Road construction machine with a sprayer

Abstract

The invention relates to a road construction machine (1) in the form of a road planer (2) or a supply vehicle (30) comprising an operating platform (9, 13) having a bottom surface as a footboard surface (12, 12') and further comprising a cooling system (K) for generating a mist from a coolant (16). The cooling system (K) comprises a tank (15) for accommodating the coolant and a spraying device (18) for atomizing the coolant into a mist. The cooling system (K) is configured for generating the mist in the area of the operating platform (9, 13); here, the spraying device (18) is arranged at a height of at least 1.7 m above the footboard surface (12, 12').

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a road construction machine, in the form of a road finisher or in the form of a supply vehicle for supplying a road finisher. BACKGROUND

[0002] When laying asphalt with a road finisher or a supply vehicle for a road finisher, the asphalt usually has a temperature of, for example, 160 to 180°C, in order to be able to be processed optimally. This results in the possibility that the operator on such a road construction machine is exposed to quite high temperatures during work. It is difficult to lay paving material also in the summer or in regions where the outside temperature is otherwise quite high. As long as the operator's station at the road construction machine is not arranged in a closed cabin, it is not possible to carry out temperature and humidity conditioning.

[0003] A road finisher with an atomization device for coolant is known from EP 3 276 081 B1. However, the known atomization device has no influence on the temperature in the surroundings of the operator's station. Rather, the coolant mist produced by the atomization device reaches at most a height of 1.5 m above the ground, and its purpose is to immediately engage aerosols in the asphalt fumes on the ground. In this way the operator can be protected from the rising aerosols. However, since EP 3 276 081 B1 is additionally concerned about influencing the operator's line of sight, the spreading of the mist above a height of 1.5 m above the ground is deliberately avoided. SUMMARY

[0004] It is an object of the invention to make the work of the operator on a road construction machine more comfortable.

[0005] This object is achieved by a road construction machine having the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to the invention, therefore, a cooling system is provided, which has a tank for accommodating coolant and a flushing device for atomizing the coolant into a mist. The cooling system is set up to produce the mist in the area of the operator's station, i.e. in the space in which the operator is usually located during operation of the road construction machine. This distinguishes the invention from the prior art, in which the mist is produced only as intensively as possible at the ground.

[0007] Furthermore, the invention provides that the spraying device is arranged at a height of at least 1.7 m above the deck surface. Since the deck surface is located on the road construction machine and thus of course above the plane of the ground, the spraying device is arranged higher relative to the plane of the ground depending on the type of operator's platform, for example at a height of 30 cm to 80 cm or even (in the case of a main operator's platform) at a height of between 1.5 m and 2.5 m. This has the effect that the mist is generated above the operator's platform and remains in the region of the operator's platform for a relatively long time. The mist cools the surroundings by evaporative cooling (adiabatic cooling). The term "cooling system" refers to this form of cooling and does not require active cooling of the coolant itself, even though this is conceivable in principle. Cooling the surroundings by means of evaporative cooling makes the work of the operator less strenuous and greatly improves the concentration of the operator, so that the operator does not tire so quickly, in particular on hot days or in hot regions. Furthermore, the invention also has the positive effect that the mist condenses dust and the like particulate matter. Thus, contrary to the concerns expressed in EP 3 276 081, the operator's line of sight is not impaired, but in fact even improved.

[0008] Preferably, the spraying device is arranged at a height of at least 1.9 m above the deck surface or even at a height of at least 2.1 m above the deck surface. Thereby, the mist reaches a greater spread without being diluted too much.

[0009] Preferably, the road construction machine does not have a closed cabin for the operator's platform. Otherwise, in the case of a closed cabin, it is more likely that an air conditioning device is used to reduce the temperature.

[0010] However, in the present invention, the operator's platform can completely have a roof supported by the support structure, wherein the spraying device is fitted at the roof or the support structure. This has the advantage that the spraying device is arranged above the head of the operator in any case and does not impair the operator's line of sight. Furthermore, the fitting of the spraying device is simplified by making full use of the support structure for the roof which is present anyway.

[0011] In a suitable variant of the invention, the cooling system can be modularly removed from the road construction machine or fitted at the road construction machine. This allows the cooling system to be used only when required, for example in summer months. In the remaining time, the cooling system is not consumed and the space occupied by the cooling system can be used for something else.

[0012] It is conceivable that the cooling system can be supplied with electrical energy by the power supply of the road construction machine, for example by a generator coupled to the motor of the road construction machine. This has the advantage that the cooling system does not need a self-contained energy supply.

[0013] The coolant can preferably be water, since it has a high heat capacity on the one hand and is not environmentally hazardous for the operator on the other hand.

[0014] In one refinement, the degree of atomization that can be achieved by the spraying device or the average droplet size of the mist produced by the spraying device can be adjusted. In this way, the operator can influence the cooling capacity.

[0015] It can be considered that, in one variant, the operating platform is an external console at the laying deck of the road paver configured as a road finisher. Here, the invention is particularly advantageous, since the operator has to work particularly close to the hot bitumen at the external console.

[0016] In this case, a special structural element, for example a vertical rod or a bracket, which supports the spraying device, can be arranged at the external console.

[0017] It can be expedient that the spraying device is arranged further forward than the center point of the operating platform in the direction of travel of the road paver. This ensures that the maximum concentration of the mist is in the area of the operator located at the operating platform, even if the movement of the road paver in operation is taken into account.

[0018] In one variant of the invention, the spraying device can have not only one but also a plurality of spraying nozzles in order to increase the space occupied by the mist. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] An advantageous embodiment of the invention is explained in detail below with the aid of the drawings. Specifically shown is:

[0020] Figure 1 A side view of a road paver according to the invention in the form of a road finisher is shown, and

[0021] Figure 2 An embodiment of the invention in the form of a supply vehicle is shown.

[0022] The same components are always denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Figure 1 A road paver 1 according to the invention is shown, which is in the form of a road finisher 2 for laying paving material. In general, the road finisher 2 has a hopper 3 for accommodating laying material, for example hot bitumen, a motor 4, for example an internal combustion engine, for operating in particular a travel mechanism 5, an electrical generator 6 driven by the motor 4, and a tractor 7 which drags a laying deck 8. A main operating platform 9 for the road finisher is located on the tractor 7. The main operating platform 9 is topped by a canopy 10, which is supported by a support structure 11. The main operating platform 9 has a standing surface 12, on which the operator can stand.

[0024] At the laying plate 8 there is a further operating station, the so-called outer console 13. This has operating elements 14 and a self-contained standing area 12' on which the operator can stand.

[0025] According to the application, the road finisher 2 also has a cooling system K. The cooling system comprises a tank 15 for accommodating a coolant 16, which can be water for example. In order to operate a pump and / or a cooling device, the cooling system K can be supplied with electrical energy from the generator 6. The cooling system K can be firmly installed at the road finisher 2 or can be removed or fitted to the road finisher 1 in a modular fashion.

[0026] The cooling system K has, in addition to the tank 15, a line 17 which leads the coolant from the tank to one or more spray devices 18. The spray devices 18 serve to atomize the coolant 16 into a fine mist. To this end, the spray devices 18 can have one or more nozzles which atomize the coolant 16 into droplets. Furthermore, the cooling system K can have a pump (not shown) by means of which the coolant 16 is conveyed from the tank 15 to the spray devices 18.

[0027] In the embodiment shown, a first spray device 18 is fitted at the roof 10 of the road finisher 1; it is located here at a height of more than 1.9 m, even more than 2.1 m, above the floor or standing area 12 of the main operating station 9. The standing area 12 itself is already located at a height of between 1.5 m and 2.3 m above the ground U on which the road finisher 1 stands. In the usual direction of travel F of the road finisher 1, the spray device 18 at the main operating station 9 is arranged further forward than the center point M of the main operating station 9. The line 17 can be fixed at the support structure 11 and the roof 10 by suitable fastening means.

[0028] At the outer console 13 there is provided a self-contained structural element 19 for supporting a spray device 18, wherein the structural element 19 can be fixed at the laying plate 8. The floor or standing area 12' of the outer operating station 13 itself is already located at a height of, for example, 30 cm to 50 cm above the ground U.

[0029] Figure 2 A second embodiment of a road finisher in the form of a supply vehicle 30 is shown in perspective view, by means of which the road finisher 2 can be supplied with asphalt. The supply vehicle 30 has a main operating station 9 which is similar to the operating station 9 of the road finisher 2 shown. Figure 1 The tank 15 of the cooling system K and the spray nozzles 18' as spray devices 18 which are fixed at the roof 10, and the standing area 12 of the operating station 9 are shown only schematically in Figure 2 . Furthermore, the features of the cooling system 2 in the supply vehicle can correspond to the features of the cooling system K set forth according to Figure 1 .

Claims

1. Road construction machine (1) in the form of a finisher (2) for laying paving material or in the form of a supply vehicle (30) for supplying laying material to the finisher (2), wherein the road construction machine (1) has an operating platform (9, 13) with a floor (12, 12') as a standing surface for an operator, wherein The road construction machine (1) does not have an enclosed cabin for the operator station; it also has a cooling system (K) for generating a mist from a coolant (16), wherein the cooling system (K) comprises a tank (15) for containing the coolant and a spraying device (18) for atomizing the coolant into a mist, characterized in that the cooling system (K) is configured to generate a mist in the area of the operator station (9, 13), wherein the area of the operator station (9, 13) is the space in which the operator is usually located during operation of the road construction machine, wherein the mist remains in the area of the operator station (9, 13), wherein the spraying device (18) is arranged at a height of at least 1.7 m above the footboard surface (12, 12').

2. The road construction machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The spraying device (18) is arranged at a height of at least 1.9 m above the footboard surface (12, 12').

3. The road building machine of claim 1, wherein The spraying device (18) is arranged at a height of at least 2.1 m above the footboard surface (12, 12').

4. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, The operator station (9, 13) has a roof (10) which is supported by a support structure (11), wherein the spraying device (18) is fitted at the roof (10) or the support structure (11).

5. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, The cooling system (K) can be removed from the road construction machine (1) or fitted at the road construction machine (1) in a modular manner.

6. The road construction machine according to claim 5, characterized in that The cooling system (K) can be supplied with electrical energy by the power supply of the road construction machine (1).

7. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by The coolant (16) comprises water.

8. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by The degree of atomization or the average droplet size of the mist which can be achieved by the spraying device (18) can be adjusted.

9. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The operator station (9) is an external console (13) at a paving plate of a road construction machine (1) which is configured as a road planer (2).

10. The road construction machine of claim 9, wherein A structural element (19) which supports the spraying device (18) is arranged at the external console (13).

11. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by The spraying device (18) is arranged further forward than a center point (M) of the operator station (9, 13) in the direction of travel of the road construction machine (1).

12. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by The spraying device (18) is arranged further forward than the operator station (9, 13) in the direction of travel of the road construction machine (1).

13. The road construction machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by The spraying device (18) has a plurality of spraying nozzles (18'). The spraying device (18) has a plurality of spraying nozzles (18').

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