Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-03
2001-03-27
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S204000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206457
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosures of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference:
Japanese Patent Application No. Heisei-9-334464, filed Dec. 4, 1997.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an operator's cab (or room) in a construction machine such as a hydraulic shovel.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 13
is a perspective view of an operator's cab frame constituting a structural support member of an operator's cab and
FIG. 14
is a cross section along line S—S in FIG.
13
. As illustrated in
FIGS. 13 and 14
, an operator's cab in the prior art is mainly constituted of a base plate
50
A provided as the bottom surface, a rear panel
51
as the rear surface, which are provided standing on the base plate
50
A, and side panels
51
A, each constituted of an outer panel
52
and an inner panel
53
as the left side surface or the right side surface, which are provided standing on the base plate
50
A, bonded with each other one on top of the other. To the left and right at the front end, the left and right at the center and the left and right at the rear end of the operator's seat, the outer panels
52
and inner panels
53
form hollow first pillars
54
A and
54
B, second pillars
55
A and
55
B and third pillars
56
A and
56
B respectively, extending in the vertical direction. A roof
57
is provided atop the pillars
54
A and
54
B through
56
A and
56
B. Various parts are provided as illustrated in
FIG. 15
in the rear of the inside of the operator's cab having such a frame structure. In
FIG. 15
, supports
59
are provided standing on the upper surface of the baseplate
50
B behind the operator's seat
58
, with a plate
60
provided across between the upper ends of the supports
59
. A storage tray
61
is mounted at the upper surface of the plate
60
and an air conditioning system
62
is mounted at the upper surface of the base plate
50
B below the plate
60
.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
As is well known, hydraulic shovels are widely used in drilling operations and the like performed on work sites where the ground is often uneven or inclined. During operation on a work site where the footing is poor, the machine body is frequently used in an inclined state and, consequently, the machine body may tip over. In recent years, assurance of safety in construction machines such as hydraulic shovels has been pursued with particular vigor, and it has become necessary to ensure that even if the machine body tips over and a tipping load is placed on the operator's cab, the operator's cab frame does not become greatly deformed from the viewpoint of assuring protection of the worker inside the operator's cab. Thus, an improvement in the strength of the operator's cab against a tipping load is eagerly sought.
However, with the operator's cab in the prior art described above, which is not designed by taking into consideration the possibility of it coming under an excessive tipping load, a sufficient degree of strength cannot be assured for the operator's cab. An improvement in the strength of the operator's cab may be achieved by inserting reinforcement members inside the pillars constituting the operator's cab frame to improve the strength of the pillar portions as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1997-25648, for instance. However, pillar portions structured in this manner require an increase in the number of parts and also lead to a more complicated manufacturing process, which, in turn, results in a great increase in the production cost.
An object of the present invention is to provide an operator's cab in a construction machine whose strength can be effectively improved in a simple structure.
In order to attain this object, an operator's cab in a construction machine according to the present invention, which has pillars standing at a left side surface and a right side surface, comprises a frame reinforcement member that extends between the pillars and meets at a near right angle to the pillars so as to create a resistance against a bending load applied to the pillars. By this means, a reinforced structure can be achieved with ease even in an existing operator's cab to achieve an improvement in the strength of the operator's cab against a tipping load.
Preferably, the above operator's cab in a construction machine further comprises: a rear panel standing at a rear side of an operator's seat; and a base plate located at a bottom portion of the operator's seat. And, at least either a front end portion of the frame reinforcement member and the base plate or a rear end portion of the frame reinforcement member and the rear panel are bonded with each other. By this means, the frame reinforcement member constitutes a closed-off space together with the side panels, the base plate and the rear panel, which, in turn, contributes to a further improvement in the strength of the operator's cab.
Also, preferably, the frame reinforcement member is constituted of a plate member. By this means, a higher degree of freedom is afforded in design compared to design that employs commercially available steel pipe or steel bar and an optimal shape for strength can be achieved.
Also, preferably, the frame reinforcement member is constituted of a resin material having a high degree of rigidity. By this means, the reinforcement member may be formed in a complicated shape, e.g., a reinforcement plate having a tray, to reduce the number of parts required.
Another operator's cab in a construction machine according to the present invention, which has at least side panels standing in a back and forth direction at left and right side surfaces of an operator's seat, comprises a frame reinforcement member that extends between the side panels and meets at a near right angle to the side panels so as to create a resistance against a bending load applied to the side panels. By this means, a reinforced structure can be achieved with ease even in an existing operator's cab to achieve an improvement in the strength of the operator's cab against a tipping load, as explained above.
Preferably, in the above operator's cab in a construction machine, the side panels are each constituted of a pair of a side outer panel and a side inner panel bonded parallel to each other to form a hollow portion in between; a strut-shaped hollow pillar is formed at, at least, one location of the hollow portion; and the frame reinforcement member extends between hollow pillars left and right of the operator's seat. By this means, the frame reinforcement member is supported at locations where the degree of rigidity is higher. Furthermore, preferably, a pillar reinforcement member is provided in the hollow pillar to increase a modulus of section of the hollow pillar. By this means, the rigidity of the hollow portions is further improved.
Also, preferably, a rear panel standing at a rear side of the operator's seat and a base plate located at a bottom portion of the operator's seat are provided, and at least either a front end portion of the frame reinforcement member and the base plate or a rear end portion of the frame reinforcement member and the rear panel are bonded with each other.
Also, preferably, the frame reinforcement member is constituted of plate member or a resin material having a high degree of rigidity.
Also, preferably, the side panels are each constituted of a pair of a side outer panel and a side inner panel bonded parallel to each other to form a hollow portion in between, and the operator's cab in a construction machine comprises a hollow portion reinforcement member that extends vertically in the hollow portion so as to increase a modulus of section of the hollow portion in a horizontal direction. By this means, the location of the hollow portion reinforcement is not limited to the location of a pillar portion, and accordingly a higher degree of freedom is afforded in design.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3423122 (1
Hirata Toichi
Sakyo Tsuyoshi
Sonoda Jun
Tamura Kazuhisa
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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