that is to say, to increase the width of the cab box so as to secure a broader dwelling space within the cab.
In this instance, preferably the passage opening and side wall portion of the left side enclosure section are arranged in a shallow V-shape and located on the front and rear sides of the center pillar which is located in a leftmost projected position at the apex of the V-shape.
With the arrangements just described, the left side enclosure section can be efficiently located within or inward of an arc which is drawn by a radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body, and the width of the cab box as a whole can be increased to provide a broader dwelling space within the cab.
Further, preferably the cab door is supported on the center pillar through hinges which are substantially embedded in sunken portions of the center pillar.
With the arrangements just described, the left side enclosure section of the cab box can be located closer to the radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body to increase the width of the cab box as a whole.
Further, preferably the open door accommodating space is located in a receded position by such a distance as to hold the cab door in the open position inward of a radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body as determined by dimensions of a counterweight provided on the upper rotary body.
With the arrangements just described, when the cab door is opened, it can be retained within the radius of rotational movements of the upper rotary body. Therefore, even if the cab door is left in the open position during rotation of the upper rotary body, there is no possibility of the opened door hitting against a surrounding structure or obstacle.
Further, preferably outer marginal edges of the ceiling enclosure section are formed in a pentagonal shape, and the
Saeki Fumimasa
Yamazaki Yoshiaki
Yunoue Masayuki
Dickson Paul N.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.
Mattingly, Stanger & Malur
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