Sugarcane harvester

Abstract

There was a demand for a cover shape that would reduce the effort required for maintenance, thereby improving work efficiency, while not detracting from the overall appearance. [Solution] The aircraft is provided with a cover portion 18 that covers the left side of the aircraft. The cover portion 18 consists of a first cover 25 and a second cover 26 that is located on the front side of the aircraft and is openable and closable, arranged front to back, and the appearance of the surface of the second cover 26 is different from the appearance of the surface of the first cover 25.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sugarcane harvester.

Background Art

[0002] In a sugarcane harvester, a cover portion that covers the left side of the machine body is provided so as to cover a region where an engine located inside the machine body, various auxiliary machines associated therewith, and hydraulic devices driven by the engine are stored. Conventionally, as the cover portion, a side cover portion that covers the left side of the machine body at the rear side of the operation portion and a rear cover portion that is continuously connected to the rear side of the side cover portion without a gap are provided, and they are each detachably mounted (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above configuration, regular maintenance work is required for the engine, various auxiliary machines associated therewith, and hydraulic devices driven by the engine. Therefore, it is necessary to open the cover portion. Thus, conventionally, it has been configured to be detachably mounted separately.

[0005] However, in the above conventional configuration, considering the good appearance in terms of appearance, the side cover portion and the rear cover portion are provided in a state of being continuously connected without a gap. As described above, the work of removing the cover body during maintenance or the work of mounting it again is troublesome and time-consuming.

[0006] Therefore, there was a demand for a cover shape that would reduce the effort required for maintenance work, improve work efficiency, and not detract from the overall appearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The characteristic configuration of the sugarcane harvester according to the present invention is that it is provided with a cover portion that covers the left side of the machine body, and the cover portion is provided with a first cover and a second cover that is located on the front side of the machine body of the first cover and is in an openable and closable state, arranged in front of each other, and the appearance of the surface of the second cover is different from the appearance of the surface of the first cover.

[0008] According to the present invention, for example, when performing maintenance on equipment installed inside the machine, such as engines and hydraulic equipment, the second cover can be easily switched to the open position, allowing the work to be performed easily and without hassle. Furthermore, since the appearance of the surface of the second cover is different from that of the surface of the first cover, the operator can recognize that the second cover and the first cover are separate and different components. Therefore, even if a gap is formed between the second cover and the first cover to facilitate the opening and closing operation of the second cover, there is little risk of degrading the appearance.

[0009] Therefore, we have been able to provide a cover shape that reduces the effort required for maintenance work, improves work efficiency, and does not detract from the aesthetic appearance.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the rear end of the second cover is provided with a hinge that supports the second cover so that it can be opened and closed relative to the machine body.

[0011] In this configuration, the second cover can be switched to the open state by pivoting around its rear end. As a result, by opening the second cover, there are no unnecessary objects above or below the area that is opened, allowing for a large opening on the left side of the aircraft, making maintenance work easier.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the front upper portion of the first cover is supported by a support member that supports the hinge.

[0013] With this configuration, since the member supporting the first cover and the member supporting the second cover are shared, a simple support structure can be achieved without providing a special support mechanism for supporting the first cover.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the surface color of the second cover is different from the surface color of the first cover.

[0015] With this configuration, the difference in surface color allows for intuitive recognition that the first cover is a separate component from the second cover. As a result, even if a gap is formed between the first and second covers, it is unlikely to affect the overall appearance.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that the surface texture of the second cover differs from the surface texture of the first cover.

[0017] With this configuration, the difference in surface texture allows for intuitive recognition that the first cover is a separate component from the second cover. As a result, even if a gap is formed between the first and second covers, it is unlikely to affect the overall appearance.

[0018] In the present invention, the first cover and the second cover are provided with porous ventilation portions, and it is preferable that the mesh of the ventilation portion of the second cover is finer than the mesh of the ventilation portion of the first cover.

[0019] According to this configuration, heat generated inside the machine body can be discharged to the outside through the porous ventilation parts formed in the first cover and the second cover, preventing heat from accumulating. And due to the different mesh sizes, it can be intuitively recognized that the first cover is a different member from the second cover. Moreover, although there is a risk of dust adhesion because the mesh of the second cover is fine, it is easy to remove dust by opening and closing.

[0020] In the present invention, the first cover and the second cover each have the ventilation part and a frame part surrounding the ventilation part, and it is preferable that the lowermost horizontal bar of the frame part of the second cover is arranged at the same height as the lowermost horizontal bar of the frame part of the first cover.

[0021] According to this configuration, since the lowermost horizontal bar of the second cover and the lowermost horizontal bar of the first cover are arranged at the same height, there is a sense of unity in design and the appearance looks better.

[0022] In the present invention, the first cover and the second cover each have the ventilation part and a frame part surrounding the ventilation part, and it is preferable that the second horizontal bar from the upper side of the frame part of the second cover is arranged at the same height as the second horizontal bar from the upper side of the frame part of the first cover.

[0023] According to this configuration, since the second horizontal bar from the upper side of the second cover and the second horizontal bar from the upper side of the first cover are arranged at the same height, there is a sense of unity in design and the appearance looks better.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is an overall left side view of a sugarcane harvester. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of a sugarcane harvester. [Figure 3] It is a side view of a cover part. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of the cover part in a state where the front side cover (second cover) is switched to an open state. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of a cover part showing the mounting state of the rear side cover (first cover).

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0025] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in the figure is “front”, the direction of arrow B is “rear”, the direction of arrow L is “left”, the direction of arrow R is “right”, the direction of arrow U is “up”, and the direction of arrow D is “down”.

[0026] 〔Overall Configuration of Sugarcane Harvester〕 As shown in FIG. 1, the body of the sugarcane harvester is supported by the left and right front wheels 1 which are traveling devices and the left and right rear wheels 2 which are traveling devices.

[0027] A cutting part 3, a conveying device 4 provided in a rearwardly rising inclined posture, a separating device 5 connected to the rear part of the conveying device 4, a discharge conveyor 6 extending upward in an inclined posture from a lower position of the separating device 5, an operation part 7 provided behind the cutting part 3, an engine 8 located behind the operation part 7, etc. are provided on the body.

[0028] With the above configuration, as the body advances, the stock of the crop in the field is cut by the cutting blade 11 of the cutting part 3 and the crop is harvested, and the crop harvested by the cutting blade 1 is conveyed upward to the rear of the body by the conveying device 4.

[0029] When the crop reaches the conveyance end part of the conveyance device 4, the crop is shredded at the conveyance end part of the conveyance device 4 and supplied to the separating device 5. The shredded crop passes downward through the inside of the separating device 5 and falls to the front part of the discharge conveyor 6. Sorting air is supplied to the crop inside the separating device 5, and the debris is blown off, separated, and discharged.

[0030] Crops that fall to the front of the discharge conveyor 6 are transported upward and backward by the discharge conveyor 6, and are discharged from the discharge section at the rear upper part of the discharge conveyor 6 onto the cargo bed of a transport vehicle (not shown) such as a truck that is running alongside the conveyor for collection.

[0031] [Engine configuration] The driving unit 12, which includes the engine 8 and various related equipment, will now be described. The drive unit 12 is positioned at the center of the machine in the left-right direction, behind the driver unit 7 and above the transport device 4.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the driving unit 12 is equipped with an engine 8 located at a low position behind the driver unit 7 and above the front part of the conveying device 4. The engine 8 is housed inside a rectangular box-shaped engine bonnet 13. An air cleaner 14 and a pre-cleaner 15 are located on the upper right side of the engine bonnet 13. An exhaust pipe 16 is located on the upper left side of the engine bonnet 13.

[0033] The engine bonnet 13 is formed in an inverted U-shape when viewed from the side, or in other words, a roughly rectangular box shape with the bottom open. The engine bonnet 13 is open on both the left and right sides. On the right side of the engine bonnet 13, below the air cleaner 14, there is a ventilation fan (not shown) for drawing in outside air from the right side of the aircraft and ventilating it to pass around the engine 8. A dustproof section (not shown) for removing dust from the air being drawn in is provided at the right end of the engine bonnet 13.

[0034] The left end of the engine bonnet 13 is provided with a cover portion 18 that covers the left side of the aircraft. The cover portion 18 has a porous ventilation section and is configured to expel air drawn in by a ventilation fan and passing around the engine 8 to the left outward side. The configuration of the cover portion 18 will be described later.

[0035] The driving unit 12 is equipped with a cooling unit 19 for the engine 8. The cooling unit 19 is located behind the operating unit 7 and above the rear side of the conveying device 4. Inside the rectangular box-shaped casing 20, the cooling unit 19 has a cooling fan 21, multiple cooling devices 22 cooled by the cooling fan 21, a dustproof unit 23 for removing dust contained in the cooling air, etc., arranged in a front-to-back direction. The multiple cooling devices 22, although not described in detail, include a radiator for cooling the engine and an oil cooler for cooling the hydraulic fluid supplied to various hydraulic equipment.

[0036] The casing 20 is open at the front and rear ends, allowing cooling air to flow in the front-to-back direction. The front of the casing 20 is provided with a wind tunnel member 24 that guides the cooling air toward the engine 8.

[0037] The wind tunnel member 24 has the same width as the casing 20 and is connected to the front side of the casing 20, extending forward from the internal space of the casing 20 and forming a ventilation path such that the front lower side connects to the internal space of the engine bonnet 13. The upper surface of the wind tunnel member 24 is formed as a sloping surface with a downward-sloping front orientation, making it easy to guide the cooling air being ventilated toward the engine 8 at the front lower.

[0038] The airflow generated by the cooling fan 21 is drawn in from the dustproof section 23 located at the front of the cooling section 19, passes through the cooling device 22 to exert its cooling effect, and is then supplied and guided to the area around the engine 8 via the wind tunnel member 24. Together with the airflow generated by the ventilation fan, it is then discharged outwards to the left side of the aircraft through the cover section 18.

[0039] [Left side cover] Let me explain the cover section 18 on the left side of the aircraft. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cover section 18 is located on the left side of the machine at the rear of the driver's unit 7, and is provided with a rear cover 25 as a first cover and a front cover 26 as a second cover located on the front side of the machine and capable of being opened and closed, arranged front to front, and the appearance of the surface of the front cover 26 is different from the appearance of the surface of the rear cover 25.

[0040] [Front side cover (second cover)] As shown in Figures 2, 4, and 5, the front cover 26 is connected to the engine bonnet 13 so as to cover the left end of the engine bonnet 13 that is in an open state. The front cover 26 comprises a fixed cover portion 27 located on the upper side and a movable cover portion 28 located on the lower side.

[0041] The fixed cover portion 27 has a porous ventilation portion 29 and a frame portion 30 surrounding the ventilation portion 29. The frame portion 30 is formed in a rectangular frame shape, surrounding the outer periphery of the fixed cover portion 27. The ventilation portion 29 is made of perforated metal with numerous small-diameter through holes. Although not shown in the figures, the fixed cover portion 27 is attached to a locking portion provided on the left end of the engine bonnet 13 by a locking device (not shown) provided on the upper side that hooks onto it from above, and its lower end is connected to the left end of the engine bonnet 13 with a bolt, thus fixing its position.

[0042] The movable cover portion 28, like the fixed cover portion 27, has a porous ventilation portion 31 and a frame portion 32 surrounding the ventilation portion 31. The frame portion 32 is formed in a rectangular frame shape, surrounding the outer periphery of the movable cover portion 28. The ventilation portion 31 is made of perforated metal with numerous small-diameter through holes.

[0043] The movable cover portion 28 is supported so as to be able to swing open and closed around the vertical axis at its rear end. That is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rear end of the movable cover portion 28 is provided with a pair of upper and lower hinges 33 that support it so as to be able to open and close relative to the aircraft body. As shown in Figure 5, the aircraft body side portion of the hinge 33 is provided on the rear wall portion 13A of the engine bonnet 13.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, a pair of upper and lower toggle spring-type locking mechanisms 34 are provided on the front wall portion 13B of the engine bonnet 13. A pair of upper and lower locking devices 35 are provided at the front pivoting end of the movable cover portion 28, which engages with the locking mechanism 34.

[0045] When the movable cover 28 is closed, the upper and lower locking mechanisms 34 engage with the upper and lower locking devices 35, fixing the movable cover 28 in a closed position. Furthermore, by releasing the locks of the upper and lower locking mechanisms 34, as shown in Figure 4, the movable cover 28 is supported by a pair of upper and lower hinges 33 and can swing open around its vertical axis. This open position allows maintenance work on the engine 8 housed inside the engine bonnet 13, as well as the transmission mechanisms and hydraulic systems driven by the engine 8.

[0046] [Rear cover (first cover)] As shown in Figure 3, the rear cover 25 has a porous ventilation section 36 and a frame section 37 surrounding the ventilation section 36. The frame section 37 has a plurality of vertical frame sections 37A and a plurality (five) of horizontal bars 37B, 37C, 37D, 37E, 37F that connect the upper and lower intermediate sections of the vertical frame sections 37A in the front and back directions.

[0047] The ventilation section 36 is made of expanded metal, which has a large number of roughly triangular through holes with an opening area larger than the small-diameter through holes in the ventilation section 29 of the front side cover 26.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, a pair of front and rear locking devices 38 and 39 are provided on both the front and rear sides of the upper part of the rear cover 25. The aircraft body is provided with locking parts 40 and 41 that the pair of locking devices 38 and 39 are hooked onto from above to lock in place. Mounting parts 42 on both the front and rear sides, provided on the lower part of the rear cover 25, are fixed to support brackets 43 on both the front and rear sides, provided on the aircraft body, by bolt connection.

[0049] The locking portion 40 on the aircraft body side, which is locked by the front locking device 38 of the pair of front and rear locking devices 38 and 39, is fixed to the rear side wall portion 13A of the engine bonnet 13. Therefore, the front upper portion of the rear cover 25 is supported by the rear side wall portion 13A, which acts as a support member for the hinge 33. The locking portion 41 on the aircraft body side, which is locked by the rear locking device 39, is provided on the upper part of a vertically oriented cylindrical support 45 that is erected from the frame 44 on the aircraft body side.

[0050] On the interior side of the rear cover 25, there is a hydraulic oil tank 46 and hydraulic piping (not shown) for supplying the hydraulic oil stored in the hydraulic oil tank 46 to various parts using the power of the engine 8. The hydraulic oil tank 46 is equipped with an oil replenishment section 46a (see Figure 2), allowing for external replenishment of hydraulic oil. This hydraulic oil replenishment can be performed by removing the rear cover 25. However, the frequency of such hydraulic oil replenishment is less than that of maintenance on the engine 8 or hydraulic system.

[0051] [Regarding the appearance of the cover] In addition to the difference in the configuration of the porous ventilation sections 29 and 36, there is another difference in the appearance of the front cover 26's surface compared to the rear cover 25. Specifically, the surface color of the front cover 26 is different from that of the rear cover 25. For example, the surface color of the front cover 26 is red, while the surface color of the rear cover is black. This difference in surface color allows for intuitive recognition that the front cover 26 is a separate component from the rear cover 25.

[0052] A gap is formed between the front cover 26 and the rear cover 25 in the middle section. By providing such a gap, space can be secured for installing the hinge 33.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the lowest horizontal bar 32a of the frame portions 30 and 32 of the front cover 26 is positioned at the same height as the lowest horizontal bar 37F of the frame portion 37 of the rear cover 25. Also, the second horizontal bar from the top of the frame portions 30 and 32 of the front cover 26, that is, the upper horizontal bar portion 32b of the frame portion 32 of the movable cover portion 28, is positioned at the same height as the second horizontal bar from the top 37C of the frame portion 37 of the rear cover 25.

[0054] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, the surface color of the front cover 26, which serves as the second cover, is red, and the surface color of the rear cover 25, which serves as the first cover, is black. However, the surface color is not limited to these, and various different colors can be used.

[0055] (2) In the above embodiment, the surface appearance of the front cover 26 was shown to be different from that of the rear cover 25, with different shapes for the porous ventilation parts 29 and 36 and different surface colors. However, the embodiment is not limited to these configurations, and the surface may be the same color even if the shapes for the porous ventilation parts 29 and 36 are different, or the same color even if the surface is different. Alternatively, the surface texture of the front cover 26 may be different from that of the rear cover 25. For example, various configurations can be adopted, such as one surface being a flat surface and the other surface being an uneven surface.

[0056] (3) In the above embodiment, the mesh of the ventilation portions 29 and 36 of the front cover 26 and the rear cover 25 is configured to be different, but the mesh of the ventilation portions 29 and 36 may be configured to be the same.

[0057] (4) In the above embodiment, the lowest horizontal bar 32a of the frame portion 30 of the front cover 26 is positioned at the same height as the lowest horizontal bar 37F of the frame portion 37 of the rear cover 25, but the two may be positioned at different heights in the vertical direction.

[0058] (5) In the above embodiment, the second horizontal bar 32b from the top of the frame portion 30 of the front cover 26 is positioned at the same height as the second horizontal bar 37C from the top of the frame portion 37 of the rear cover 25, but they may be positioned at different heights in the vertical direction.

[0059] (6) In the above embodiment, the mesh of the ventilation portion 30 of the front cover 26 is shown to be finer than the mesh of the ventilation portion 37 of the rear cover 25, but both may have the same mesh size, or the mesh of the ventilation portion 37 of the rear cover 25 may be finer than the mesh of the ventilation portion 30 of the front cover 26.

[0060] (7) In the above embodiment, the rear cover 25 and the front cover 26 are configured to have ventilation sections 29 and 236 and frame sections 30 and 37 surrounding the ventilation sections 29 and 36, respectively. However, the covers 25 and 26 may be made of plate-like bodies without such a configuration. In this case, the surface colors or surface textures of the covers 25 and 26 may be made different. It is also advisable to provide a separate exhaust path for cooling air.

[0061] (8) In the above embodiment, the front upper portion of the rear cover 25 is supported by a support member (rear wall portion 13A of the engine bonnet) that supports the hinge 33. However, the front upper portion of the rear cover 25 may be supported by a dedicated support provided on the frame 44.

[0062] (9) In the above embodiment, the front cover 26 is provided with a hinge 33 at its rear end. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and other configurations are also possible, such as the front end of the front cover 26 being provided with a hinge 33 (the rear part swinging open and closed around the vertical axis of the front end), the upper end of the front cover 26 being provided with a hinge 33 (the lower part swinging open and closed around the front-to-back axis of the upper end), or the lower end of the front cover 26 being provided with a hinge 33 (the upper part swinging open and closed around the front-to-back axis of the lower end). [Industrial applicability]

[0063] This invention can be applied to sugarcane harvesters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 13A Support Member 18. Cover section 25 First Cover 26. Second cover 29, 31, 36 Ventilation section Frame sections 30, 32, 37 32a Crossbar 37C, 37F horizontal bar

Claims

1. The aircraft is equipped with a cover that covers the left side. The cover portion of the sugarcane harvester is provided with a first cover and a second cover located on the front side of the machine body of the first cover and capable of being opened and closed, arranged in a front-to-back configuration, wherein the appearance of the surface of the second cover differs from the appearance of the surface of the first cover.

2. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the rear end of the second cover is provided with a hinge that supports the second cover so as to be able to open and close relative to the machine body.

3. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 2, wherein the front upper portion of the first cover is supported by a support member that supports the hinge.

4. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the color of the surface of the second cover is different from the color of the surface of the first cover.

5. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the surface texture of the second cover is different from the surface texture of the first cover.

6. The first cover and the second cover are provided with porous ventilation sections. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 1, wherein the mesh of the ventilation portion of the second cover is finer than the mesh of the ventilation portion of the first cover.

7. The first cover and the second cover each have a ventilation portion and a frame portion surrounding the ventilation portion. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 6, wherein the lowest horizontal bar of the frame portion of the second cover is positioned at the same height as the lowest horizontal bar of the frame portion of the first cover.

8. The first cover and the second cover each have a ventilation portion and a frame portion surrounding the ventilation portion. The sugarcane harvester according to claim 6, wherein the second horizontal bar from the top of the frame portion of the second cover is positioned at the same height as the second horizontal bar from the top of the frame portion of the first cover.

Images