Working machinery

Abstract

This reduces the workload on operators handling the slewing mechanism cover during maintenance work. [Solution] The hydraulic excavator 100 is equipped with a front work machine 5 including a boom 7 that is provided to be able to move up and down, and the upper slewing body 3 has a slewing frame 6, a slewing device 20 that slewings the upper slewing body 3 relative to the lower traveling body 1, a cab 4 provided on the left front of the slewing frame 6, a right cover 110 provided on the right front of the slewing frame 6, a slewing device cover 23 positioned between the cab 4 and the right cover 110 and covering the upper part of the slewing device 20, and a machine room 18 provided on the rear of the slewing frame 6 and housing an engine 19 inside, and the slewing device cover 23 is configured to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis K located at the connection point between the boom 7 and the slewing frame 6, so as to move closer to or further away from the boom 7.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydraulic excavator provided with a swing device cover that covers the upper part of the swing device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a hydraulic excavator in which the building cover on the upper part of the swing device is made lower than the building cover of the swing body. In this prior art, when an operator inspects or replenishes the mission oil of the drive device of the swing device, the upper building cover of the swing device can be used as a scaffold and the hand can easily reach it, so that the maintenance inspection work can be easily performed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Although not clearly shown in the above prior art, usually, a cover for covering the space above the swing device may be provided for the purpose of dust prevention or the like. In that case, when performing maintenance such as the above-described maintenance inspection of the swing device, it is necessary to remove the heavy cover every time maintenance work is performed, which imposes a great labor burden on the operator.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a work machine capable of reducing the labor burden on an operator who handles the swing device cover during maintenance work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a work machine comprising a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper slewing body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body, and a front work machine including a boom provided on the front side of the upper slewing body so as to be able to be raised and lowered, wherein the upper slewing body comprises a slewing frame, a slewing device provided on the slewing frame for slewing the upper slewing body relative to the lower traveling body, a cab provided on the left front part of the slewing frame, a right cover provided on the right front part of the slewing frame, a slewing device cover positioned between the cab and the right cover and covering the upper part of the slewing device, and a machine room provided on the rear part of the slewing frame and housing an engine inside, wherein the slewing device cover is configured to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis located at the connection between the boom and the slewing frame, so as to move closer to or further away from the boom. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the labor burden on operators handling the slewing device cover during maintenance work can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the external appearance of a hydraulic excavator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view from the front left, showing the structure near the base of the boom in the upper slewing body (the boom is not shown), along with the slewing device cover in the closed position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view from the front right, showing the structure near the base of the boom in the upper slewing body (the boom itself is not shown), along with the slewing device cover in the open position. [Figure 4] This is a top view showing the detailed structure of the slewing device cover, and a cross-sectional view taken using section AA in Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] These are a side view from the left and a bottom view showing the detailed structure of the slewing mechanism cover. [Figure 6]This is a cross-sectional view of a hydraulic excavator taken through a section passing through the centerline of the front work implement, when the boom rotation angle θB = 90°, and a perspective view from the front right. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of a hydraulic excavator, taken from a cross-section passing through the centerline of the front work implement, when the boom rotation angle θB = 110°, and a perspective view from the front right. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of a hydraulic excavator, taken from a cross-section passing through the centerline of the front work implement, when the boom rotation angle θB = 140°, and a perspective view from the front right. [Figure 9] This is an enlarged view of the external handle, seen from direction B in Figure 2. [Figure 10] This is an enlarged view of the interior handle, taken from direction C in Figure 3. [Figure 11] This diagram shows a side view and a front view illustrating the detailed structure of the cover fixing bracket, as well as an external view illustrating the details of the internal slide lock. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Overview of a hydraulic excavator> Figure 1 shows the overall external structure of the hydraulic excavator according to this embodiment. In Figure 1, the hydraulic excavator 100 (working machine) comprises a crawler-type lower traveling body 1 equipped with tracks 1A and capable of self-propelling in the forward and backward directions, an upper rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 1 via a slewing wheel 2, and a multi-jointed front working machine 5 mounted on the front side of the upper rotating body 3 so as to be able to move up and down.

[0011] The lower traveling body 1 moves when its tracks 1A are driven by a traveling motor 51. The upper rotating body 3 rotates relative to the lower traveling body 1 when driven by a rotating motor (not shown) provided in the rotating device 20.

[0012] <Front work equipment> The front working machine 5 includes a boom 7, an arm 8, and an attachment 9, and boom cylinders 10, arm cylinders 11, and attachment cylinders 12 that drive the boom 7, the arm 8, and the attachment 9, respectively. The boom 7 is connected to the front side of the swing frame 6 so as to be able to pitch up and down, and the arm 8 is connected to the tip side of the boom 7 so as to be able to pitch up and down. The attachment 9 is connected to the tip side of the arm 8 so as to be able to pitch up and down.

[0013] In this example, the attachment 9 is a grapple that grips waste such as concrete pieces with an openable and closable fork and conveys and loads them onto the truck bed or the like (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "grapple 9"). The grapple 9 includes a grapple upper frame 13 connected to the tip side of the arm 8, a grapple lower frame 15 provided rotatably on the grapple upper frame 13 via a grapple turning ring 14, and a grapple claw 16 provided on the grapple lower frame 15 so as to be able to pitch. The grapple 9 is also provided with a grapple claw turning hydraulic motor (not shown) that turns the grapple claw 16 by turning the grapple lower frame 15, and a grapple claw opening and closing hydraulic cylinder (not shown) that pitches the grapple claw 16.

[0014] As the attachment, instead of the grapple, other working tools such as a bucket equipped with excavation claws, a lifting magnet that adsorbs and transfers waste such as iron scrap by the magnetic force of an electromagnet, may be used.

[0015] <Upper swing body> The upper revolving body 3 includes a slewing frame 6 as a support structure of the upper revolving body 3 provided at the lower part of the upper revolving body 3, a cab 4 provided at the left front part of the slewing frame 6, an engine cover 22, a counterweight 17 provided at the rear part of the slewing frame 6 to balance the weights of the front work implement 5, a right cover 110 (see FIGS. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, etc. described later) provided at the right front part of the slewing frame 6, and a fuel tank 37 (see FIGS. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, etc. described later) located behind the right cover 110 and storing fuel to be supplied to an engine 19 (described later).

[0016] <Cab> The cab 4 defines a driver's cab in which an operator rides, and a driver's seat (not shown) on which the boarding operator sits is disposed inside the cab 4. Around the driver's seat, operation levers for traveling, operation levers for work, various switches, etc. (all not shown) are disposed. Further, a window 4D (see FIG. 6, etc. described later) is provided on the right side surface of the cab 4, and an operator sitting on the driver's seat can easily visually recognize a sign display MS (see FIG. 8) described later through the window 4D.

[0017] <Engine cover and right cover> FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the structure near the base end of the boom 7 (the boom 7 is not shown) in the upper revolving body 3 together with a slewing device cover 23 described later. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and FIG. 1 described above, the engine cover 22 covers a machine room 18 located at the rear side of the slewing frame 6. The right cover 110 is provided at the right front part of the slewing frame 6, and various housed devices are housed in a storage space formed by the right cover 110. The fuel tank 37 is disposed on the right side of the slewing frame 6 and in front of the engine cover 22, and is formed as a sealed container in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the up-down direction and flat in the left-right direction.

[0018] <Machine room> In Figures 3 and 1, the machine room 18 is defined by the engine front building cover 21 (front wall) located behind the front work equipment 5 and in front of the engine 19, the engine right building cover (not shown) located on the hydraulic pump side, and the engine cover 22 located directly above the engine 19. The machine room 18 is formed by the engine front building cover 21, the engine right side building cover, the engine cover 22, etc., as a space extending left and right between the counterweight 17 and the cab 4 at the rear of the swing frame 6, and houses the prime mover engine 19, hydraulic pump (not shown), heat exchanger (not shown), etc.

[0019] The engine 19 is mounted transversely on the rear portion of the swing frame 6 in front of the counterweight 17, with the crankshaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction. The heat exchanger is located on the left side of the engine 19. The hydraulic pump is located to the right of the engine 19. Driven by the engine 19, the hydraulic pump pressurizes the hydraulic fluid and discharges it towards the boom cylinder 10, arm cylinder 11, attachment cylinder 12, travel motor 51, slewing motor, hydraulic motor for rotating the grapple claws, and hydraulic cylinder (not shown) for opening and closing the grapple claws, etc., which move the front work implement 5 up and down.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the front engine building cover 21 is provided with a maintenance opening 32 (opening window) on the side corresponding to the supercharger 31 of the engine 19, allowing a view into the machine room 18. A polymer elastic material 33 is inserted and attached to the edge of the maintenance opening 32.

[0021] <Features of the Embodiment> As shown in Figure 1, the slewing device 20 is mounted behind the front work equipment 5, between the front of the engine front building cover 21, and bolted to the bottom plate of the slewing frame 6. In the hydraulic excavator 100 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6, 8, and 7 described later, a slewing device cover 23 is provided between the cab 4 and the right cover 110, covering the upper part of the slewing device 20. A feature of this embodiment lies in the structure of this slewing device cover 23. The details will be explained in order below.

[0022] <Details of the swivel mechanism cover> Figure 4(a) shows a top view illustrating the detailed structure of the slewing device cover 23, Figure 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken from section AA in Figure 4(a), Figure 5(a) shows a side view from the left, and Figure 5(b) shows a bottom view. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, and the aforementioned Figures 3 and 2, the slewing device cover 23 is divided into two parts, a front cover part 27 on the boom 7 side and a rear cover part 28 on the engine front building cover 21 side, with a hinge part 26 having a substantially horizontal axis K located at the connection part 24 between the boom 7 and the slewing frame 6 as the boundary, and the two parts are connected by the hinge part 26. The front cover portion 27 is supported by the slewing frame 6 by being fixed with bolts 29 to screw holes provided near the connecting portion 24 located on the front side of the slewing frame 6.

[0023] <Closed and open positions of the rear cover> The rear cover portion 28 is configured to rotate around the axis K of the hinge portion 26 by the above-described connecting structure, allowing it to move closer to or further away from the boom 7. More specifically, the rear cover portion 28 is configured to rotate between a closed position (see Figure 2) in contact with the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18 and an open position (see Figures 6, 7, 8, and 3 described later) in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7.

[0024] The above-mentioned open position of the rear cover portion 28 is the position that gives the maximum rotation angle θmax when the boom 7 is stationary in an appropriate posture of the front work implement 5, and the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 rotates from the closed position toward the boom 7 and comes into contact with the rear surface 7A.

[0025] Figures 6(a) and 6(b) show the open state when the rotation angle of the boom 7 is θB = 90°. In this case, the maximum angle θmax of the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23, which is in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7, is approximately 45°, as shown in Figure 6(a). Figures 7(a) and 7(b) show the open state when the rotation angle of the boom 7 is θB = 110°. In this case, the maximum angle θmax of the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23, which is in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7, is approximately 60°, as shown in Figure 7(a). Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show the open state when the rotation angle of the boom 7 is θB = 140°. In this case, the maximum angle θmax of the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23, which is in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7, is approximately 90°, as shown in Figure 8(a).

[0026] When the rear cover portion 28 is in the closed position, the slewing device cover 23 passes over the slewing device 20 from the top of the engine front building cover 21 and forms a slide-like shape toward the bottom of the connection portion 24 between the boom 7 and the slewing frame 6 (see Figure 2). Also, in the closed position, the rear cover portion 28 presses against and closes the polymer elastic material 33 on the edge of the maintenance opening 32. As will be described later, by removing the bolts 30 for attaching the rear cover portion 28 to the engine front building cover 21 and rotating the rear cover portion 28 to the open position, the turbocharger 31 and other components inside the machine room 18 become visible through the maintenance opening 32 (see Figure 3).

[0027] <Details of the rear cover section> As shown in Figures 4, 5, 3, and 2, the rear cover portion 28 has a vertical plate portion 28U, a horizontal plate portion 28M, and a rotating base portion 28L. The horizontal plate section 28M is located on the upper part of the slewing device 20 in a substantially horizontal position when closed. The pivot base section 28L is located closer to the hinge section 26 than the horizontal plate section 28M and is connected to the front cover section 27 via the hinge section 26. The vertical plate section 28U is located in a substantially vertical position when closed and contacts the engine front building cover 21 (see Figure 2), and contacts the rear surface of the boom 7 when open (see Figures 6(a), 7(a), and 8(a)).

[0028] <Vertical plate section> In the closed position, the vertical plate section 28U is fixed to the engine front building cover 21 with bolts 30 (see Figures 4(a), 5(a), and 2). By removing these bolts 30 from the vertical plate section 28U, the rear cover section 28 rotates around the hinge section 26 toward the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 until it hits the rear surface 7A, thereby achieving the open position (see Figure 3, etc.).

[0029] The vertical plate section 28U also has a bent section 28Ua at the end opposite the axis K of the hinge section 26, which contacts the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 at a predetermined angle when the slewing device cover 23 is in the open position. The bent portion 28Ua includes a contact member 40 that abuts against the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 in the open position, and a recess 28Ub for avoiding interference with the hydraulic hose HS (see Figures 6(b), 7(b), 8(b), etc.) disposed on the rear surface of the boom 7 in the open position.

[0030] The contact member 40 is made of an elastic material such as a polymer elastic material, and when the rear cover portion 28 is moved from the closed position to the open position, it elastically deforms and oscillates slightly when it comes into contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 in the open position. The range of slight oscillation due to this elastic deformation is, for example, about 5 mm. Alternatively, a material that elastically deforms and oscillates similarly to the contact member 40 may be added to the rear surface 7A of the boom 7, or the contact member 40 may be omitted and a similar elastically deformable and slightly oscillating material may be provided only on the rear surface 7A of the boom 7.

[0031] The slewing device cover 23 is equipped with an indicator MS that indicates it is in the open position in an area visible from the cab 4 when it is in the open position, specifically on the back surface of the vertical plate section 28U (see Figure 8(b)). In the example in Figure 8(b), the indicator MS displays the text message "Caution: Cover Open!", but it is not limited to this; for example, it could be simply painted in a conspicuous warning color, or it could be some kind of pattern or figure. The content of the indicator MS only needs to be something that can draw the operator's attention.

[0032] <External handles / Internal handles> Furthermore, the swivel device cover 23 is provided with an outer handle 34 (handle portion) and an inner handle 35 (handle portion) on the front (outer surface) and back (inner surface) of the rear cover portion 28, respectively, for manual rotation by the operator between the closed position and the open position. The outer handle 34 and the inner handle 35 are located on the fuel tank 37 side opposite the cab 4, with reference to the rear cover centerline 36 of the rear cover portion 28 (see Figures 4(a) and 5(b)).

[0033] Figure 9 shows an enlarged view of the external handle 34, taken from direction B in Figure 2 (from the upper right), as indicated by the arrow. As shown in Figure 9 and the aforementioned Figures 2, 4, and 5, the external handle 34 is connected at both ends to the vertical plate section 28U and the horizontal plate section 28M, and is provided in a stay-like manner, extending to the right from the vertical plate section 28U (in other words, on the opposite side from the cab 4).

[0034] Figure 10 shows an enlarged view of the interior handle 35, taken from direction C (from the lower right) in Figure 3, representing the overall appearance of the interior handle 35. As shown in Figure 10 and the aforementioned Figures 3, 4, and 5, the interior handle 35 is provided in a stay-like manner, with both ends connected to the back surface of the horizontal plate portion 28M and protruding from the back surface of the horizontal plate portion 28M.

[0035] Both the outer handle 34 and the inner handle 35 are grasped by the operator when removing the bolt 30 of the rear cover portion 28 in the closed position and rotating the rear cover portion 28 toward the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 to move it to the open position, or vice versa, when moving it from the open position to the closed position. In these cases, for example, when moving from the closed position to the open position, the outer handle 34 is used first, and then the grip is switched to the inner handle 35. When moving from the open position to the closed position, the inner handle 35 is used first, and then the grip is switched to the outer handle 34. Alternatively, the outer handle 34 may be used alone without such grip changes.

[0036] <Cover holding mechanism> In this embodiment, the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23, which rotates around the axis K as described above, is configured to be selectively held at one of a predetermined set of angular positions between the closed position and the open position. To this end, as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5, a cover fixing bracket 41 (bracket) is provided on the slewing frame 6 side (specifically on the fuel tank 37, as will be described later), and as shown in Figures 5(b) and 10, an internal slide lock 38 (locking device) is provided on the slewing device cover 23 side (specifically on the horizontal plate portion 28M). These cover fixing bracket 41 and internal slide lock 38 constitute the cover holding mechanism.

[0037] <Cover fixing bracket> As shown in Figures 11(a), 11(b), and Figures 2 and 3 above, the cover fixing bracket 41 is fixed to the upper side of the fuel tank 37 with bolts 42, aligned with the trajectory of an arc 39 centered on the hinge portion 26. The cover fixing bracket 41 is provided with slide lock fixing holes 43 (holes) at each of the above-mentioned multiple angular positions, into which the internal slide lock 38 can be selectively inserted. The slide lock fixing holes 43 are provided discretely on the cover fixing bracket 41 along the arc 39, and the spacing 44 between adjacent slide lock fixing holes 43 is within a range (for example, about 5 mm) in which the contact member 40 can elastically deform and oscillate slightly.

[0038] As shown in Figure 11(b), the plurality of slide lock fixing holes 43 include, for example, a first hole 45 and a second hole 48. The first hole 45 is located at a position through which the internal slide lock 38 can be inserted to maintain contact when the rear cover portion 28 is in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 at a boom rotation angle θB = 90° (see Figure 6(a)), that is, at an angular position corresponding to the maximum rotation angle θmax (approximately 45°) shown in Figure 6(a). The second hole 48 is located at a position through which the inner slide lock 38 can be inserted to maintain contact when the rear cover portion 28 contacts the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 at a boom rotation angle θB = 140° (see Figure 8(a)), that is, at an angular position corresponding to the maximum rotation angle θmax (approximately 90°) shown in Figure 8(a). The cover fixing bracket 41 is positioned such that its uppermost height position is above the height position of the upper end of the right cover 110 (see Figures 7(b) and 8(b)).

[0039] <Internal slide lock> An internal slide lock 38 is provided on the back surface of the horizontal plate portion 28M of the rear cover portion 28 as a locking device for rotation of the rear cover portion 28. The internal slide lock 38, like the external handle 34 and the internal handle 35, is located on the fuel tank 37 side opposite the cab 4, with respect to the rear cover centerline 36, and is positioned in particular on the arc 39 drawn in a side view, with the axis K as the center and passing over the top of the fuel tank 37 (see Figure 4(b)).

[0040] As shown in Figure 11(c) and Figure 10 above, the internal slide lock 38 comprises a cylindrical sleeve portion 38a and a locking member 38b that is axially slidable within the sleeve portion 38a. The operator can selectively engage the locking member 38b with one of the plurality of slide lock fixing holes 43 by operating a projection operating portion 38c formed integrally with the locking member 38b and sliding the locking member 38b toward the fuel tank 37.

[0041] <Effects of the Embodiment> In the hydraulic excavator 100 of this embodiment, configured as described above, the operator sits in the cab 4 and operates the aforementioned operating levers to rotate the upper slewing body 3 and to raise and lower the front work implement 5 and attachment (grapple in the above example) 9 as desired, thereby performing the desired work (for example, demolition, loading of timber, sorting of scrap, etc., when using the grapple 9). When the work is completed, the operator folds the front work implement 5 by operating the above operating levers, ending the operation of the hydraulic excavator 100 and parking it.

[0042] Afterward, the operator stops the engine 19 and begins cleaning the dust that has entered various parts of the hydraulic excavator 100 during the operation using a nozzle that sprays compressed air. For example, when cleaning the engine 19, the operator climbs onto the upper slewing body 3, opens the engine cover 22, and blows compressed air onto the engine 19 from above to remove the dust. The operator also cleans the area around the slewing device 20, which is located inside the slewing device cover 23 of the slewing frame 6.

[0043] In this embodiment of the hydraulic excavator 100, the slewing device cover 23 that covers the upper part of the slewing device 20 is not designed to be removed or attached, but rather to rotate. That is, the slewing device cover 23 (more specifically the rear cover portion 28) is configured to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis K located at the connection portion 24 between the boom 7 of the front work implement 5 and the slewing frame 6, moving closer to and further away from the boom 7. This allows the rear cover portion 28 to be kept away from the boom 7 under normal conditions, covering the top of the slewing device 20 (see Figure 2, etc.). During maintenance work, the bolts 30 can be removed to rotate the rear cover portion 28 towards the boom 7, thereby opening the top of the slewing device 20 and exposing it (see Figures 3, 6(a), 7(a), 8(a), etc.). This rotating structure reduces the workload on the operator compared to having to remove the heavy cover each time.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 is configured to be rotatable between a closed position (see Figure 2, etc.) in contact with the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18 and an open position (see Figure 3, etc.) in contact with the rear surface of the boom 7. This allows the rear cover portion 28 to be in a closed position (far from the boom 7) in contact with the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18, covering the top of the slewing device 20 under normal conditions. During maintenance work, it can be rotated toward the boom 7 to an open position in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7. This ensures that the slewing device 20 is reliably exposed in the open position.

[0045] In this embodiment, the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18 is provided with a maintenance opening 32 that allows the user to look inside the machine room 18 (see Figure 3). However, as mentioned above, when cleaning the engine 19 by opening the engine cover 22, the supercharger 31 and exhaust manifold (not shown), which become hot, are located near the engine 19 and are difficult to clean in that state. In this embodiment, by opening the rear cover portion 28, the supercharger 31 can be easily cleaned through the maintenance opening 32 (see Figure 3). When the cover is closed, the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 can block the maintenance opening 32 (see Figure 2).

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 is rotated to the maximum angle θmax until it contacts the rear surface 7A of the boom 7, and the point where it contacts at the maximum rotation angle θmax is the open position. As a result, as illustrated in Figures 6, 8, and 7, regardless of the position of the boom 7 at the end of work (before maintenance), the slewing device cover 23 can be rotated to its maximum extent until it contacts the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 in that position, thus opening it. In other words, the operator does not need to worry about the exact stopping position of the boom 7 at the end of work, and can always obtain the fully open rear cover section 28 aligned with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7. In fact, the front work implement 5 of the hydraulic excavator 100 is multi-jointed and has a high degree of freedom, and due to the slope of the ground and the space of the parking area, it is difficult to end operation with the boom 7 stopped in a fixed predetermined position, so the above effect is very significant. Furthermore, opening the rear cover section 28 also has the effect of allowing cleaning of the slewing device 20 and the supercharger 31 in the machine room 18 mentioned above.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 has a vertical plate portion 28U that abuts against the engine front building cover 21 in a substantially vertical position when closed and abuts against the rear surface of the boom 7 when open, and a horizontal plate portion 28M that is located on the upper part of the slewing device 20 in a substantially horizontal position when closed. As a result, when the rear cover portion 28 is in the closed position, the horizontal plate portion 28M reliably covers the upper part of the slewing device 20, while the vertical plate portion 28U is brought into contact with the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18, thereby forming a sealed internal space above the slewing device 20 and ensuring dust protection inside.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical plate portion 28U is provided with a bent portion 28Ua, which allows the rear cover portion 28 to smoothly contact the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 by the contact member 40 when it is rotated to the open position. In addition, the bent portion 28Ua has a recess 28Ub, which prevents interference with the hydraulic hose HS disposed on the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 when it contacts the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 (see Figures 6, 7, and 8). Moreover, by providing the contact member 40, for example, made of a polymer elastic material, at the tip of the bent portion 28Ua, as shown in Figure 2, it is possible to prevent the contact member 40 from directly contacting the engine front building cover 21 of the machine room 18 when the vertical plate portion 28U is in the closed position with the vertical plate portion 28U standing upright.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a cover fixing bracket 41 and an internal slide lock 38 are provided to hold the rear cover portion 28 which rotates between a closed position and an open position around the axis K. The cover fixing bracket 41 is provided with a predetermined number of angular positions, and a slide lock fixing hole 43 is provided at each of these positions, so that the rear cover portion 28 can be selectively held at any of these angular positions. In other words, the internal slide lock 38 can be selectively engaged with any of the multiple slide lock fixing holes 43 provided in the substantially arc-shaped cover fixing bracket 41, so that the rear cover portion 28 of the swivel device cover 23 can be selectively held at any of the angular positions.

[0050] Furthermore, by positioning the uppermost part of the roughly arc-shaped cover fixing bracket 41 above the upper end of the right cover 110, the above-mentioned roughly arc shape, which is long in the circumferential direction, can be realized, and the angular range achieved by the above-mentioned multiple angular positions can be made larger. As a result, when the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 is brought into contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 when it is stopped in an appropriate position, the rear cover portion 28 can be securely held in that contact state.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the swivel device cover 23 has an outer handle 34 and an inner handle 35 on the side opposite to the cab 4 for manually rotating it between a closed position and an open position. This allows the operator to smoothly move the rear cover portion 28 of the swivel device cover 23 from the open position to the closed position by grasping the outer handle 34 or the inner handle 35 with their hand and rotating the rear cover portion 28.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the swivel device cover 23 is equipped with an indicator MS that indicates the rear cover portion 28 is in the open position, in an area visible from the cab 4. This prevents the operator inside the cab 4 from accidentally operating the boom 7 while the rear cover portion 28 of the slewing device cover 23 is in contact with the rear surface 7A of the boom 7 in the open position.

[0053] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to other machines besides the hydraulic excavator 100, such as crawler cranes equipped with an upper rotating body on a lower traveling body, and similar effects can be obtained.

[0054] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0055] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1. Lower running body 3. Upper rotating body 4 Cab 4D window 5 Front work equipment 6. Swivel Frame 7 Boom 7A Rear 8 arms 9. Grapple (attachment) 18 Machine room 19 Engine 20 Swivel device 21 Engine front building cover (front wall) 22 Engine cover 23 Swivel device cover 24 Connecting part 26 Hinge section 28L Rotating base 28M horizontal plate section 28U Vertical Plate Section 28Ua bent part 28Ub recess 31 Supercharger 32 Maintenance openings 34. External handle (handle part) 35. Internal handle (handle part) 37 Fuel tank 38. Internal slide lock (locking device, cover retention mechanism) 40 Contact Member 41 Cover fixing bracket (bracket, cover holding mechanism) 43 Slide lock fixing hole (hole) 100 Hydraulic Excavator (Work Machine) 110 Right cover HS Hydraulic Hose K axis center

Claims

1. A self-propelled lower vehicle, An upper slewing body is mounted on the lower traveling body so as to be rotatable, The system includes a front work machine, which includes a boom that is provided on the front side of the upper rotating body so as to be able to move up and down, The upper rotating body is A working machine having a slewing frame, a slewing device provided on the slewing frame for slewing the upper slewing body relative to the lower traveling body, a cab provided on the left front of the slewing frame, a right cover provided on the right front of the slewing frame, a slewing device cover positioned between the cab and the right cover and covering the upper part of the slewing device, and a machine room provided on the rear of the slewing frame and housing an engine inside, The aforementioned swivel device cover is, A work machine characterized by being configured to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis located at the connection point between the boom and the slewing frame, and to move closer to or further away from the boom.

2. In the work machine described in claim 1, The aforementioned swivel device cover is The system is configured to rotate between a closed position, where it abuts against the front wall of the machine room, and an open position, where it abuts against the rear surface of the boom. A work machine characterized by the following features.

3. In the work machine described in claim 2, The aforementioned swivel device cover is The aforementioned opening position is, A work machine characterized in that, when the boom is stationary, the position is the position that gives the maximum rotation angle from the closed position to when the slewing device cover rotates toward the boom and contacts the rear surface.

4. In the work machine described in claim 2, The aforementioned swivel device cover is, A vertical plate portion that abuts the front wall in a substantially vertical position in the closed position and abuts the rear surface of the boom in the open position, The horizontal plate portion is located on the upper part of the swivel device in a substantially horizontal position when in the closed position. A work machine characterized by the following features.

5. In the work machine described in claim 4, The aforementioned vertical plate section is, The slewing device cover is provided with a bent portion at the end opposite to the axis for contacting the rear surface of the boom at a predetermined angle when the cover is in the open position, The aforementioned bent portion is A contact member made of an elastic material, which contacts the rear surface when the swivel device cover is in the open position, The slewing device cover has a recess to avoid interference with the hydraulic hose disposed on the rear surface of the boom when the slewing device cover is in the open position. A work machine characterized by the following features.

6. In the work machine described in claim 2, The upper rotating body is The swivel device cover, which rotates around the axis, is further provided with a cover holding mechanism capable of selectively holding it at any of a predetermined set of angular positions between the closed position and the open position. A work machine characterized by the following features.

7. In the work machine described in claim 6, The cover holding mechanism is A substantially arc-shaped bracket having holes formed at each of the aforementioned multiple angular positions, The swivel device cover is provided with a locking device that can be selectively engaged with any of the multiple holes, The aforementioned bracket is The uppermost part is positioned so that its height is higher than the height of the upper end of the right cover. A work machine characterized by the following features.

8. In the work machine described in claim 2, The aforementioned swivel device cover is, A handle for manually rotating the cab between the closed position and the open position is provided on the side opposite to the cab. A work machine characterized by the following features.

9. In the work machine described in claim 2, The aforementioned swivel device cover is, When the cab is in the open position, an indicator marking that it is in the open position is provided in an area visible from the cab. A work machine characterized by the following features.

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