Work vehicle

JP2025006700A5Pending Publication Date: 2026-01-21KUBOTA CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023107666
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-30
Publication Date
2026-01-21

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing work vehicles with hydrogen tanks face challenges in protecting and maintaining the tanks from external shocks and temperature increases, while ensuring easy maintenance.

Method used

A tank case design for hydrogen tanks in work vehicles, comprising a lower, side, and upper plates with a hinge and opening/closing door, facilitating easy access and protection, and incorporating inclined plates to drain rainwater effectively.

Benefits of technology

Facilitates maintenance of hydrogen tanks by providing easy access and protecting them from external impacts and water ingress, while ensuring efficient drainage and detection of leaks.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To facilitate maintenance of a hydrogen tank in a work vehicle including a tank case for the hydrogen tank.SOLUTION: A work vehicle 10 comprises: a vehicle body 11; a driver's seat 15, a motor 31 and a fuel cell 24 that are mounted on the vehicle body 11; a cabin 16 that is disposed around the driver's seat 15; a pipe 22 and a hydrogen tank 13 that supply hydrogen to the fuel cell 24; and a tank case 211 that is disposed above the cabin 16 and houses the tank 13. The tank case 211 includes a lower plate 221 that covers the tank 13 from below, a front side plate 222, a rear side plate 223, a left side plate 224 and a right side plate 225 that cover the tank 13 from the side, and an upper plate 226 that covers the tank 13 from above, and an opening / closing door 213 which is supported through a hinge 217 at the right side plate 225 in an openable / closable manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a work vehicle equipped with an electric motor and a battery is known (see Patent Document 1). The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a battery disposed inside the bonnet. The work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a tractor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-060655 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, work vehicles that use a fuel cell module that generates electricity using hydrogen as fuel and drive an electric motor using the electricity to run have been considered. Such work vehicles are equipped with a hydrogen tank that stores hydrogen. There has been a demand for the development of a tank case that can adequately protect such a hydrogen tank from external impacts, temperature increases, and the like. Such a tank case is required to enable easy maintenance of the hydrogen tank housed inside.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to facilitate maintenance of a hydrogen tank in a work vehicle equipped with a tank case for a hydrogen tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The work vehicle of the present disclosure comprises a vehicle body, a driver's seat, an electric motor, and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body, a cabin arranged around the driver's seat, hydrogen piping and a hydrogen tank for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell module, and a tank case arranged above the cabin and housing the hydrogen tank, the tank case including a lower plate that covers the hydrogen tank from below, side plates that cover it from the sides, and an upper plate that covers it from above, and has an opening and closing door supported on the side plates via hinges so that it can be opened and closed. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, maintenance of a hydrogen tank can be facilitated in a work vehicle equipped with a tank case for a hydrogen tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing one embodiment of the work vehicle of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view showing one embodiment of the work vehicle of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing one embodiment of the work vehicle of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a left side view showing one embodiment of the work vehicle of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of the work vehicle of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of the work vehicle of the present disclosure in an exploded state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a left side view of the work vehicle with a portion removed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tank case. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the installation state of the tank case in the work vehicle. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tank and the tank case. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the tank case and the tank inside with the door open. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Overview of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Below, an overview of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. (1) A work vehicle disclosed herein comprises a vehicle body, a driver's seat, an electric motor, and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body, a cabin arranged around the driver's seat, a hydrogen piping and a hydrogen tank that supply hydrogen to the fuel cell module, and a tank case arranged above the cabin and housing the hydrogen tank. In the work vehicle disclosed herein, the tank case includes a lower plate that covers the hydrogen tank from below, side plates that cover it from the sides, and an upper plate that covers it from above, and has an opening and closing door supported by the side plates via hinges so as to be openable and closable.

[0010] According to a work vehicle having the above configuration, in a work vehicle equipped with a tank case that houses a hydrogen tank, maintenance of the hydrogen tank can be easily performed.

[0011] (2) In the work vehicle of the above aspect (1), it is preferable that the hydrogen tank has a valve that adjusts the amount of hydrogen that flows in and out, and that the opening and closing door is provided on the first side plate that faces the valve. With a work vehicle configured in this way, the first side plate of the tank case can be easily opened and closed. This allows easy maintenance of the valve located directly behind the first side plate. The hydrogen tank can be adequately protected while ensuring ease of maintenance of the hydrogen tank.

[0012] (3) In the work vehicle of the above aspect (2), it is preferable that the tank case has a second side plate parallel to the first side plate, and the opening and closing door is further provided on the second side plate. With a work vehicle of this configuration, the entire hydrogen tank can be easily maintained.

[0013] (4) In the work vehicle of any of the above (1) to (3), it is preferable that the upper plate of the tank case is inclined relative to the lower plate. With a work vehicle having such a configuration, rainwater that has splashed on the upper plate of the tank case can be quickly drained below the tank case.

[0014] (5) In the work vehicle of the embodiment (4), it is preferable that the tank case has a third side plate and a fourth side plate perpendicular to the first side plate and the second side plate, and the upper plate has a downward inclination toward at least one of the third side plate and the fourth side plate. A work vehicle configured in this way can drain rainwater that has fallen on the upper plate of the tank case in a direction where there is no opening and closing door. This ensures the maintainability of the hydrogen tank. Furthermore, a work vehicle configured in this way can suppress the intrusion of rainwater into the tank case.

[0015] <Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure> Hereinafter, the details of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that at least some of the embodiments described below may be combined in any combination.

[0016] [Overall configuration of the work vehicle] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a work vehicle according to the present disclosure. Fig. 2 to Fig. 7 are a front view, a rear view, a side view (left side view), a side view (right side view), a plan view, and a bottom view of the work vehicle shown in Fig. 1. The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment is a vehicle that can be used for agricultural work, and the work vehicle 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a tractor. The work vehicle is not limited to a tractor. For example, the work vehicle according to the present invention may be an agricultural machine, a construction machine, a utility vehicle, etc. other than a tractor.

[0017] The directions of the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure are defined below. The direction in which the work vehicle 10 moves forward is defined as front, the direction in which the work vehicle 10 moves backward is defined as rear, the left side when facing forward is defined as left, and the right side when facing forward is defined as right. The left-right direction perpendicular to the fore-aft direction is defined as the vehicle width direction. The direction perpendicular to both the fore-aft direction and the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) is defined as the up-down direction. The up-down direction is also called the height direction. In each figure, an orthogonal three-dimensional coordinate system is shown, with the forward direction indicated by arrow X1, the backward direction indicated by arrow X2, the left direction indicated by arrow Y1, the right direction indicated by arrow Y2, the up direction indicated by arrow Z1, and the down direction indicated by arrow Z2.

[0018] 1 has a vehicle body 11, a traveling device 12 that supports the vehicle body 11 so that it can travel, a driver's seat 15, a cabin 16, a tank unit 21 having a tank 13 that stores fuel, and a driving device 14 that is driven by the fuel stored in the tank 13. The fuel is hydrogen, and the tank 13 is a hydrogen tank that stores hydrogen gas. The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment is a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) that runs on electricity generated by a fuel cell (fuel cell module) 24 using hydrogen and oxygen.

[0019] The work vehicle 10 has a fuel cell 24, a battery unit 30, and an electric motor 31 as the drive device 14. The battery unit 30 has a battery 300 that stores the power generated by the fuel cell 24, and supplies the stored power to the motor 31. The work vehicle 10 has a piping (hydrogen piping) 22 for hydrogen gas, and a filling section 25 (see FIG. 3). The filling section 25 has a filling port (receptacle) 26 to which a filling nozzle of a hydrogen gas supply device (not shown) that is separate from the work vehicle 10 is connected. Hydrogen gas is supplied from the filling port 26 and supplied to the tank 13 through the piping 22 (rear piping 22r). The hydrogen gas in the tank 13 is supplied to the fuel cell 24 through the piping 22 (front piping 22f). The specific configurations of the filling section 25 and the piping 22 will be described later.

[0020] The work vehicle 10 (see FIG. 1) has a mounting frame 17 and a support structure 37. The mounting frame 17 is a frame for mounting the tank unit 21 (tank 13) on the vehicle body 11. The support structure 37 is a component for supporting the battery unit 30 on the vehicle body 11. The work vehicle 10 (see FIG. 7) has an exhaust path 35. The exhaust path 35 exhausts water or water vapor generated by the operation of the fuel cell 24 to the outside. The specific configurations of the mounting frame 17, the support structure 37, and the exhaust path 35 will be described later.

[0021] [Car Body 11] The vehicle body 11 has a chassis 41, a bonnet 34, a cover 111, and a fender 47 that covers a rear wheel 122 from above. The chassis 41 supports the traveling device 12, the drive device 14, and the cabin 16. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the work vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1. The chassis 41 is located at the center in the vehicle width direction and has a shape that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction. The chassis 41 has a front frame 32 that forms the front part of the chassis 41, and a gear case 33 that forms the rear part of the chassis 41. The front frame 32 is formed by combining metal frame materials and the like. The gear case 33 is formed by having a metal box body. The gear case 33 is connected to the rear part of the front frame 32, and the gear case 33 and the front frame 32 form the framework of the vehicle body 11.

[0022] The front frame 32 mounts the motor 31. The gear case 33 has therein a power transmission mechanism 333 such as a transmission, a clutch, a differential gear, etc. The power transmission mechanism 333 reduces or increases the speed of rotation of the output shaft of the motor 31 and outputs it to the traveling device 12 (one or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122).

[0023] The power transmission mechanism 333 outputs a portion of the power of the motor 31 to a PTO shaft 334 (see FIG. 3). The PTO shaft 334 is an output shaft provided at the rear of the gear case 33. The work vehicle 10 has a coupling device 43 for coupling another device to the rear of the vehicle body 11. The PTO shaft 334 transmits the power of the motor 31 to the other device coupled to the coupling device 43. The other device is a working device (not shown), also called an implement. The working device is operated by the power of the motor 31. The working device is, for example, a tiller.

[0024] 9 is a left side view of the work vehicle 10 with the bonnet 34, cover 111, and part of the tank case 211 of the tank unit 21 removed. Starting from the front of the vehicle, a first radiator 48, a fuel cell 24, and a second radiator 49 are mounted on the chassis 41 in this order. 4 and 9, the bonnet 34 and the cover 111 cover mounted components located near the front of the vehicle body 11. The bonnet 34 covers the fuel cell 24 and the first radiator 48 from above and on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The cover 111 covers the second radiator 49 located behind the fuel cell 24 from above and on both sides in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] An upper surface 48a of the first radiator 48 is lower than an upper surface 24a of the fuel cell 24. The upper surface 24a of the fuel cell 24 is lower than an upper surface 49a of the second radiator 49. The top surface 111a of the cover 111 is higher than the top surface 34a of the bonnet 34, but lower than the top end of the steering wheel 151 that is operated for steering by an operator sitting in the driver's seat 15. The top surface 34a of the bonnet 34 becomes lower toward the front. For this reason, the view of the operator sitting in the driver's seat 15 is less likely to be obstructed.

[0026] [Driver's seat 15 and cabin 16] The driver's seat 15 and the cabin 16 are provided on the chassis 41 at a rearward position (see FIG. 1). The cabin 16 has the driver's seat 15 therein. The cabin 16 has front pillars 162 located in front of the driver's seat 15, rear pillars 163 located behind the driver's seat 15, and a roof 164 located above the driver's seat 15. The front pillars 162 are provided on the left front and right front of the driver's seat 15. The rear pillars 163 are provided on the left rear and right rear of the driver's seat 15. The roof 164 is supported by the front pillars 162 and the rear pillars 163.

[0027] The cabin 16 has a windshield 165 located in front of the driver's seat 15. The windshield 165 is provided between the left and right front pillars 162. The cabin 16 has openable and closable doors 166 on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The doors 166 are provided between the front pillars 162 and the rear pillars 163.

[0028] A step 167 (see FIG. 5) is provided on one side (left side) of the cabin 16 in the vehicle body width direction. The step 167 is a member on which an operator who gets on and off the cabin 16 places his or her feet. A cover 111 and a bonnet 34 are provided in front of the cabin 16. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, the dimensions of the cover 111 and the bonnet 34 in the vehicle width direction are each smaller than the dimension of the cabin 16 in the vehicle width direction. The dimension of the bonnet 34 in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the dimension of the cover 111 in the vehicle width direction.

[0029] The work vehicle 10 of this embodiment has a cabin 16, but may not have the cabin 16. The work vehicle 10 may have a canopy or ropes instead of the cabin 16. When the work vehicle 10 does not have the cabin 16, the tank unit 21 is supported by the mounting frame 17 and positioned above the driver's seat 15.

[0030] [Running device 12] The traveling gear 12 has front wheels 121 and rear wheels 122 (see FIG. 6). The front wheels 121 are provided on the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle body 11. The rear wheels 122 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear part of the vehicle body 11. The maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right rear wheels 122 is greater than the maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right front wheels 121. The maximum dimension in the vehicle width direction of the left and right rear wheels 122 becomes the maximum vehicle width dimension of the work vehicle 10. One or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122 rotate by the power of the motor 31. One or both of the front wheels 121 and the rear wheels 122 (drive wheels) that rotate by the power of the motor 31 may be crawlers (crawlers).

[0031] [Drive unit 14] As described above, the drive device 14 is configured to include the fuel cell 24, the battery unit 30, and the motor 31. The fuel cell 24 is located on the chassis 41 near the front of the vehicle body 11 (see FIG. 9). The motor 31 is located behind the fuel cell 24 (see FIG. 8). The battery unit 30 is located near the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 11 (see FIG. 1). The battery unit 30 is attached to the chassis 41 by a support structure 37.

[0032] The fuel cell 24 generates electricity from hydrogen gas to obtain the power to rotate the motor 31. The fuel cell 24 (see FIG. 9 ) has a battery casing 241 in a substantially rectangular box shape and a fuel cell stack 242 provided inside the battery casing 241. The fuel cell stack 242 has a plurality of battery cells. The battery cell has a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The plurality of unit cells are stacked. The power generated by each of the battery cells is collected and output to the battery unit 30.

[0033] The motor 31 has a rotating rotor and a stator having a plurality of coils. The output shaft of the motor 31 is connected to a power transmission mechanism 333 in a gear case 33 (see FIG. 8). The motor 31 is located behind the fuel cell 24 and below the second radiator 49.

[0034] [Tank Unit 21] The tank unit 21 (see FIG. 9 ) has a tank 13 and a tank case 211 that houses the tank 13. The tank 13 is a substantially cylindrical high-pressure container. The tank 13 is made of fiber-reinforced resin reinforced with carbon fiber or glass fiber, or the like. In the case of this embodiment, three tanks 13 are fixed to the tank case 211 with the axial direction of their cylindrical portions parallel to the vehicle width direction. The number of tanks 13 is not limited to three.

[0035] The tank case 211 is a box capable of housing one or more tanks 13. The tank case 211 has a box shape that covers the entire tank 13 that it houses. The tank case 211 has an opening / closing door 213 (see FIG. 1) on one or both sides in the vehicle width direction, and opens in the vehicle width direction. The tank case 211 is installed above the roof 164 with a gap between it and the roof 164 in the vertical direction. The tank case 211 is fixed to an upper frame portion 171 of the mounting frame 17. The tank case 211 is made of metal such as aluminum or steel, and protects the tank 13 from external thermal and physical influences.

[0036] The tank 13 is disposed above the cabin 16 (driver's seat 15). This allows for a high degree of freedom in the arrangement of the fuel cell 24, filling section 25, motor 31, and battery unit 30 in the vehicle body 11. When a work vehicle with a conventional internal combustion engine is modified to a work vehicle 10 having the fuel cell 24 and motor 31 as in this embodiment, there is no need to significantly change the arrangement of the various devices.

[0037] The tank 13 is connected to the rear pipe 22r and the front pipe 22f via the valve unit 212 (see FIG. 9). The rear pipe 22r (see FIG. 3) is a gas inlet pipe that connects the hydrogen gas filling port 26 and the valve unit 212, and guides the hydrogen gas introduced into the filling port 26 to the tank 13. The front pipe 22f (see FIG. 2) is a gas outlet pipe that connects the fuel cell 24 and the valve unit 212, and guides the hydrogen gas stored in the tank 13 to the fuel cell 24. The tank 13 stores the hydrogen gas introduced into the filling port 26 from outside the vehicle and supplies it to the fuel cell 24. The valve unit 212 has an on-off valve, a pressure reducing valve, etc., and adjusts the hydrogen gas stored in the tank 13 to a predetermined flow rate and guides it to the fuel cell 24 through the front pipe 22f.

[0038] [Mounting Frame 17] The mounting frame 17 (see FIG. 1) is a frame structure for mounting the tank 13 on the vehicle body 11. The mounting frame 17 in this embodiment has an upper frame portion 171 that supports the tank 13, and a first front frame portion 172, a second front frame portion 175, and a rear frame portion 173 as frames for supporting the upper frame portion 171. A tank case 211 is attached to the upper frame portion 171. In other words, the upper frame portion 171 supports the tank 13 via the tank case 211. The specific configuration of the mounting frame 17 will be described later.

[0039] A filling section 25 is provided on the rear frame section 173 (see FIG. 3). The filling section 25 has a gas filling port 26 to which a gas filling nozzle of a hydrogen gas supply device (not shown) installed outside the vehicle is connected when filling the tank 13 with hydrogen gas.

[0040] [Radiator] The work vehicle 10 (see Figs. 4 and 5) has a cooling system that cools the fuel cell 24, motor 31, boost circuit 80, inverter 81, DC / DC converters 82, 83, etc. with a coolant. As part of the cooling system, the work vehicle 10 has a first radiator 48 and a second radiator 49. As shown in Fig. 9, the first radiator 48 is located in front of the fuel cell 24, and the second radiator 49 is located behind the fuel cell 24.

[0041] The first radiator is a radiator for cooling devices other than the fuel cell 24. The second radiator 49 is a radiator for cooling the fuel cell 24. The first radiator 48 is connected, via a first cooling flow path (not shown) having a circulation pump, to electrical equipment (heat-generating components) that require cooling, such as the motor 31, the boost circuit 80, the inverter 81, and the DC / DC converters 82, 83. The first radiator 48 cools the coolant supplied through the first cooling flow path by heat exchange with the outside air. The second radiator 49 is connected to the fuel cell 24 via a second cooling passage (not shown) having a circulation pump. The second radiator 49 cools the coolant supplied through the second cooling passage by heat exchange with the outside air.

[0042] The first radiator 48 has a first fan 481. The second radiator 49 has a second fan 491. The first fan 481 and the second fan 491 rotate to pass air through the first radiator 48 and the second radiator 49, thereby promoting heat exchange with the coolant.

[0043] [Battery unit 30] The battery unit 30 accumulates power to be supplied to the motor 31. The battery unit 30 (see FIG. 9) has a battery (battery pack) 300 and a housing 307 that houses the battery 300. The battery 300 temporarily accumulates power generated by the fuel cell 24 and outputs the accumulated power to electrical devices such as the motor 31. The battery 300 is composed of multiple battery cells. The battery 300 is a charge-discharge type secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a lead storage battery.

[0044] [Electrical system] The work vehicle 10 has a junction box 75. The junction box 75 is an electric connection box for relaying and connecting the electric power output from the battery unit 30 and distributing the electric power. The fuel cell 24 is connected to an inverter 81 (see FIG. 5) via a boost circuit. The battery unit 30 is connected to the inverter 81 through a junction box 75. The inverter 81 is electrically connected to the motor 31. The inverter 81 converts the DC power output from the boost circuit into three-phase AC power and outputs it to the motor 31.

[0045] The work vehicle 10 has low-voltage electrical equipment that operates at a lower voltage than the motor 31. Electric power stepped down by a step-down circuit is supplied to the low-voltage electrical equipment through a junction box 75. In the work vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the low-voltage electrical equipment is the battery unit 30, radiators 48, 49, and air conditioning device 74. The work vehicle 10 has a first DC / DC converter 82 and a second DC / DC converter 83 as the step-down circuit.

[0046] [About the tank case] FIG. 10 is a perspective schematic diagram showing a tank case. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the installation state of the tank case in the work vehicle. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the tank and the tank case. As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure is equipped with a tank case 211. The tank case 211 is a box body having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a lower plate 221, a front plate 222, a rear plate 223, a left plate 224, a right plate 225, and an upper plate 226. The upper plate 226 includes a front upper plate 226a and a rear upper plate 226b. The front upper plate 226a has a downward inclination toward the front side (X1 side). The rear upper plate 226b has a downward inclination toward the rear side (X2 side). The tank case 211 is highest at a connection position 226c between the front upper plate 226a and the rear upper plate 226b. Therefore, if hydrogen leaks from inside the tank case 211, the hydrogen will naturally be collected below the connection position 226c.

[0047] As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the tank case 211 has a first ventilation hole 215 formed in the lower plate 221. Since the first ventilation hole 215 is opened downward, even if rain falls on the tank case 211, there is a low possibility that the rain will enter the tank case 211 through the first ventilation hole 215. The first ventilation hole 215 is provided with a cover 235 that suppresses the intrusion of insects and the like. In the tank case 211 of the present disclosure, the first ventilation hole 215 is formed in the front end portion of the lower plate 221, but the position where the first ventilation hole 215 is formed is not limited thereto, and may be formed in the rear end portion of the lower plate 221, or in both the front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower plate 221, for example.

[0048] In the tank case 211, rain that falls on the front upper plate 226a naturally flows down forward, and rain that falls on the rear upper plate 226b naturally flows down rearward. For this reason, in the tank case 211, rain is less likely to accumulate on the upper plate 226. Note that, in the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, the upper plate 226 of the tank case 211 is inclined in the front-to-rear direction, but the inclination direction of the upper plate 226 may also be in the left-to-right direction.

[0049] Tank case 211 has second ventilation openings 216 formed in the upper portions of left side plate 224 and right side plate 225. Left side plate 224 and right side plate 225 have their height dimensions maximized at the positions where they contact connection position 226c.

[0050] When the tank case 211 is taken as a reference with respect to the tank 13 contained within the tank case 211, a lower plate 221 is arranged below the tank 13, a front plate 222 is arranged in front of it, a rear plate 223 is arranged at the rear, a left side plate 224 is arranged on the left side, a right side plate 225 is arranged on the right side, and an upper plate 226 is arranged above it.

[0051] In the tank case 211, the first ventilation opening 215 is opened in the lower plate 221 at a position further below the tank 13 housed in the tank case 211. In the tank case 211 of this embodiment, the first ventilation opening 215 is formed in a total of two places, one near the left side plate 224 and the other near the right side plate 225, further forward than the tank 13 arranged at the foremost side.

[0052] In the tank case 211, the second ventilation opening 216 is opened in the left side plate 224 and the right side plate 225 at a position higher than the tank 13 housed in the tank case 211. The second ventilation opening 216 is opened at a position adjacent to a connection position 226c at the upper part of the left side plate 224 and the right side plate 225. The second ventilation opening 216 is provided with a cover 236 with a net for suppressing the intrusion of insects and the like. The tank case 211 further includes a plurality of through holes 214 in front of the lower plate 221 for passing the front pipe 22f and the wiring connected to the fuel cell 24. The tank case 211 further includes a through hole 219 in the lower right part of the rear side plate 223 for passing the rear pipe 22r.

[0053] In the tank case 211 configured as above, air flows in through the first ventilation opening 215, and after coming into contact with the tank 13, rises inside the tank case 211 by natural convection, and finally flows out to the outside through the second ventilation opening 216. This air flow not only ventilates the inside of the tank case 211, but also contributes to suppressing a rise in temperature of the tank 13.

[0054] If hydrogen leaks inside the tank case 211, the hydrogen naturally collected below the connection position 226c is efficiently discharged to the outside along the ventilation flow. Therefore, even if hydrogen leaks inside the tank case 211, the amount of hydrogen remaining inside can be kept small. In other words, the tank case 211 can quickly discharge hydrogen leaked inside the tank case 211 to the outside of the tank case 211 by air that naturally flows from the first ventilation port 215 to the second ventilation port 216.

[0055] The work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure further includes a hydrogen sensor 230 that detects leakage of hydrogen generated inside the tank case 211. The hydrogen sensor 230 is provided at a position adjacent to the second vent 216 inside the tank case 211. The hydrogen sensor 230 is preferably provided below the second vent 216 inside the tank case 211. When hydrogen leakage occurs inside the tank case 211, the leaked hydrogen rises inside the tank case 211 and is naturally collected below the connection position 226c, and then flows out from the second vent 216 to the outside of the tank case 211. The hydrogen sensor 230, which is provided at a position below the second vent 216 and adjacent to the second vent 216, can reliably detect hydrogen immediately before it flows out from the second vent 216 to the outside. Therefore, in the case where hydrogen leaks inside the tank case 211, the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure can reliably detect the leaked hydrogen by the hydrogen sensor 230. Note that, in the present embodiment, the case where the hydrogen sensor 230 is provided below and adjacent to the second vent 216 is illustrated, but the arrangement of the hydrogen sensor 230 relative to the second vent 216 is not limited thereto, and the hydrogen sensor 230 may be provided on the side adjacent to the second vent 216, or may be provided above and adjacent to the second vent 216. As shown in the present embodiment, when the tank case 211 has two second vents 216, it is preferable to provide two hydrogen sensors 230 corresponding to the respective second vents 216. Note that, in the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, the second vents 216 are provided on both the left and right sides of the tank case 211, but the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure may have only one second vent 216.

[0056] [Opening and closing door] As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, a part of the left side plate 224 and a part of the right side plate 225 of the tank case 211 are configured with the opening and closing door 213. The left opening and closing door 213 is supported by the left side plate 224 via a plurality of hinges 217 so as to be openable and closable. The right opening and closing door 213 is supported by the right side plate 225 via a plurality of hinges 217 so as to be openable and closable. Note that the entire left side plate 224 and the entire right side plate 225 of the tank case 211 may be configured with the opening and closing door 213. Also, a part of the front side plate 222 and a part of the rear side plate 223 of the tank case 211 may be configured with the opening and closing door 213. Note that in this embodiment, the opening direction of the opening and closing door 213 is the up-down direction, but the opening direction of the opening and closing door 213 may be the left-right direction.

[0057] The opening / closing door 213 is fixed (held in a closed state) with one touch to the left side plate 224 and the right side plate 225 by a plurality of fixing brackets 218, and can also be opened with one touch. The opening / closing door 213 of this embodiment is equipped with hinges 217 and fixing brackets 218, and can be opened and closed easily. In the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, the opening / closing door 213 may be bolted to the left side plate 224 and the right side plate 225 without using the hinges 217 and the fixing brackets 218. In this case, the opening / closing door 213 can be closed by fastening the bolts, and can be opened by removing the bolts.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 13, when the opening / closing door 213 that is part of the right side plate 225 of the tank case 211 is opened, the valve unit 212 appears in front of the user. Therefore, in the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, maintenance and inspection around the valve unit 212 can be easily performed by opening the right opening / closing door 213. Furthermore, in the tank case 211, the opening / closing door 213 that is part of the left side plate 224 can be opened. Therefore, in the work vehicle 10 of the present disclosure, by opening both the left and right opening / closing doors 213, the entire tank 13 can be checked, and maintenance and inspection of the piping 22 (front piping 22f and rear piping 22r) provided around the tank 13 can be easily performed.

[0059] [Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment] (1) The work vehicle 10 of the above embodiment comprises a vehicle body 11, a driver's seat 15, a motor 31, and a fuel cell 24 mounted on the vehicle body 11, a cabin 16 arranged around the driver's seat 15, piping 22 that supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell 24 and a hydrogen tank 13, and a tank case 211 arranged above the cabin 16 and housing the tank 13. In the work vehicle 10, the tank case 211 includes a lower plate 221 that covers the tank 13 from below, a front plate 222 that covers the tank 13 from the sides, a rear plate 223, a left plate 224, a right plate 225, and an upper plate 226 that covers the tank 13 from above, and has an opening / closing door 213 supported on the side plates via hinges 217 so as to be openable and closable.

[0060] According to the work vehicle 10 of the present embodiment, in a work vehicle 10 equipped with a tank case 211 that houses a tank 13 for hydrogen, maintenance of the tank 13 can be facilitated.

[0061] (2) In the work vehicle 10 of the above embodiment, the tank 13 has a valve unit 212 that adjusts the inflow and outflow of hydrogen. In the work vehicle 10, an opening and closing door 213 is provided on the right side plate 225 that faces the valve unit 212. With a work vehicle 10 configured in this way, the right side plate 225 of the tank case 211 can be easily opened and closed. This allows easy maintenance of the valve unit 212 located directly behind the right side plate 225. The tank 13 can be appropriately protected while ensuring ease of maintenance of the tank 13.

[0062] (3) In the work vehicle 10 of the above embodiment, the tank case 211 has a left side plate 224 parallel to the right side plate 225, and an opening / closing door 213 is further provided on the left side plate 224. According to the work vehicle 10 configured in this manner, maintenance of the entire tank 13 can be easily performed.

[0063] (4) In the work vehicle 10 of the above embodiment, the tank case 211 is disposed with the upper plate 226 (the front upper plate 226a and the rear upper plate 226b) inclined relative to the lower plate 221. According to a work vehicle 10 configured in this manner, rainwater that has splashed on the upper plate 226 of the tank case 211 can be quickly drained below the tank case 211.

[0064] (5) In the work vehicle 10 of the above embodiment, the tank case 211 has a front plate 222 and a rear plate 223 that are perpendicular to the right side plate 225 and the left side plate 224, and the upper plate 226 has a downward inclination toward at least one of the front plate 222 and the rear plate 223. The work vehicle 10 configured in this way can drain rainwater that has fallen on the upper plate 226 of the tank case 211 in a direction where there is no opening and closing door 213 (to the front and rear in this embodiment). This ensures the maintainability of the tank 13. Furthermore, the work vehicle 10 configured in this way can suppress the intrusion of rainwater into the tank case 211 through the opening and closing door 213.

[0065] The above-described embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above-described embodiment, and includes all modifications within the scope equivalent to the configurations described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Work vehicles 11 Body 13 Tank (hydrogen tank) 15 Driver's seat 16 Cabin 22 Piping (hydrogen piping) 24 Fuel Cell (Fuel Cell Module) 31 Motor (electric motor) 211 Tank case 212 Valve unit (valve) 213 Opening and closing door 217 Hinge 221 Lower plate 222 Front side panel (third side panel) 223 Rear side panel (fourth side panel) 224 Left side panel (second side panel) 225 Right side panel (first side panel) 226 Upper Board 230 Hydrogen Sensor

Claims

1. The car body and a driver's seat, an electric motor, and a fuel cell module mounted on the vehicle body; a cabin disposed around the driver's seat; a hydrogen pipe and a hydrogen tank for supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell module; a tank case disposed above the cabin and accommodating the hydrogen tank; Equipped with The tank case includes: The hydrogen tank includes a lower plate that covers the hydrogen tank from below, a side plate that covers the hydrogen tank from the sides, and an upper plate that covers the hydrogen tank from above, The work vehicle has an opening and closing door that is supported on the side panel via a hinge so as to be openable and closable.

2. the hydrogen tank has a valve for adjusting the amount of hydrogen flowing in and out, The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the opening and closing door is provided on a first side plate that faces the valve.

3. the tank case has a second side plate parallel to the first side plate, The work vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the opening and closing door is further provided on the second side panel.

4. 3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper plate of the tank case is inclined relative to the lower plate.

5. the tank case has a third side plate and a fourth side plate that are orthogonal to the first side plate and the second side plate, The work vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the upper plate is inclined downward toward at least one of the third side plate and the fourth side plate.