Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-23
2002-12-17
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494526
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a console box in which an instrument panel is placed, in a construction vehicle such as a bulldozer or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional bulldozer is shipped from the factory on the basis of any one of a specification that a cab (hereinafter, refer to an operator cab) is not equipped as shown in
FIG. 3
(hereinafter, refer to an operator cab non-equipped specification) and a specification that the operator cab is equipped as shown in
FIG. 4
(hereinafter, refer to an operator cab equipped specification) in accordance with a desired specification from a customer side, however, an instrument panel in which a vehicle body measuring instrument, an engine start switch and the like are arranged has different mounting structures between both of the specifications.
That is, a construction vehicle
10
on the basis of the operator cab non-equipped specification shown in
FIG. 3
is structured such that an engine room
1
having an engine built-in is mounted in a front side of an upper portion of a vehicle body frame having a traveling body
2
such as a crawler belt or the like, and an operator seat
5
is attached onto a floor
4
mounted to the vehicle body frame at the rear of the engine room
1
. A console box
9
in which an instrument panel
6
is placed is attached to a partition wall
16
a
provided in a rear end portion of the engine room
1
. Further, in a construction vehicle
10
on the basis of the operator cab equipped specification shown in
FIG. 4
, an operator cab
7
is mounted on a floor
4
a
exclusively used for mounting the operator cab and a console box
9
a
with an instrument panel
6
a
for being mounted exclusively to the operator cab is mounted to a front surface wall
7
a
of the operator cab
7
, or a console oanel mounting table
8
in which an Instrument panel
6
b
is placed is put on the floor
4
a
exclusively used for mounting the operator cab. The other parts denoted by the other reference symbols than those mentioned above are the same as those in
FIG. 3
, and a description thereof will be omitted.
Further, as the other conventional embodiment in the case of the operator cab equipped specification, as shown in
FIG. 5
, there is a structure in which a substantially center portion of a front surface wall
7
a
of the operator cab is notched in a shape extending along a periphery of a surrounding wall
1
a
in the engine room
1
, and the operator cab
7
is put from the above so that a notched portion
7
b
is displaced along an outer peripheral surface of the engine room
1
, thereby being mounted to the floor
4
. In this case, the common console box
9
in which the instrument panel is placed is used between both of the specifications mentioned above.
However, in the mounting structure of the console box in accordance with the conventional art, the following problems are generated.
(1) In the first prior art, In the case of changing from the operator cab non-equipped specification to the operator cab equipped specification on the basis of the desire of the customer side after shipping the construction vehicle, or in the case of charging from the operator cab equipped specification to the operator cab non-equipped specification, it is necessary to take out the instrument panel
6
or
6
a
in accordance with one specification so as to replace by the instrument panel
6
a
or
6
in correspondence to the specification after being modified, a high cost of the parts is required and a long time for preparing the parts is required, so that there is a problem that a cost for this modification is increased.
(2) Further, in the first prior art, since the instrument panels
6
a
and
6
and the mounting structure thereof are different between the operator cab equipped specification and the operator cab non-equipped specification, it is impossible to commonly use the panel and the parts for mounting, and there is a problem that a manufacturing cost is increased.
(3) In the second prior art, a seal member such as a packing or the like is provided in a gap between the notch portion on the front surface wall
7
a
of the operator cab
7
and the outer peripheral surface of the engine room
1
, however, when a sealing performance thereof is not sufficient or is deteriorated, a sealing performance within the operator cab is reduced, so that there is a problem that an air conditioning performance performed by an air conditioner and a dust proof performance are reduced and an interior comfort is deteriorated due to an intrusion of sound or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventIon is made by taking the conventional problems mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a console box mounting structure which can use a common console box and parts for mounting the same between an operator cab equipped specification and an operator cab non-equipped specification.
In order to achieve the object mentioned above, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting structure of a console box with an instrument panel provided with an electrical measuring instrument and/or a start switch for a vehicle, wherein the console box mounting structure has a common structure with which the console box is selectively mounted to a partition wall sectioning an engine room and an operator seat in a vehicle without an operator cab, and a front surface wall of the operator cab provided in a vehicle with an operator cab.
Further, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting structure of a console box as recited in the first aspect, wherein said partition wall and the front surface wall of the vehicle have a through hole.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, since the console box commonly used between both of the specifications having the instrument panel placed can be mounted to a surface opposing to an operator seat in the partition wall of the engine room in the case of the specification provided with no operator cab, and to the front surface wall of the operator cab in the case of the specification equipped with the operator cab, it is possible to commonly use the console box and a manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, in the case that the specification is changed between the operator cab non-equipped specification and the operator cab equipped specification after being shipped from the factory, the parts have no waste since only the operator cab is prepared, and a replacing operation can be easily performed only by replacing the console box having the instrument panel placed between the partition wall and the front surface wall of the operator cab, so that it is possible to reduce a cost of changing the specification. Further, since it is not necessary that the notch portion for riding over the engine room is provided on the front surface wall of the operator cab as in the conventional art, it is easy to secure a sealing performance of the operator cab and it is possible to securely improve an interior comfort of the operator cab.
Further, since the through hole on the partition wall of the engine room and the through hole on the front surface wall of the operator cab are pierced at the position aligning with each other, whereby it is possible to mount by the same mounting means by using the same instrument panel without relation to the specifications with and without the operator cab and it is possible to arrange the wiring cable from the instrument panel via the common through hole on the partition wall of the engine chamber and the through hole on the front surface wall of the operator cab, it is possible to commonly use the parts such as the instrument panel, the mounting means and the like, so that it is possible to reduce a manufacturing cost, it is possible to improve an operability at a time of changing the specification and it is possible to reduce a changing cost.
REFERENCES:
pate
Uno Masataka
Uno Yuriko
Komatsu Ltd.
Pape Joseph D.
Uno Yuriko
Varndell & Varndell PLLC
LandOfFree
Console box mounting structure of vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Console box mounting structure of vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Console box mounting structure of vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2951004