Self-propelled ground compactor

Abstract

A self-propelled ground compacting machine comprising a front vehicle and a rear vehicle, the rear vehicle being pivotably connected to the front vehicle for steering the ground compacting machine, the rear vehicle following the front vehicle in a longitudinal direction of the ground compacting machine, a drive assembly and a cooling system being provided on the front vehicle, the cooling system comprising at least one cooler and a cooling air blower, a medium to be cooled and cooling air being flowable through the cooler, the at least one cooler being arranged on a rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle such that cooling air flowing through the at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle is discharged from the at least one cooler in a direction towards the rear vehicle, at least one cooling air receiving opening being provided on a front side of the rear vehicle facing the front vehicle for receiving cooling air to be discharged in a direction of the rear vehicle, at least one cooling air discharge opening being provided on a rear side of the rear vehicle substantially facing away from the front vehicle for discharging cooling air received at the at least one cooling air receiving opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a self-propelled ground compactor. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The HD+ series self-propelled ground compactor, sold by Hamm AG, is shown. This self-propelled ground compactor 10 is designed as a so-called two-drum roller and has a frame 12 with two system areas arranged sequentially in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor, and for the purposes of this invention, these two system areas are referred to as the front vehicle 14 and the rear vehicle 16. The front vehicle 14 and the rear vehicle 16 are pivotally connected to each other about a steering axis extending substantially in the height direction H of the ground compactor, such that the ground compactor 10 can be steered by pivoting the front vehicle 14 and the rear vehicle 16 relative to each other.

[0003] The control panel, generally indicated by reference numeral 18 in the attached diagram, is located on the front vehicle 14, providing a platform for the operator of the ground compactor. Figure 1 In the ground compactor 10 shown, the operating platform 18 is oriented such that when it moves forward in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor, i.e., in Figure 1 When moving to the left, the operator also faces that direction. This is the direction of movement of the ground compactor, which can be used, for example, during transport. To compact ground materials (e.g., asphalt), the ground compactor 10 typically moves back and forth in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor, such that... Figure 1 The direction of movement from center to right is generally referred to as backward travel. In principle, the control panel 18 can also be arranged on the frame 12 or the front carriage 14 to rotate 180°, so that... Figure 1 The direction of movement of the ground compactor to the right will be described as the forward direction of travel.

[0004] In this respect, it can be seen that the terms associated with the system areas of the frame 12, referred to as the front vehicle 14 and the rear vehicle 16, are primarily used to conceptually distinguish them from each other, but do not introduce any restrictions on the main direction of movement of this ground compactor 10 or, for example, the direction of movement during transport.

[0005] The front vehicle 14 can also be equipped with Figure 1The drive unit, not shown, typically includes a diesel internal combustion engine, and when the ground compactor 10 is designed as a hybrid engine, it may also include one or more electric motors. At least one of the two compactor rollers 20, 22 can be driven to rotate by such a drive unit. Other system areas, such as vibration generating mechanisms or hydraulic circuits, can be operated by the drive unit, through which energy can be transferred within the ground compactor 10.

[0006] To dissipate heat (especially heat generated in the area around the front vehicle 14 surrounding the drive unit), the ground compactor 10 may be included in... Figure 2 The cooling system 24 is partially shown. This cooling system 24 includes two cooler assemblies 26, 28, arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor and thus following each other in the transverse direction Q of the ground compactor. Each cooler assembly 26, 28 has at least one cooler 30, 32, 34 and an associated cooling air blower 36, 38. The cooler 30 of cooler assembly 26 can be, for example, a coolant cooler, by which the coolant (typically cooling water) circulating through the diesel internal combustion engine is cooled. The cooler 32 of cooler assembly 28 can be, for example, a booster air cooler (Ladeluft-Kühler), and the cooler 34 of cooler assembly 28 can be, for example, a hydraulic oil cooler, in which the hydraulic oil circulating in the hydraulic oil circuit is cooled.

[0007] Cooling air K, primarily received in the side regions 40 and 42 of the front vehicle 14 by cooling air blowers 36 and 38 associated with the two cooler assemblies 26 and 28, is drawn into the associated coolers 30, 32, and 34, and then discharged from the front vehicle 14 either longitudinally L of the ground compactor or laterally. To receive cooling air K upstream of the cooler assemblies 36 and 38, a cooling air inlet opening 46 can be formed, for example, in the area of ​​a stepped recess 44, through which the operator can access the operating platform 18. To discharge cooling air K downstream of the cooler assemblies 36 and 38, a slit-shaped cooling air outlet opening 48 is provided on the front vehicle 14. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a portion of the cooling air K discharged substantially in the direction of the rear vehicle 16 flows out from the cooling air discharge opening 48 and, after turning at the rear vehicle 16, also flows upward into the area of ​​the control panel 18. In particular, when the door or window of the control panel 18 is open, or when the control panel 18 is a substantially open control panel, this can result in relatively hot exhaust gases putting considerable stress on the operator. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a self-propelled ground compactor in which the pressure of the cooling air flowing through the ground compactor on the operator is reduced.

[0009] According to the invention, this objective is achieved by a self-propelled ground compactor comprising a front vehicle and a rear vehicle, wherein the rear vehicle is pivotally connected to the front vehicle and follows the front vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor in order to steer the ground compactor, wherein a drive unit and a cooling system are provided on the front vehicle, wherein the cooling system includes at least one cooler and a cooling air blower, through which the medium to be cooled and cooling air can flow, wherein at least one cooler is arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle, such that the cooling air flowing through the at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle is discharged from the at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle toward the rear vehicle, wherein at least one cooling air receiving opening is provided on the front side of the rear vehicle facing the front vehicle for receiving the cooling air to be discharged in the direction of the rear vehicle, and wherein at least one cooling air discharge opening is provided on the rear vehicle substantially opposite to the rear side of the front vehicle for discharging the cooling air received at the at least one cooling air receiving opening.

[0010] Because the heated cooling air discharged from the front vehicle in the self-propelled ground compactor constructed according to the invention is not forced to flow through the rear vehicle into the environment, but is instead received in at least one cooling air receiving opening formed on the rear vehicle and thus guided out of the area of ​​the front vehicle, excessive pressure on the operator caused by cooling air or exhaust gas flowing into the area of ​​the operating platform located at the ground compactor is largely avoided. This also helps to ensure that the cooling air flows through the rear vehicle in a direction from the front to the rear (i.e., substantially in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor), so that when the cooling air flows through the rear vehicle, no significant flow deflection occurs that would cause an increase in flow resistance, which could result in a portion of the cooling air flowing out from the front vehicle flowing laterally before entering at least one cooling air receiving opening.

[0011] To support the guided cooling airflow from the preceding vehicle in a defined manner toward the following vehicle, it is proposed that at least one cooler arranged on the rearward side of the preceding vehicle facing the following vehicle is positioned substantially at the center of the preceding vehicle in the transverse direction of the ground compactor, which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor. This central positioning also allows noise generated in the area of ​​the cooling system or its individual coolers to be suppressed by the laterally positioned system area.

[0012] The absorption of cooling airflow in the rear vehicle can be further supported by causing the cooling airflow passing through at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle to be discharged substantially in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor from at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle in the direction toward the rear vehicle.

[0013] A compact structure supporting the centralized delivery of cooling air to at least one cooling air receiving opening in the rear vehicle can be configured such that the cooling system includes multiple coolers through which cooling air can flow, and at least two coolers of the cooling system, configured to cool different media, are arranged sequentially in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle, such that cooling air flows sequentially through these coolers substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the ground compactor.

[0014] For example, in this case, in order to effectively cool different media, at least two coolers configured to cool different media may include: - A coolant cooler used to cool the coolant in drive units. or / and - An oil cooler used to cool the oil in the drive unit. or / and - A booster air cooler used to cool the booster air in the drive unit. or / and - A hydraulic oil cooler used to cool hydraulic oil. or / and - A fuel cooler used to cool the fuel in a drive unit.

[0015] To generate a cooling airflow, the cooling system may include a cooling air blower arranged in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor in sequence with at least one cooler on the rear side of the preceding vehicle facing the following vehicle, i.e., located upstream of at least one cooler arranged on the rear side of the preceding vehicle facing the following vehicle.

[0016] If a cooling air blower is positioned upstream of at least two coolers used to cool different media, and these coolers are arranged sequentially on the rear side of the vehicle facing the vehicle behind in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor, then the cooling airflow guided through multiple coolers can be generated by a single cooling air blower. This results in a cost-effective, compact design, and also lower acoustic load due to the smaller number of blowers used.

[0017] Liquid tanks (e.g., water tanks) can be mounted on the rear of the vehicle. In this case, it is preferably configured as follows: - The liquid tank at least partially defines at least one cooling air receiving opening in at least one direction (preferably in two directions) in the height direction of the ground compactor, which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor, and / or in at least one direction (preferably in two directions) in the transverse direction of the ground compactor. or / and - The liquid tank at least partially defines at least one cooling air discharge opening in at least one direction (preferably in both directions) in the height direction of the ground compactor and / or in the lateral direction of the ground compactor.

[0018] Therefore, the liquid tank also forms a component that supports the limited flow of cooling air into or through the rear of the vehicle. Thus, an additional housing component can be eliminated.

[0019] To achieve a defined flow guidance for the flow passing through the rear vehicle, a cooling air flow passage can be provided on the rear vehicle, leading from at least one cooling air receiving opening to at least one cooling air discharging opening, and the liquid tank can at least partially define the cooling air flow passage in at least one direction (preferably in both directions) in the height direction of the ground compactor and / or in at least one direction (preferably in both directions) in the lateral direction of the ground compactor.

[0020] Furthermore, the compactor roller can be rotatably arranged on the rear carriage about a roller rotation axis that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor. A roller guard is provided on the rear carriage, which extends about a portion of the outer periphery of the compactor roller in the circumferential direction about the roller rotation axis and defines a roller receiving space. The roller guard defines a cooling air flow channel in the direction toward the compactor roller.

[0021] In this regard, it should be noted that this type of compactor roller can be designed as a continuous roller in the direction of the roller rotation axis; designed as a split roller; or designed as multiple rubber wheels positioned sequentially in the direction of the roller rotation axis.

[0022] In order to receive cooling air in the foreground vehicle, the cooling air inlet opening can be set on the side edge area of ​​the foreground vehicle, which is oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor.

[0023] In addition, a control panel can be installed on the front vehicle, from which the operator can control or operate the ground compactor.

[0024] For a compact design, the operating platform can be positioned in the longitudinal direction of the ground compactor to at least partially overlap with at least one cooler located on the rear side of the front vehicle facing the rear vehicle.

[0025] At least a portion of the cooling air inlet opening may be located in the area of ​​the stepped recess leading to the control panel. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A side view of a self-propelled ground compactor known in the prior art is shown; Figure 2 It shows the location Figure 1 A top view of the area in front of the ground compactor, below the control panel of the ground compactor; Figure 3 A perspective view of a portion of the front-rear assembly of a ground compactor constructed according to the present invention is shown; Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional side view of the front-rear vehicle assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Refer to the following Figure 3 and Figure 4 Before describing in detail the structure of the ground compactor 10 according to the present invention, it should be noted that, in terms of its basic structure, the ground compactor 10 can, as Figure 1 The ground compactor 10 constructed according to the invention may also include a frame 12 having a front carriage 14 and a rear carriage 16, wherein a drive unit and an operating platform 18, as well as a compaction roller 20 that can be driven to rotate, may be disposed on the front carriage 14, while another compaction roller 22 may be disposed on the rear carriage 16, which may pivot relative to the front carriage 14 to steer the ground compactor 10.

[0028] Regarding the ground compactor 10 constructed according to the present invention, it should be emphasized that the terms "front vehicle" and "rear vehicle" or "front" and "rear" are used only to distinguish different system areas and different directions or orientations of the ground compactor 10, and do not represent a limitation on the direction of movement of this type of ground compactor 10, especially when performing the compaction process.

[0029] Figure 3 The area of ​​the front vehicle 14, substantially covered by the operating platform 18, is shown in its left-hand region. Step recesses 44 can be seen, which can be positioned on both sides 40, 42 of the ground compactor to allow the operator access to the operating platform 18 positioned above this area of ​​the front vehicle 14. Via... Figure 4 The pivoting mechanism 50 shown in the principle and in Figure 3 The piston / cylinder unit 52, the front vehicle 14 and the rear vehicle 16 shown can pivot relative to each other to steer the ground compactor 10 about a pivot axis that extends substantially in the height direction H of the ground compactor.

[0030] The basic system area of ​​the cooling system 24 of the ground compactor 10 is arranged on the end area 54 of the front vehicle 14 near the rear vehicle 16. Specifically, the cooling system 24 includes a cooler assembly 58 on the rear side 56 of the front vehicle 14 facing the rear vehicle 16. This cooler assembly 58 has multiple coolers 30, 32, and 34 that follow each other in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor, and cooling air K flows sequentially through these coolers 30, 32, and 34. In the cooler assembly 58, cooler 32, designed as a booster air cooler, cooler 34, designed as a hydraulic oil cooler, and cooler 30, designed as a coolant cooler, can be arranged upstream and adjacent to each other in the direction of cooling air flow. Coolers 30, 32, and 34, which follow each other in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor and are positioned substantially at the center of the front vehicle 14 in the transverse direction Q of the ground compactor, are located either upstream or downstream. At least one additional cooler, for example, a fuel cooler for cooling diesel fuel, may be provided if needed. An oil cooler for cooling the engine oil of the diesel internal combustion engine of the drive unit may also be provided in a cooler assembly 58, which consists of coolers arranged following each other in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor and thus through which cooling air K flows sequentially. Importantly, coolers for cooling more thermally relevant or more critical media are located further upstream in the cooling airflow than coolers for cooling less thermally critical media.

[0031] A single cooling air blower 60 is disposed upstream of the cooler assembly 58, which draws in cooling air K through a cooling air inlet opening 46 formed in the stepped groove 44 region, and then delivers it as compressed air through the sequentially arranged coolers 32, 34, and 30. Because only a single cooling air blower 60 is used, not only is installation space and cost saved, but the acoustic load generated during the operation of the ground compactor 10 due to the delivery of cooling air K is also reduced.

[0032] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As indicated by the flow arrows, the cooling air K discharged from the rear side 56 of the front vehicle 14, substantially along the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor, flows toward the cooling air receiving opening 64 formed in the rear vehicle 16. The size and position of the cooling air receiving opening 64 are designed such that it can receive substantially all of the cooling airflow from the front vehicle 14 or the cooler assembly 58, so that the heated cooling air K that has not substantially left the front vehicle 14 flows laterally across the rear vehicle 16.

[0033] A liquid tank 62 is mounted on the rear carriage 16 and is substantially U-shaped when viewed in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor. For example, the liquid tank 62 can contain water containing additives that can be sprayed onto the compactor rollers 20 mounted on the rear carriage 16 during compaction to prevent adhesion of the material to be compacted (particularly asphalt). Therefore, the liquid tank 62 is effective in both directions (i.e., in...) Figure 3 The cooling air inlet opening 64 on the rear vehicle 16 is defined upward in the height direction H and in the lateral direction Q of the ground compactor (right and left sides of the compactor). The cooling air inlet opening 64 can be defined downward in the height direction H of the ground compactor by the frame 66 of the rear vehicle 16.

[0034] Furthermore, a roller guard 70 is provided on the rear carriage 16, which partially surrounds the outer periphery of the compactor roller 22, thereby defining a roller receiving space 68 for the compactor roller 22. The roller guard 70 extends substantially along the entire length of the compactor roller 22. Figure 4 The drawing plane extends in the direction of the orthogonal roller rotation axis D and defines a cooling air flow passage 72, which, together with the U-shaped liquid tank 62, leads from the front side 74 of the rear vehicle 16 facing the front vehicle 14 and the cooling air receiving opening 64 located in this area to the cooling air discharge opening 78 located on the rear side 76 of the rear vehicle 16 away from the rear vehicle 14.

[0035] Therefore, the cooling air K flowing out from the rear side 56 of the front vehicle 14 in the direction of the front side 74 of the rear vehicle 16 enters the cooling air flow channel 72 in the area of ​​the cooling air receiving opening 64, flows substantially between the liquid tank 62 and the roller guard 70 in the direction toward the cooling air discharge opening 78 positioned on the rear side 76 of the rear vehicle 16, and leaves the rear vehicle 14 or the ground compactor 10 in the area above the compactor roller 22, and flows substantially in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor or in an upwardly inclined flow direction.

[0036] This flow guidance ensures that virtually all the cooling air K flowing through the front vehicle 14 also flows through the rear vehicle 16, thus exiting the ground compactor 10 at a certain distance from the operating platform 18, which can substantially completely overlap with the cooler assembly 58 in the longitudinal direction L of the ground compactor. Therefore, even when the ground compactor 10 moves in this manner, relatively hot cooling air K is prevented from reaching the area of ​​the operating platform 18, so that the rear vehicle 16 is the leading system area in the existing direction of movement, while the front vehicle 14 is the following system area.

Claims

1. A self-propelled ground compactor comprising a front vehicle (14) and a rear vehicle (16), the rear vehicle (16) being pivotally connected to the front vehicle (14) to cause the ground compactor (10) to turn, the rear vehicle (16) following the front vehicle (14) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor, wherein, A drive unit and a cooling system (24) are provided on the front vehicle (14), wherein the cooling system (24) includes at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) and a cooling air blower (60), through which the medium to be cooled and cooling air (K) can flow. At least one cooler (30, 32, 34) is arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16), such that the cooling air (K) flowing through the at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) is drawn from the front vehicle. At least one cooler (30, 32, 34) on the rear side (56) facing the rear vehicle (16) of (14) discharges in the direction toward the rear vehicle (16), wherein at least one cooling air receiving opening (64) is provided on the front side (74) of the rear vehicle (16) facing the front vehicle (14) for receiving cooling air (K) to be discharged in the direction toward the rear vehicle (16), and wherein at least one cooling air discharge opening (78) is provided on the rear side (76) of the rear vehicle (16) substantially away from the front vehicle (14) for discharging the cooling air (K) received at at least one cooling air receiving opening (64).

2. The ground compactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one cooler (30, 32, 34) arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) is substantially arranged at the center of the front vehicle (14) in the transverse direction (Q) of the ground compactor, which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor.

3. The ground compactor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Cooling air (K) flowing through at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) is discharged substantially in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor from at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) toward the rear vehicle (16).

4. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The cooling system (24) includes a plurality of coolers (30, 32, 34) through which the cooling air (K) can flow, and at least two coolers (30, 32, 34) of the cooling system (24) configured to cool different media are arranged sequentially on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor, such that the cooling air (K) flows sequentially through the coolers (30, 32, 34) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L) of the ground compactor.

5. The ground compactor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The at least two coolers (30, 32, 34) configured for cooling different media include: - A coolant cooler used to cool the coolant in drive units. or / and - An oil cooler used to cool the oil in the drive unit. or / and - A booster air cooler used to cool the booster air in the drive unit. or / and - A hydraulic oil cooler used to cool hydraulic oil. or / and - A fuel cooler used to cool the fuel in a drive unit.

6. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The cooling system (24) includes a cooling air blower (60) arranged in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor with at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16), i.e., upstream of at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) arranged on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16).

7. The ground compactor according to claim 4, as cited in claim 6, is characterized in that, The cooling air blower (60) is arranged upstream of at least two coolers (30, 32, 34) for cooling different media, and at least two coolers (30, 32, 34) are arranged sequentially on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor.

8. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, A liquid tank (62) is installed on the rear vehicle (16), and: - The liquid tank (62) defines at least one cooling air receiving opening (64) in at least one direction, preferably in both directions, in the height direction (H) of the ground compactor which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor and in at least one direction, in the transverse direction (Q) of the ground compactor. or / and - The liquid tank (62) defines at least one cooling air outlet (78) in at least one direction, preferably in both directions, in the height direction (H) and / or the lateral direction (Q) of the ground compactor.

9. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, A cooling air flow passage (72) is provided on the rear vehicle (16) leading from at least one cooling air receiving opening (64) to at least one cooling air discharge opening (78), and the liquid tank (62) at least partially defines the cooling air flow passage (72) in at least one direction in the height direction (H) of the ground compactor and / or in the lateral direction (Q) of the ground compactor, preferably in both directions.

10. The ground compactor according to claim 9, characterized in that, A compactor roller (22) is arranged on the rear vehicle (16), the compactor roller (22) being rotatable about a roller rotation axis (D) that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor. A roller guard (70) is provided on the rear vehicle (16), the roller guard (70) extending about the roller rotation axis (D) in the circumferential direction along a portion of the outer periphery of the compactor roller (22) and in the direction of the roller rotation axis (D) and defining a roller receiving space (68). The roller guard (70) also defines a cooling air flow channel (72) in the direction toward the compactor roller (22).

11. The ground compactor according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, Cooling air inlet openings (46) are provided on the side edge regions (40, 42) of the front vehicle (14), which are oriented substantially transversely to the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor.

12. The ground compactor according to claim 11, characterized in that, An operating console (18) is provided on the front vehicle (14).

13. The ground compactor according to claim 12, characterized in that, The operating platform (18) at least partially overlaps with at least one cooler (30, 32, 34) located on the rear side (56) of the front vehicle (14) facing the rear vehicle (16) in the longitudinal direction (L) of the ground compactor.

14. The ground compactor according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, At least a portion of the cooling air inlet opening (46) is disposed in the area of ​​the stepped groove (44) leading to the operating table (18).

Images