Work machine

Abstract

To provide a work machine capable of efficiently removing dust entering a machine room.SOLUTION: A work machine comprises: an engine (30); an exhaust gas purification device (31) for purifying exhaust gas discharged from the engine; a cooling unit (50) including a cooling fan (52); and a machine room (13). The machine room has: a first storage portion (13A) storing the engine and the exhaust gas purification device; and a second storage portion (13B) divided by the first storage portion and a partition wall (40) and storing the cooling unit. The work machine further comprises: a first duct (60) directing air from a discharge side of the cooling fan to the first storage portion; and a second duct (65) directing air from the first storage portion to a suction side of the cooling fan.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a working machine such as a wheel loader.

Background Art

[0002] As a background art in this technical field, for example, the wheel loader described in Patent Document 1 includes an engine, an exhaust gas aftertreatment device, an engine room (machine room), a cooling fan, a cooling unit, and a first discharge pipe. The exhaust gas aftertreatment device has a diesel particulate filter device, a selective catalytic reduction device, a connection pipe, and an injection device, and the first discharge pipe has one end that sucks air around the injection device and the other end located between the cooling fan and the cooling unit. And according to this configuration, since the first discharge pipe sucks the air around the injection device, external air enters the injection device, and the injection device can be cooled by this external air.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Working machines such as wheel loaders are often used in harsh environments, and in most cases, work is carried out in an environment where dust is flying in the air. In such a harsh environment, when using the wheel loader described in Patent Document 1, dust taken in from the outside may accumulate on the injection device or in the engine room. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention anything about removing dust that has entered the engine room from the outside, and there is room for improvement in this regard.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described actual situation, and an object thereof is to provide a working machine capable of efficiently removing dust that has entered the machine room.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention includes an engine, an exhaust gas purification device that purifies exhaust gas discharged from the engine, a cooling unit including a cooling fan, and a machine room. The machine room has a first housing portion that houses the engine and the exhaust gas purification device, and a second housing portion that is partitioned from the first housing portion by a partition wall and houses the cooling unit. In the working machine, it is characterized by including a first duct that guides air from the discharge side of the cooling fan to the first housing portion, and a second duct that guides air from the first housing portion to the suction side of the cooling fan.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the working machine according to the present invention, dust that has entered the machine room can be efficiently removed. In addition, problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] First, the overall configuration of the wheel loader 1, which is a representative example of the working machine according to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an external side view of the wheel loader 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] The wheel loader 1 is an articulated work vehicle that is steered by the body folding in the vicinity of the center, and a front frame 1A that is the front part of the body and a rear frame 1B that is the rear part of the body are rotatably connected in the left - right direction by a center joint 3, and the front frame 1A bends in the left - right direction with respect to the rear frame 1B. In the following description, among the left - right directions of the vehicle body, the direction on the left side with respect to the forward direction is defined as the "left direction", and the direction on the right side with respect to the forward direction is defined as the "right direction" (see FIG. 3).

[0011] Four wheels 11 are provided on the vehicle body. Two wheels 11 are provided as front wheels 11A on both the left and right sides of the front frame 1A, and the remaining two wheels 11 are provided as rear wheels 11B on both the left and right sides of the rear frame 1B, respectively. In FIG. 1, only the front wheel 11A and the rear wheel 11B provided on the left side among the four wheels 11 are shown.

[0012] An oil - hydraulic - driven working device 2 for performing a loading operation of excavating a work object such as earth and sand or minerals and loading it into a loading destination such as a dump truck or a hopper is attached to the front part of the front frame 1A.

[0013] On the rear frame 1B, a driver's cab 12 for the operator to board, a machine room 13 for housing each device necessary for driving the wheel loader 1 inside, and a counterweight 14 for maintaining the balance with the working device 2 so that the vehicle body does not tip over are provided. In the rear frame 1B, the driver's cab 12 is arranged at the front, the counterweight 14 is arranged at the rear, and the machine room 13 is arranged between the driver's cab 12 and the counterweight 14.

[0014] The working device 2 includes a lift arm 21 rotatably attached to the front frame 1A in the vertical direction, two lift arm cylinders (not shown) as hydraulic cylinders for driving the lift arm 21, a bucket 23 rotatably attached to the tip of the lift arm 21 in the vertical direction, a bucket cylinder 24 as a hydraulic cylinder for driving the bucket 23, and a bell crank 25 rotatably connected to the lift arm 21 to form a link mechanism between the bucket 23 and the bucket cylinder 24.

[0015] The lift arm 21 rotates upward with respect to the front frame 1A when the rods of the two lift arm cylinders extend, and rotates downward with respect to the front frame 1A when the rods of the two lift arm cylinders contract.

[0016] The bucket 23 rotates upward with respect to the lift arm 21 and tilts backward (tilt operation) toward the front frame 1A (vehicle body) side when the rod of the bucket cylinder 24 extends, and rotates downward with respect to the lift arm 21 and tilts forward (dump operation) when the rod of the bucket cylinder 24 contracts. Thereby, the bucket 23 can scoop up and discharge (dump) work objects such as earth and sand and minerals.

[0017] Note that the bucket 23 can be replaced with various attachments such as a blade, and the wheel loader 1 can perform various operations such as snow removal work and earth-pushing work in addition to the cargo handling work using the bucket 23.

[0018] In this wheel loader 1, in addition to driving by manual operation of the operator in the cab 12, driving by remote operation of the operator located away from the wheel loader 1 (self-propelled driving with no operator on board in the cab 12) is also possible.

[0019] Next, the detailed internal configuration of the machine room 13 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the machine room 13, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the machine room 13, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the internal configuration of the machine room 13.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the machine room 13 is partitioned into two spaces 13A and 13B in the front and rear via a partition wall 40. In the first space (first accommodation part) 13A on the front side of the machine room 13, mainly, an engine 30 as a prime mover, and aftertreatment devices (exhaust gas purification devices) 31 and 32 are accommodated. On the other hand, in the second space (second accommodation part) 13B on the rear side of the machine room 13, mainly, a cooling unit 50 is accommodated.

[0021] The aftertreatment devices 31 and 32 are arranged above the engine 30 and supported by a support 42. The aftertreatment devices 31 and 32 purify the exhaust gas discharged from the engine 30. The aftertreatment device 31 is, for example, an EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) device that recirculates a part of the exhaust gas to the intake side, and a DPF (Diesel particulate filter) that collects particulate matter in the exhaust gas. Further, the aftertreatment device 32 includes an SCR catalyst (selective reduction type NOx catalyst) that decomposes nitrogen oxides (NOx) into water and nitrogen, etc.

[0022] Although not shown, an air cleaner is arranged above the engine 30 and behind the aftertreatment device 32. The air cleaner is a pretreatment device that removes impurities contained in the outside air taken into the engine 30.

[0023] The cooling unit 50 includes a heat exchanger unit 51, a cooling fan 52, and a fan shroud 53.

[0024] The heat exchanger unit 51 includes a radiator, an intercooler, and an oil cooler, and these are integrally configured.

[0025] The cooling fan 52 takes in outside air to generate cooling air and blows it to the heat exchanger unit 51. More specifically, the cooling fan 52 takes in outside air from the left and right of the space formed between the heat exchanger unit 51 and the partition wall 40, that is, from the side surface of the machine room 13, and introduces the cooling air into the heat exchanger unit 51. The fan shroud 53 is a casing that surrounds and houses the cooling fan 52. Note that the cooling fan 52 is driven by a hydraulic motor (not shown). This hydraulic motor is driven by the engine 30. That is, the engine 30 is the driving source of the cooling fan 52.

[0026] Here, in this embodiment, it is characterized in that a dust collection system for removing the dust deposited in the first space 13A of the machine room 13 is provided. Specifically, in the machine room 13, an air supply duct (first duct) 60 for guiding air from the discharge side of the cooling fan 52 to the first space 13A and an air recovery duct (second duct) 65 for guiding air from the first space 13A to the suction side of the cooling fan 52 are provided.

[0027] The air supply duct 60 is disposed near the ceiling of the machine room 13, penetrates through the hole 40a provided in the partition wall 40, and extends substantially horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (see FIGS. 2 and 4). And the air supply duct 60 is provided substantially along the side portion on the right side of the machine room 13 (see FIG. 3). The inlet 60a of the air supply duct 60 is attached to a hole (first hole) 53a provided at the upper part of the fan shroud 53 and at the discharge side position of the cooling fan 52. On the other hand, the outlet 60b of the air supply duct 60 is fixed by fixing means (not shown) at a position near the upper part of the post-treatment device 31.

[0028] Therefore, the air discharged from the cooling fan 52 is introduced into the inlet 60a, flows through the air supply duct 60 in the direction of arrow F1 in the figure, is discharged from the outlet 60b, and then is blown onto the upper part of the post-treatment device 31. Thus, the post-treatment device 31 and the dust deposited around it are removed by the blown air.

[0029] The air recovery duct 65 is disposed at a position below the post-treatment device 31 and above the engine 30, passes through the hole 40a provided in the partition wall 40, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (see FIGS. 2 and 4). That is, the air recovery duct 65 is provided at a position lower than the air supply duct 60. In other words, the air supply duct 60 is provided at a position higher than the air recovery duct 65. And the air recovery duct 65 is provided substantially along the left side portion of the machine room 13 (see FIG. 3). That is, the air recovery duct 65 is provided at an interval in the vehicle width direction from the air supply duct 60.

[0030] The inlet 65a of the air recovery duct 65 is fixed below the post-treatment device 31 by fixing means (not shown). On the other hand, the outlet 65b of the air recovery duct 65 is attached to a hole (second hole) 53b provided at a substantially central position in the height direction of the fan shroud 53 and at the suction side position of the cooling fan 52. Further, the air recovery duct 65 has a slightly downward gradient from the inlet 65a toward the outlet 65b.

[0031] In addition, in the present embodiment, the inlet 65a of the air recovery duct 65 and the outlet 60b of the air supply duct 60 are provided at substantially the same position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (see FIG. 4), but they do not necessarily have to be at the same position. One may be separated from the other in the longitudinal direction.

[0032] And while the cooling fan 52 is driven, the air containing the dust that has risen into the first space 13A is sucked in from the inlet 65a, flows through the air recovery duct 65 in the direction of arrow F2 in the figure, is discharged from the outlet 65b, and then is released to the atmosphere by the cooling fan 52.

[0033] Thus, according to this embodiment, the air supply duct 60 and the air recovery duct 65 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (vehicle width direction), so that the cooling air discharged from the cooling fan 52 is introduced into the first space 13A of the machine room 13, and the dust deposited on the after-treatment device 31 and the like is air-blowed, and the dust flying in the room is discharged outside the machine room 13 through the air recovery duct 65.

[0034] Therefore, the frequency of cleaning work in the machine room 13 can be reduced. That is, the first space 13A of the machine room 13 is partitioned by the partition wall 40. In the conventional case, when dust accumulates in the first space 13A, it is necessary to perform cleaning work such as air-blowing to remove the dust. However, according to this embodiment, by utilizing the flow of the cooling air generated by the cooling fan 52, the dust deposited in the first space 13A can be air-blowed and recovered. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide an air-blowing device in the machine room 13 for dust removal. That is, by simply providing the air supply duct 60 and the air recovery duct 65 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the dust deposited on the after-treatment device 31 and the like can be removed. Therefore, dust removal can be realized at low cost without increasing the size of the machine room 13.

[0035] In addition, since the air supply duct 60 and the air recovery duct 65 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (vehicle width direction), air can circulate smoothly in the first space 13A. Therefore, the dust recovery efficiency is high.

[0036] In addition, since the air recovery duct 65 has a slightly downward gradient, it is possible to prevent dust from accumulating in the air recovery duct 65.

[0037] (Modification 1) Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cooling unit 50 according to Modification 1, FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 5. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, in Modification 1, air guide plates 71 and 72 are provided at the inlet 60a of the air supply duct 60 and the outlet 65b of the air recovery duct 65, respectively.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an air guide plate 71 is provided around the hole 53a provided in the fan shroud 53. The air guide plate 71 is provided so as to resist the rotational direction indicated by the arrow in the figure of the cooling fan 52. Therefore, the cooling air generated by the rotation of the cooling fan 52 hits this air guide plate 71, changes its direction, and is easily introduced into the inlet 60a of the air supply duct 60 attached to the hole 53a.

[0039] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, an air guide plate 72 is provided around the hole 53b provided in the fan shroud 53. Therefore, the air containing dust discharged from the outlet 65b of the air recovery duct 65 attached to the hole 53b hits the air guide plate 72, changes its direction toward the rear of the vehicle body, and is more surely sucked by the cooling fan 52 and discharged into the atmosphere.

[0040] Thus, according to Modification 1, by providing the air guide plates 71 and 72, the circulation of the air in the first space 13A can be more effectively performed through the air supply duct 60 and the air recovery duct 65. Therefore, in Modification 1, an improvement in the dust removal efficiency can be expected.

[0041] Note that the above-described embodiments are examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those embodiments. Those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various other modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0042] For example, the present invention can be applied not only to wheel loaders but also to any working machine such as hydraulic excavators. Further, a funnel-shaped member may be attached to the inlet 65a of the air recovery duct 65. In this case, dust can be recovered more efficiently. Also, in Modification 1, a configuration in which the air guide plates 71 and 72 are provided is illustrated, but it is not always necessary to provide the two air guide plates 71 and 72. That is, a configuration in which at least one of the two air guide plates 71 and 72 is provided may be sufficient.

Explanation of Signs

[0043] 1 Wheel loader 1A Front frame 1B Rear frame 2 Working device 3 Center joint 11 Wheels 12 Cab 13 Machine room 13A First space (first housing part) 13B Second space (second housing part) 30 Engine 31, 32 Aftertreatment device (exhaust gas purification device) 40 Partition wall 40a Hole 42 Support 50 Cooling unit 51 Heat exchanger unit 52 Cooling fan 53 Fan shroud 53a Hole (first hole) 53b Hole (second hole) 60 Air supply duct (first duct) 60a Inlet 60b Outlet 65 Air recovery duct (second duct) 65a Inlet 65b Outlet 71, 72 Air guide plates

Claims

1. An engine, an exhaust gas purification device for purifying exhaust gas discharged from the engine, a cooling unit including a cooling fan, and a machine room, In a working machine, the machine room has a first accommodation part for accommodating the engine and the exhaust gas purification device, and a second accommodation part partitioned from the first accommodation part by a partition wall and for accommodating the cooling unit, A first duct for guiding air from the discharge side of the cooling fan to the first accommodation part, And a second duct for guiding air from the first accommodation part to the suction side of the cooling fan. A working machine characterized by the above.

2. In the working machine according to Claim 1, The first duct is provided at a position higher than the second duct and at a position separated from the second duct in the vehicle width direction. A working machine characterized by the above.

3. In the working machine according to Claim 2, The second duct is provided with a downward gradient from the upstream side to the downstream side in the flow direction of the air flowing through the second duct. A working machine characterized by the above.

4. In the working machine according to Claim 2, The outlet of the first duct is arranged above the exhaust gas purification device, The inlet of the second duct is arranged below the exhaust gas purification device. A working machine characterized by the above.

5. In the working machine according to Claim 1, A fan shroud surrounding the cooling fan is provided, The fan shroud has, A first hole to which the inlet of the first duct is connected, A second hole to which the outlet of the second duct is connected, And a wind guide plate provided at at least one of the vicinity of the first hole and the vicinity of the second hole. A working machine characterized by the above.

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