AGRICULTURAL WORK MACHINE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an agricultural working machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A vehicle with a tank for evaporated fuel arranged in the side wall of a fender is known from JP S63-162329 A.

[0003] An agricultural machine designed as a forage harvester is known from EP 1 518 453 B2. EP 1 518 453 B2 proposes a storage device for liquids or objects that can be integrated into the body of the agricultural machine in a space-saving manner. Such a storage device can, for example, be arranged on the underside of the forage harvester or integrated into existing structures, in particular body parts.

[0004] A disadvantage is that the existing structures offer little space for a storage device due to the numerous required working components, and placing a storage device externally on the forage harvester leads to an overall increase in the machine's size. For example, a reduced ground clearance of the forage harvester results from placing the storage device on the underside of the machine.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the invention to avoid the described disadvantages of the prior art and in particular to increase the storage space for a functional assembly on an agricultural machine without increasing the overall size of the machine.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0007] According to claim 1, an agricultural machine, in particular a forage harvester, is proposed, comprising an axle body with at least one ground engagement means arranged on the axle body, further comprising a wheel housing comprising a mudguard radially surrounding the ground engagement means section by section on the outside and a side wall, wherein a storage space with a functional assembly located therein is arranged on the side wall.

[0008] The invention has many advantages. Utilizing the available space in the wheel housing allows for additional storage space without increasing the overall size of the machine. Furthermore, a functional assembly located in the wheel housing is easily accessible for maintenance work when the ground-penetrating device is turned.

[0009] According to the invention, the functional assembly is designed as a urea pump. Arranging the urea pump in the wheel housing is particularly advantageous because relocating the urea pump from the installation space in the machine to the wheel housing frees up space in the machine for enlarging a fuel tank. Such a solution is significantly more cost-effective than arranging the tank structure in the wheel housing.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the fender can be designed, at least in part, as a urea tank. Due to its spatial proximity to the functional assembly, which is preferably designed as a urea pump, such a design is particularly advantageous. A further advantageous embodiment provides that the functional assembly is designed as a reservoir for storing a fluid.

[0011] Another advantageous embodiment provides that the axle body is designed as the rear axle of the working machine, with the rear axle being a steering axle. In this case, the functional assembly of a steered ground-penetrating device is easily accessible for any maintenance work, in particular without tools.

[0012] Preferably, the storage space can be at least partially enclosed by a cover. The storage space is thus limited by the cover. At the same time, the cover serves to protect the functional assembly. The cover can be designed as a projection on the side wall. Furthermore, the cover can comprise a substantially convex section extending axially upwards along the working machine and a section tapering upwards from an upper edge of the substantially convex section towards the side wall.

[0013] It is particularly preferred if a mounting plate is arranged on the side wall, wherein the cover is detachably attached to the mounting plate, preferably by means of a screw connection. Such a mounting plate is particularly advantageous for arranging the functional assembly. The detachable arrangement of the cover on the mounting plate is particularly advantageous for maintenance work on the functional assembly.

[0014] The main frame of the machine has a particularly stable design, making it especially advantageous to mount the mounting plate on the main frame. Preferably, the cover can be positioned above the axle body, so that a downward pivoting movement of the axle body is not restricted by the cover.

[0015] Preferably, the cover can be arranged outside an area that can be swept over by the ground-penetrating means during a steering operation, so that a maximum adjustable steering angle is only spatially limited by the side wall.

[0016] Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of further dependent claims and are described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in several figures. These show: Figure 1 a schematic representation of a forage harvester, Figure 2 a side view of a wheel housing of the forage harvester, Figure 3 a cross-section through the wheel housing of the forage harvester, Figure 4 a ground penetration device of the forage harvester in various positions in a schematic top view.

[0017] Fig. 1Figure 1 shows a schematic and exemplary representation of an agricultural machine 12 designed as a forage harvester 1. The front section of the forage harvester 1's body, below a driver's cab 2, is shown cut away to reveal internal components or working units of the forage harvester 1 that process the harvested crop. One of these components or working units is a so-called chopping drum assembly 3 with a chopping drum 5 rotating about a rotational axis 4 extending transversely to the vehicle.

[0018] A conveying device 6 for harvested material is located upstream of the chopping drum assembly 3. The conveying device 6 comprises several pairs of rollers 7, 8, each of which defines a gap and is driven in opposite directions to feed the harvested material conveyed through the gap to the chopping drum 5.

[0019] The conveying device 5 in turn carries a harvesting attachment 9 which can be exchanged to suit the crop being harvested.

[0020] In the chopping drum assembly 3, shredded crop material is fed to a post-accelerator 10, which gives the shredded crop material the necessary speed to pass through a discharge manifold 11 and be transferred into an accompanying vehicle (not shown).

[0021] Front soil penetration devices 15 are arranged on an axle body 14 designed as a front axle 13. Rear soil penetration devices 15 are arranged on opposite sides of the forage harvester 1 on an axle body 14 designed as a rear axle 16. The soil penetration devices 15 are designed as wheels. The rear axle 16 is designed as the steering axle of the working machine 12.

[0022] A ground-penetrating element 15, arranged on the rear axle 16, is located in a wheel housing 17. The wheel housing 17 comprises a fender 18 that radially surrounds the ground-penetrating element 15 in sections on its outer surface and a side wall 19. The side wall 19 is located behind the ground-penetrating element 15. The side wall 19 extends substantially horizontally in the vertical direction.

[0023] In Fig. 2 The wheel arch 17 is shown in more detail in a side view. A storage compartment 20 with a functional assembly 21 located in the storage compartment 20 is arranged on the side wall 19 of the wheel arch 17.

[0024] The storage compartment 20 is surrounded by a cover 22. The cover forms a projection 31 extending axially from the side wall 19 of the axle body 14. The projection 31, or the cover 22, is located above the axle body 14, which is designed as the rear axle 16. The cover 22 spatially defines the storage compartment 20.

[0025] The cover 22 consists of a substantially convex section 23. This substantially convex section 23 preferably comprises several planar sections. In the axial direction, the substantially convex section 23 extends in the vertical direction 25 of the forage harvester 1. The substantially convex section 23 is open at the top, with a section 26 tapering towards the side wall 19 arranged at the upper edge 24 of the substantially convex section 23.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through the wheel arch 17. The cover 22 is shown in the view according to Fig. 3The cover 22 is hidden, revealing a functional assembly 21 arranged in the storage space 20 formed by the cover 22. A mounting plate 27 is also visible. The mounting plate 27 is located on the side wall 19 of the wheel arch 17. The mounting plate 27 is designed and configured to hold the functional assembly 21 and the cover 22. The cover 22 is detachably attached to the mounting plate 27 by means of a screw connection. The mounting plate 27 includes a plurality of recesses 28 for the screw connection.

[0027] Here, and preferably, the side wall 19 is formed section by section by a main frame 29. The main frame 29 extends in the longitudinal direction of the working machine 12, with transverse struts 30 for supporting the front axle 13 and rear axle 16 being arranged on the main frame 29.

[0028] Fig. 4Figure 15 shows the ground penetration device 15 with the axle body 14 and the cover 22 in a top view. Furthermore, the following are shown in Figure 15: Fig. 4 Two extreme positions 32 of the ground intervention means 15 are shown, which represent the maximum adjustable steering angle.

[0029] The cover 22 is located outside of any area 33 that can be reached or swept over during a steering maneuver of the ground-penetrating element 15. Therefore, the maximum adjustable steering angle is spatially limited only by the side wall 19. The cover 22, which forms the storage space 20, and the functional assembly 21 located in this storage space 20 are arranged in an area 34 between the extreme positions 32 of the ground-penetrating element 15 and the side wall 19.

[0030] Functional assembly 21 is designed as one in Fig. 3The urea pump 35 is designed as shown. An arrangement of the urea pump 35 in the area 34 is particularly advantageous because, by relocating the urea pump 35 from the installation space in the working machine 12 into the wheel housing 17, the installation space freed up in the working machine 12 can be used to enlarge a fuel tank. Such a solution is significantly more cost-effective than arranging the tank structure in the wheel housing.

[0031] However, in an alternative embodiment, the functional assembly 21 can also be designed as a reservoir for storing a fluid, such as fuel or urea, which is not shown in detail here.

[0032] However, it is particularly advantageous if, due to the spatial proximity, the functional assembly 21 is designed as a urea pump 35 and at the same time, as in Fig. 2 As shown, a urea tank 36 is integrated into the fender 18. Reference symbol list:

[0033] 1 Forage harvester 34 Area 2 Driver's cab 35 Urea pump 3 Shredding drum assembly 36 Urea tank 4 axis of rotation 5 Shredding drum 6 Funding institution 7 Roller pair 8 Roller pair 9 Harvesting attachment 10 Post-accelerator 11 Ejection manifold 12 work machine 13 front axle 14 axle body 15 Soil treatment agents 16 rear axle 17 wheel arch 18 fender 19 side wall 20 Storage space 21 Functional assembly 22 cover 23 Convex section 24 edge 25 Upward direction 26 Tapering section 27 Mounting plate 28 recess 29 Main frame 30 Cross braces 31 projection 32 Extreme position 33 Area

Claims

1. Agricultural working machine (12), in particular a forage harvester (1), comprising - an axle body (14), with at least one ground-engaging means (15) arranged on the axle body (14), - a wheel box (17) comprising a fender (18), which partially surrounds the ground-engaging means (15) radially on the outside, and a side wall (19), wherein a storage space (20) with a functional assembly (21) located therein is arranged on the side wall (19), characterized in that the functional assembly (21) is designed as a urea pump (35).

2. Agricultural working machine (12) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the functional assembly (21) is designed as a reservoir for storing a fluid.

3. Agricultural working machine (12) according to either of Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the fender (18) is designed at least in part as a urea tank (36).

4. Agricultural working machine (12) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the axle body (14) is designed as a rear axle (16) of the working machine (12), wherein the rear axle (16) is a steering axle.

5. Agricultural working machine (12) according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the storage space (20) is surrounded at least in part by a cover (22).

6. Agricultural working machine (12) according to Claim 5, characterized in that the cover (22) forms a projection (31) on the side wall (19).

7. Agricultural working machine (12) according to either of Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the cover (22) has a substantially convex portion (23) which extends axially in the vertical direction (25) of the working machine (12) and which comprises a portion (26) tapering from an upper edge (24) of the substantially convex portion (23) in the vertical direction (25) towards the side wall (19).

8. Agricultural working machine (12) according to any one of Claims 5 to 7, characterized in that a mounting plate (27) is arranged on the side wall (19), wherein the cover (22) is arranged on the mounting plate (27) releasably, preferably by means of a screw connection.

9. Agricultural working machine (12) according to Claim 8, characterized in that the mounting plate (27) is arranged on a main frame (29) of the working machine (12).

10. Agricultural working machine (12) according to any one of Claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the cover (22) is arranged above the axle body (14).

11. Agricultural working machine (12) according to any one of Claims 5 to 10, characterized in that the cover (22) is arranged outside a surface (33) that can be swept over by the ground-engaging means (15) during a steering operation, so that preferably a maximum adjustable steering angle is spatially limited only by the side wall (19).