Piping structure of a working machine

Details Piping structure of a working machine Piping structure of a working machine

2001-10-10

2002-06-25

Rivell, John (Department: 3753)

Fluid handling

Systems

With running joint between movable parts of system

C285S121600, C414S723000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06408875

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a piping structure of a working machine. More specifically, the invention relates to a piping structure of a working machine, in which a swivel joint that is a rotary joint for fluid is provided at a coupling portion where a pair of members of a working machine are swingably coupled together via a shaft.
BACKGROUND ART
Referring to
FIG. 7
, various working devices, such as a working device
52
equipped with a quick coupler
51
, is swingably attached to an end of an arm
50
of a hydraulic shovel which is a typical working machine, by using a shaft
54
. By a swing operation link
53
provided for the arm
50
, the working device
52
swings between a lower position shown by a solid line and an upper position shown by a two-dot chain line. The working device
52
is provided with a hydraulic cylinder
51
a
that is a fluid pressure actuator, and the hydraulic cylinder
51
a
and an arm
50
are coupled together through a hydraulic piping
56
. A flexible hydraulic hose
56
a
is used for the hydraulic piping
56
in the coupling portion so as to be able to follow the swinging working of the working device
52
, one end thereof being connected to a piping
56
b
fixed to the arm
50
and the other end thereof being connected to the hydraulic cylinder
51
a
of the working device
52
. The illustrated hydraulic cylinder
51
a
is of the double-acting type, and a total of two pipings
56
are provided, one on the head side H and the other one on the rod side R.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The piping structure of the conventional working machine of the above-mentioned construction, however, involves problems as described below.
That is, when the working device
52
swings at an end of the arm
50
, the hose
56
a
bends between a “stretched state (indicated by a solid line)” in which both ends thereof are separated away from each other and a “slackened state (indicated by a two-dot chain line)” in which both ends thereof are brought close to each other due to the swinging motion of the working device
52
. When bent, the hose
56
a
is liable to come in contact with the arm
50
or the working device
52
. In the “slackened state” in particular, the hose
56
a
hangs down between the arm
50
and the working device
52
or extends over a side portion of the arm
50
, often being caught between the arm
50
and the working device
52
or coming in contact with the surrounding obstacles. Consequently, the life of the hose is shortened or the hose is damaged.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned fact, and its technical assignment is to provide a piping structure of a working machine, which makes it possible to prevent the piping at a coupling portion where a pair of members are swingably coupled together via a shaft, from being damaged.
In the present invention, as a piping structure of a working machine to solve the above-mentioned technical assignment, there is provided a piping structure of a working machine, comprising a swivel joint which is a rotary joint for fluid and is disposed, on the outer side in the radial direction of a shaft of a coupling portion where a pair of members are swingably coupled together via said shaft, so as to swing on the axis of swinging motion as a center of rotation.
In the piping structure of the working machine according to the present invention, a swivel joint is provided at the coupling portion where the pair of members are swingably coupled together. Therefore, since the piping between the pair of members is arranged via the swivel joint, it does not need to use the flexible piping such as the hose.
In a preferred embodiment, the swivel joint comprises a cylindrical stator mounted on either one of said pair of members and a rotor rotatably fitted to the outer periphery of the stator.
The swivel joint is constituted by a stator and a rotor arranged on the outer side of the shaft that couples the pair of members.
According to a preferred embodiment, further, a cylindrical boss to which the stator is fitted is provided between the stator and the shaft, the boss being attached to either one of said pair of members.
The mounting of the swivel joint on the coupling portion is guided by the boss. Further, a thrust force acting on the pair of members in the axial direction is received by the boss, so that an excessive large force will not act on the swivel joint.
In a preferred embodiment, the pair of members are an arm equipped with the working machine and a working device swingably coupled to the arm.
The piping between the arm of the working machine and the working device coupled to the arm is prevented from being damaged.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2308137 (1943-01-01), White
patent: 3873133 (1975-03-01), Berg et al.
patent: 3908695 (1975-09-01), Dunbar
patent: 4108294 (1978-08-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 4252147 (1981-02-01), Gerber et al.
patent: 4683912 (1987-08-01), Dubrosky
patent: 4844124 (1989-07-01), Stich et al.
patent: 5065792 (1991-11-01), Ohta et al.
patent: 5104154 (1992-04-01), Shibano
patent: 6146082 (2000-11-01), York
patent: 9-32844 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 11-241361 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 11-255192 (1999-09-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan 11-255192A.
Patent Abstracts of Japan 11-241361A.
Patent Abstracts of Japan 9-32844.

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