Powder and granular material transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide a powder and granular material transport vehicle that allows for safe operation even when riding on a tank. [Solution] The present invention comprises a chassis frame extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a granular material tank mounted on the chassis frame, wherein the granular material tank comprises a tank body capable of containing granular material, the tank body comprises a tank section formed in a cylindrical shape around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the tank section is constructed by welding together a plurality of outer plates along the circumferential direction around the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and welding beads are formed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper part of the tank section, welding adjacent outer plates in the circumferential direction to form at least a part of the upper part of the tank section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a granular material transport vehicle including a granular material tank for storing granular materials.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a granular material transport vehicle that stores granular materials inside and transports them to a destination has been known (Patent Document 1). As shown in FIG. 12, a tank 905 mounted on a powder pressure feeding vehicle as a powder transport vehicle includes a central cylindrical plate 907 having an open shape at both ends, a pair of cylindrical bodies 908 and 909 fitted and fixed to both sides of the central cylindrical plate 907, and end plates 910 and 911 for closing one end of the cylindrical bodies 908 and 909. The openings 908a and 909a of the cylindrical bodies 908 and 909 are welded and fixed after being fitted into the openings from both side surfaces 907c of the central cylindrical plate 907. Thus, since the tank 905 has a three-part structure composed of the central cylindrical plate 907 and the pair of cylindrical bodies 908 and 909, it is said that processing 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] However, when an operator works on the tank 905, such as when charging granular materials into the tank 905 through the inlet 905a, the upper part of the tank 905 may be depressed by the weight of the operator on it. In this case, the operator on the tank 905 may become unbalanced, etc., which may be unsafe.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a granular material transport vehicle that can work safely even when an operator is on the tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention comprises a chassis frame extending in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and a granular material tank mounted on the chassis frame, wherein the granular material tank includes a tank body capable of containing granular material, the tank body includes a tank section formed in a cylindrical shape around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the tank section is constructed by welding together a plurality of outer plates along the circumferential direction around the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and welding beads are formed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper part of the tank section to weld adjacent outer plates together in the circumferential direction in order to form at least a portion of the upper part of the tank section.

[0007] With this configuration, the weld bead is formed along the vehicle's longitudinal direction on the upper part of the tank body, thus reinforcing the upper part of the tank body. Therefore, even if a worker stands on the tank body, the reinforcement by the weld bead prevents the upper part from sagging, allowing for safe work.

[0008] Furthermore, in the powder and granular material transport vehicle, the tank body comprises a central body located in the center in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, a front body located in front of the central body in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and a rear body located behind the central body in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The welding bead, which welds adjacent outer plate portions in the circumferential direction to form the upper part of at least one of the front body and the rear body, may be formed along the entire area in the vehicle's longitudinal direction on the upper part of at least one of the body portions.

[0009] With this configuration, the weld bead is formed along the entire length of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction on the upper part of the front and / or rear section, so that the upper part of the front and / or rear section can be reinforced with the weld bead, and workers standing on these sections can work safely.

[0010] Furthermore, in the aforementioned powder and granular material transport vehicle, the upper part of the central body is formed by a single outer plate that runs circumferentially, and a manhole may be formed in this single outer plate.

[0011] With this configuration, since the manhole is formed in a single outer panel, cracks and other damage to the outer panel are less likely to occur when installing the manhole during the manufacturing of the powder and granular material tank. Moreover, since the weld bead is formed along the entire length of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction on the upper part of the front and / or rear section of the tank, workers can safely access the manhole from the front and / or rear of the vehicle.

[0012] Furthermore, in the powder and granular material transport vehicle, the powder and granular material tank is equipped with a tank step attached to the tank body, on which an operator can ride and move, the tank step extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and comprises a pair of step sections facing each other in the vehicle width direction via the upper part of the tank body, and the welding bead may be formed between the pair of step sections.

[0013] With this configuration, the weld bead is formed between the pair of step sections, so the upper part of the tank body between the pair of step sections is reinforced by the weld bead. Therefore, even if a worker moves from the step section to the upper part of the tank body between them, they can work safely.

[0014] Furthermore, in the aforementioned granular material transport vehicle, a manhole is formed in the upper part of the tank body. The weld bead may be formed within the width region of the manhole in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] In this configuration, the upper part of the tank body where the manhole is formed is reinforced with weld beads. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder and granular material transport vehicle that allows for safe operation even when riding on a tank. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a side view of a powder and granular material transport vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a side view of the granular material tank in the granular material transporter. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of the granular material tank. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view at the IV-IV position in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view at the V-V position in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view at the VI-VI position in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view at the VII-VII position in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the granular material tank as viewed from the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of the granular material tank as viewed from the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the granular material tank as viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 11] It is a developed view of the front body portion of the granular material tank. [Figure 12] It is a plan view of the tank mounted on a conventional granular material transporter.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the granular material transporter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the granular material transporter 1 includes a vehicle 2 and a granular material tank 3. This granular material transporter 1 is for storing granular materials inside and transporting them to the destination. The granular materials transported by the granular material transporter 1 are cement and the like, but are not limited to specific ones. Hereinafter, the direction corresponding to the vehicle width of the granular material transporter 1 is referred to as the vehicle width direction, and the direction corresponding to the up and down of the granular material transporter 1 is referred to as the up and down direction. Also, the side closer to the central axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the side farther from the central axis of the vehicle is the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] Vehicle 2 comprises a cab C and a chassis frame F extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The cab C is the driver's cabin where the driver sits. The chassis frame F is drivable, and a granular material tank 3 is mounted on the chassis frame F.

[0021] The powder and granular material tank 3 comprises a tank body 4 capable of containing powder and granular material. In this embodiment, the powder and granular material tank 3 comprises a tank frame 5 that supports the tank body 4. The powder and granular material tank 3 also comprises a tank step 6 attached to the tank body 4, which a worker can stand on to move the tank. Furthermore, the powder and granular material tank 3 comprises a cover 30 to cover mud splashes and the like when moving the tank. As shown in Figure 3, the powder and granular material tank 3 comprises a ladder 31 for a worker to climb onto the tank step 6.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the tank body 4 includes a tank shell 40 that is formed in a cylindrical shape around an axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the tank body 4 includes a front end portion 41 located in the forward direction of the tank shell 40 and a rear end portion 42 located in the rear direction of the tank shell 40.

[0023] The tank body 40 is constructed by welding together multiple outer plates P that are aligned in the circumferential direction around the vehicle's longitudinal axis. In this embodiment, the tank body 40 comprises a central body 43 located in the center of the vehicle's longitudinal direction, a front body 44 located in front of the central body 43 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and a rear body 45 located behind the central body 43 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The tank body 40 is also provided with manholes M1 and M2 for introducing powdered or granular material into the tank body 4.

[0024] The central body section 43 is a cylindrical portion located in the center of the tank body section 40 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The central body section 43 is cylindrical in shape. As shown in Figure 6, the central body section 43 is constructed by welding together four outer plate sections P. In this embodiment, the lower half of the central body section 43 is composed of a single lower plate section P431 that extends halfway around the circumferential direction of the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The upper half of the central body section 43 is composed of three outer plate sections P that extend 1 / 6 of a turn each along the circumferential direction of the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Specifically, the upper half of the central body section 43 comprises an upper plate section P432 that constitutes the upper part of the central body section 43, and a width-side plate section P433 and a width-other plate section P434 located on both sides of the upper plate section P432 in the width direction.

[0025] The weld bead B formed by the outer plate portion P constituting the central body portion 43 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (see Figure 2). This weld bead B is linear, but may also be curved. In this embodiment, the weld bead B formed by the outer plate portion P constituting the central body portion 43 includes the weld bead B31 between the lower plate portion P431 and the width-side plate portion P433, the weld bead B32 between the lower plate portion P431 and the width-side plate portion P434, the weld bead B33 between the upper plate portion P432 and the width-side plate portion P433, and the weld bead B34 between the upper plate portion P432 and the width-side plate portion P434 (see Figure 6).

[0026] The weld bead B31 between the lower plate portion P431 and the wide plate portion P433, and the weld bead B32 between the lower plate portion P431 and the wide plate portion P434, extend so that their height in the vertical direction is the same as the cylindrical axis of the central body portion 43.

[0027] The upper part of the central body 43 is formed by a single outer plate P that runs circumferentially, in this embodiment, by an upper plate P432 (see Figure 3). A central manhole M1 is formed in the single outer plate P that forms the upper part of the central body 43, i.e., the upper plate P432. The central manhole M1 consists of a central hole M10 and a central cover M11 that covers the central hole M10 (see Figure 2). In addition, an air pipe 430 for introducing air into the tank body 4 is provided at the lower part of the central body 43. A hose 431 is connected to the air pipe 430.

[0028] The front section 44 is a cylindrical part located on the front side of the tank section 40 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The front section 44 is also shaped like a frustoconical oblique cone, widening towards the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The front section 44 is constructed by welding together four outer plates P. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the lower half of the front section 44 is composed of a lower plate section P441 and a lower plate section P442 that widen by 1 / 4 of a turn along the circumferential direction around the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The upper half of the front section 44 is composed of an upper plate section P443 and a upper plate section P444 that widen by 1 / 4 of a turn along the circumferential direction around the axis in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The rear end edge of the front section 44 is connected to the front end edge of the central section 43 by welding.

[0029] In this embodiment, the weld bead B formed by the outer plate portion P constituting the front body portion 44 includes, as shown in Figures 5 and 11, a weld bead B41 between the lower plate portion P441 and the other lower plate portion P442, a weld bead B42 between the lower plate portion P441 and the upper plate portion P443, a weld bead B43 between the other lower plate portion P442 and the other upper plate portion P444, and a weld bead B44 between the upper plate portion P443 and the other upper plate portion P444.

[0030] The rear edge of the upper width plate portion P443 of the front body portion 44 is connected to the weld bead B31 of the width plate portion P433 and the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43, and to the weld bead B33 of the upper plate portion P432 and the width plate portion P433 of the central body portion 43 (see Figures 2 and 6). Similarly, the rear edge of the upper width plate portion P444 of the front body portion 44 is connected to the weld bead B32 of the width plate portion P434 and the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43, and to the weld bead B34 of the upper plate portion P432 and the width plate portion P434 of the central body portion 43. In this way, the two weld beads B of the central body section 43 are connected to the rear edge of the upper width one plate section P443 and the rear edge of the upper width other plate section P444 of the front body section 44, respectively, thus reinforcing the upper width one plate section P443 and the upper width other plate section P444 of the front body section 44.

[0031] The weld bead B42 between the lower plate portion P441 and the upper plate portion P443 of the front body 44 extends downwards towards the rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction when viewed from the side (see Figure 2). Similarly, the weld bead B43 between the other lower plate portion P442 and the other upper plate portion P444 extends downwards towards the rear in the vehicle's longitudinal direction when viewed from the side. These weld beads B42 and B43 are straight, but may also be curved. In this embodiment, these weld beads B42 and B43 extend to the same height as the cylindrical axis of the front body 44 in the vertical direction, making welding easier and improving the appearance.

[0032] Furthermore, the trailing edge of the weld bead B42 between the lower width plate section P441 and the upper width plate section P443 of the front body section 44 is offset from the trailing edge of the weld bead B31 between the lower plate section P431 and the width plate section P433 of the central body section 43. Similarly, the trailing edge of the weld bead B43 between the other lower width plate section P442 and the other upper width plate section P444 of the front body section 44 is offset from the trailing edge of the weld bead B32 between the lower plate section P431 and the other width plate section P434 of the central body section 43. Therefore, there is no need to align the edges of these beads B, and welding defects can be avoided.

[0033] In this embodiment, the front edge of the weld bead B32 between the lower plate portion P431 and the wide plate portion P433 of the central body portion 43 is located above the rear edge of the weld bead B42 between the lower plate portion P441 and the upper plate portion P443 of the front body portion 44. Similarly, the front edge of the weld bead B32 between the lower plate portion P431 and the wide plate portion P434 of the central body portion 43 is located above the rear edge of the weld bead B43 between the lower plate portion P442 and the upper plate portion P444 of the front body portion 44. Therefore, the upper plate portion P443 and the upper plate portion P444 of the front body portion 44 can be reinforced.

[0034] The rear section 45 is a cylindrical part located at the rear of the tank section 40 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The rear section 45 is also shaped like a frustoconical oblique cone, widening towards the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The rear section 45 is constructed by welding together four outer plates P. The rear section 45 is constructed similarly to the front section 44. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the lower half of the rear section 45 is composed of a lower plate section P451 and a lower plate section P452, which widen by 1 / 4 of the circumference along the circumferential direction around the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The upper half of the rear section 45 is composed of an upper plate section P453 and a upper plate section P454, which widen by 1 / 4 of the circumference along the circumferential direction around the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The front edge of the rear section 45 is connected to the rear edge of the central section 43 by welding.

[0035] In this embodiment, the weld bead B formed by the outer plate portion P constituting the rear body portion 45 includes a weld bead B51 between the lower width one plate portion P451 and the other lower width plate portion P452, a weld bead B52 between the lower width one plate portion P451 and the upper width one plate portion P453, a weld bead B53 between the other lower width plate portion P452 and the other upper width plate portion P454, and a weld bead B54 between the upper width one plate portion P453 and the other upper width plate portion P454.

[0036] The front edge of the upper width plate portion P453 of the rear body portion 45 is connected to the weld bead B33 of the upper plate portion P432 and width plate portion P433 of the central body portion 43, and to the weld bead B31 of the width plate portion P433 and lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43 (see Figures 2 and 6). The front edge of the upper width plate portion P454 of the rear body portion 45 is connected to the weld bead B34 of the upper plate portion P432 and width plate portion P434 of the central body portion 43, and to the weld bead B32 of the width plate portion P434 and lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43. In this way, the two weld beads B of the central body section 43 are connected to the rear edge of the upper width one plate section P453 and the rear edge of the upper width other plate section P454 of the rear body section 45, respectively, thus reinforcing the upper width one plate section P453 and the upper width other plate section P454 of the rear body section 45.

[0037] The weld bead B52 between the lower plate portion P451 and the upper plate portion P453 of the rear body 45 extends downwards towards the front in the vehicle's longitudinal direction when viewed from the side (see Figure 2). Similarly, the weld bead B53 between the lower plate portion P452 and the upper plate portion P454 of the rear body 45 extends downwards towards the front in the vehicle's longitudinal direction when viewed from the side. These weld beads B52 and B53 are straight, but may also be curved. In this embodiment, since these weld beads B52 and B53 extend to the same height as the cylindrical axis of the rear body 45 in the vertical direction, welding is easier and the appearance is improved. Furthermore, since the front edges of these weld beads B52 and B53 are offset from the rear edges of the weld beads B31 and B32 of the central body 43, there is no need to align the edges of these beads B, thus avoiding welding defects. Furthermore, since the rear edges of the weld beads B31 and B32 of the central body section 43 are located above the front edges of the weld beads B52 and B53 of the rear body section 45, the upper width one plate section P453 and the upper width other plate section P454 of the rear body section 45 can be reinforced.

[0038] In this embodiment, weld beads B are formed along the entire longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper parts of the front and rear body sections 44 and 45, welding adjacent outer plate sections P in the circumferential direction to form the upper parts of the front and rear body sections 44 and 45 (see Figure 3). Specifically, weld beads B44 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper part of the front body section 44, welding adjacent outer plate sections P443 and P444 in the circumferential direction to form the upper half of the front body section 44. Similarly, weld beads B54 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper part of the rear body section 45, welding adjacent outer plate sections P453 and P454 in the circumferential direction to form the upper half of the rear body section 45. These weld beads B44 and B54 are straight, but may also be curved.

[0039] Similarly, a weld bead B41 is formed along the vehicle's longitudinal direction at the lower part of the front body 44, welding two circumferentially adjacent outer plate sections P441 and P442 together to form the lower half of the front body 44. Also, a weld bead B51 is formed along the vehicle's longitudinal direction at the lower part of the rear body 45, welding two circumferentially adjacent outer plate sections P451 and P452 together to form the lower half of the rear body 45. These weld beads B41 and B51 are straight, but may also be curved.

[0040] A rear manhole M2 is formed at the top of the rear section 45. The rear manhole M2 consists of a rear hole section M20 and a rear cover section M21 that covers the rear hole section M20 (see Figure 2). In addition, a discharge pipe 450 for discharging powder and granular material from the tank body 4 is provided at the bottom of the rear section 45. A hose 451 is connected to the discharge pipe 450.

[0041] In this embodiment, the front edge of the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43 is connected to the weld bead B42 of the lower width one plate portion P441 and the upper width one plate portion P443 of the front body portion 44, the weld bead B41 of the other lower width plate portion P442 and the other upper width plate portion P444 of the front body portion 44, and the weld bead B43 of the other lower width plate portion P442 and the other upper width plate portion P444 (see Figures 2 and 5). The rear edge of the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43 is connected to the weld beads B52 of the lower plate portion P451 and upper plate portion P453 of the rear body portion 45, the weld beads B51 of the lower plate portion P451 and the other lower plate portion P452 of the rear body portion 45, and the weld beads B53 of the other lower plate portion P452 and the other upper plate portion P454 (see Figures 2 and 7). In this way, three weld beads B are connected to the front edge and rear edge of the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43, thereby reinforcing the lower plate portion P431 of the central body portion 43.

[0042] Furthermore, the edges of seven weld beads B in the vehicle's longitudinal direction are located at the boundary between the upper half of the front body section 44 and the upper half of the central body section 43, and in the vicinity of this boundary (see Figures 3, 5, and 6). Specifically, the weld beads B44 of the upper width one plate section P443 and the upper width other plate section P444 of the front body section 44 are located at the top of this boundary. Also, the weld beads B31 of the lower plate section P431 and the width one plate section P433 of the central body section 43 are located at one end of this boundary in the vehicle's width direction, and the weld beads B32 of the lower plate section P431 and the width other plate section P434 of the central body section 43 are located at the other end of this boundary in the vehicle's width direction. Between the weld beads B44 and B42 of the front body section 44, the weld beads B33 of the upper plate section P432 and the width one plate section P433 of the central body section 43 are located. Between the weld beads B43 and B42 of the front body section 44, the weld bead B32 of the upper plate section P432 and the other width plate section P434 of the central body section 43 are located. Near the lower side of the weld bead B31 of the central body section 43, the weld bead B42 of the front body section 44 is located. Near the lower side of the weld bead B32 of the central body section 43, the weld bead B43 of the front body section 44 is located. These weld beads B43, B32, B34, B44, B33, B42, and B31 are connected by the weld bead B between the rear end edge of the front body section 44 and the front end edge of the central body section 43. This reinforces the upper half of the front body section 44 and the upper half of the central body section 43.

[0043] The boundary between the lower half of the front section 44 and the lower half of the central section 43, and in the vicinity of this boundary, are located the edges of five weld beads B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Specifically, at the bottom of this boundary are the weld beads B41 of the lower width one plate section P441 and the lower width other plate section P442 of the front section 44. Also, at one end of this boundary in the vehicle width direction is the weld bead B31 of the central section 43, and at the other end of this boundary in the vehicle width direction is the weld bead B32 of the central section 43. Weld beads B32, B43, B41, B42, and B31 are connected by the weld bead B between the rear end edge of the front section 44 and the front end edge of the central section 43. This reinforces the lower half of the front section 44 and the lower half of the central section 43.

[0044] Similarly, the edges of seven weld beads B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are located at the boundary between the upper half of the rear section 45 and the upper half of the central section 43, and in the vicinity of this boundary (see Figures 3, 6, and 7). These weld beads B53, B32, B34, B54, B33, B52, and B31 are connected by weld beads B at the front edge of the rear section 45 and the rear edge of the central section 43. This reinforces the upper half of the rear section 45 and the upper half of the central section 43.

[0045] The edges of five weld beads B in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are located at the boundary between the lower half of the front section 44 and the lower half of the central section 43, and in the vicinity of this boundary. Weld beads B32, B53, B51, B52, and B31 are connected by weld bead B at the front edge of the rear section 45 and the rear edge of the central section 43. This reinforces the lower half of the rear section 45 and the lower half of the central section 43.

[0046] The front end portion 41 is the part that closes the front opening of the front body portion 44 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (see Figures 2, 3, and 10). The front end portion 41 is also constructed by welding together seven outer plate portions P. In this embodiment, the upper and lower parts of the front end portion 41 are composed of an upper cover plate portion P411 and a lower cover plate portion P412, respectively. The side portion located in the center in the vertical direction of the front end portion 41 is composed of five circumferential plate portions P413 that extend vertically in 1 / 10th of a turn along the circumferential direction around the vertical direction. The rear end edge of the front end portion 41 is connected to the front end edge of the front body portion 44 by welding.

[0047] The rear end portion 42 is the part that closes the rear opening of the rear body portion 45 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The rear end portion 42 is also constructed by welding together seven outer plate portions P. In this embodiment, the upper and lower parts of the rear end portion 42 are made up of an upper cover plate portion P421 and a lower cover plate portion P422, respectively. The side portion located in the center in the vertical direction of the rear end portion 42 is made up of five circumferential plate portions P423 that extend vertically in 1 / 10th of a turn along the circumferential direction around the vertical direction. The front end edge of the rear end portion 42 is connected to the rear end edge of the rear body portion 45 by welding.

[0048] The welding of the outer plate portions P that constitute the tank body 4 may be performed by mechanical welding or by manual welding.

[0049] The tank step 6 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and comprises a pair of step portions 60 that face each other in the vehicle width direction via the upper part 46 of the tank body 40 (see Figure 3). In this embodiment, the tank step 6 comprises a front step portion 61 that connects the front end edges of the pair of step portions 60 and is positioned on the front end portion 41, and a rear step portion 62 that connects the rear end edges of the pair of step portions 60 and is positioned on the rear end portion 42.

[0050] Each step section 60 is connected to the tank body 40 by welding. Each step section 60 is composed of a central step section 63 located on the central body 43, a front step section 64 extending forward from the front edge of the central step section 63 and located on the front body 44, and a rear step section 65 extending rearward from the rear edge of the central step section 63 and located on the rear body 45.

[0051] In this embodiment, the weld beads B on the upper parts of the front and rear sections 44 and 45 of the tank body 40 are formed between a pair of step sections 60. Specifically, the weld beads B44 of the upper width one plate section P443 and the upper width other plate section P444 of the front section 44 are formed between a pair of front step sections 64. Similarly, the weld beads B54 of the upper width one plate section P453 and the upper width other plate section P454 of the rear section 45 are formed between a pair of rear step sections 65. Furthermore, the weld beads B44 and B54 located at the top of the upper parts of the front and rear sections 44 and 45 of the tank body 40 are formed between the connection points of each step section 60 with the tank body 40, thereby reinforcing the upper parts of the front and rear sections 44 and 45 of the tank body 40 between these connection points.

[0052] The weld beads B on the upper parts of the front and rear sections 44 and 45 of the tank body 40 are formed within the width region W of the manholes M1 and M2. In this embodiment, the manhole M1 is formed on a single upper plate section P432, and the weld beads B44 are formed at the joints of the upper width one plate section P443 and the upper width other plate section P444, which are located in front of the single upper plate section P432. The weld beads B54 are formed at the joints of the upper width one plate section P453 and the upper width other plate section P454, which are located behind the single upper plate section P432. Furthermore, the manhole M2 is formed straddling the joints of the upper width one plate section P453 and the upper width other plate section P454, and the weld beads B54 extend from the manhole M2 in the front and rear directions.

[0053] Furthermore, the weld beads B33 and B34 of the central body section 43 are located near the inner edge of the step section 60 in the vehicle width direction. Also, these weld beads B33 and B34 are located below the weld point between the tank body section 40 and the step section 60.

[0054] The weld beads B11 of the five circumferential plate portions P413 that constitute the side surface of the front end portion 41 are located outside the front end step portion 61. Similarly, the weld beads B21 of the five circumferential plate portions P423 that constitute the side surface of the rear end portion 42 are located outside the rear end step portion 62.

[0055] The tank frame 5 comprises a pair of elongated frames 51 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a frame connecting portion 52 connecting the pair of elongated frames 51, and a front crossover portion 53 provided in front of the tank body 4. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the tank frame 5 includes a rear crossover portion 54 provided behind the tank body 4. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the tank frame 5 includes a front auxiliary frame 55 provided below the front end portion 41 and the front body portion 44 on the front side of the tank body 4 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The tank frame 5 also includes a central auxiliary frame 56 provided below the central body portion 43 (see Figure 10). The tank frame 5 is attached to the chassis frame F via a bracket 57, which is a connecting member (see Figure 1).

[0056] As shown in Figure 10, the elongated frame 51 is an elongated member with a substantially L-shaped cross-section. The elongated frame 51 is also an elongated member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The width of the elongated frame 51 is uniform, but may be non-uniform. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the elongated frame 51 includes, in cross-sectional view, a first portion 511 extending vertically, a second portion 512 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the first portion 511, and a third portion 513 extending upward from the extended end of the second portion 512. The elongated frame 51 is connected to the tank body 40 by welding.

[0057] The first section 511 includes a front support section 514 that supports the front end 41 and front body 44 of the tank body 4, a central support section 515 that supports the central body 43 of the tank body 4, and a rear support section 516 that supports the rear end 42 and rear body 45 of the tank body 4 (see Figure 2). The third section 513 extends with an inclination that moves further away from the first section 511 in the vehicle width direction, especially towards the upper part (see Figure 4).

[0058] The front auxiliary frame 55 is provided in pairs on the inside of the pair of long frames 51 in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 5). The front auxiliary frame 55 is also a long member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This front auxiliary frame 55 is composed of a first member 551 with a substantially L-shaped cross-section and a second member 552 that extends vertically in a cross-sectional view. In this embodiment, the front auxiliary frame 55 is a combination of the separate first member 551 and second member 552, but the first member 551 and second member 552 may be a single unit. The front auxiliary frame 55 is connected to the tank body 40 by welding.

[0059] The first member 551 includes a first portion 5511 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower part of the first portion 511 of the long frame 51, and a second portion 5512 extending downward from the extended end edge of the first portion 5511. The second portion 5512 extends at an inclination such that the upper portion is further away from the first portion 511 of the long frame 51 in the vehicle width direction. The extended end of the second portion 5512 of the front auxiliary frame 55, i.e., the lower end of the second portion 5512, abuts against the upper half of the third portion 513 of the long frame 51 from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0060] The second member 552 extends upward from a position where it overlaps the upper end of the second part 5512 on the inside in the vehicle width direction, until it contacts either the front end 41 of the tank body 4, the front section 44, or the front cross section 53 of the tank frame 5. Furthermore, the second member 552 extends with an inclination so that the upper part moves further away from the first part 511 of the elongated frame 51 in the vehicle width direction.

[0061] The long frame 51 and the front auxiliary frame 55 are connected to the tank body 40 in pairs in the vehicle width direction, and the weld bead B41 of the front body 44 of the tank body 40 is located between these pairs of connection points. In addition, each step section 60 is supported by the tank body 40 above each connection point.

[0062] A pair of central auxiliary frames 56 are provided on the inside of the pair of elongated frames 51 in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 6). The central auxiliary frames 56 extend upward from a position where they overlap the upper half of the third portion 513 of the elongated frame 51 on the inside in the vehicle width direction until they abut the central body portion 43 of the tank body 4. The central auxiliary frames 56 extend with an inclination such that the upper portion moves further away from the first portion 511 of the elongated frame 51 in the vehicle width direction.

[0063] Connection points with the long frame 51 and the central auxiliary frame 56 are provided in pairs in the vehicle width direction, and each step section 60 is supported by the tank body 40 above each connection point. In addition, the weld beads B33 and B34 of the central body 43 are located above each connection point.

[0064] As shown in Figure 10, the frame connecting section 52 connects a pair of long frames 51 at a position in front of the tank body 4 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The frame connecting section 52 is also a long member that extends in the vehicle's width direction. The width of the frame connecting section 52 is uniform, but may be uneven.

[0065] The front section 53 is the part that connects the pair of long frames 51 to the front of the tank body 4. The front section 53 extends from the connection point with the frame connection section 52 of the pair of long frames 51 to the lower part of the front end 41 of the tank body 4. As shown in Figure 8, the front section 53 includes a flat plate section 530 located in the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, and a curved plate section 531 extending from the rear end of the flat plate section 530. The upper end of the front section 53 is connected to the front end 41 of the tank body 4 via a reinforcing plate 532 provided separately from the front section 53.

[0066] The flat plate portion 530 abuts from above against the first member 551 of the front auxiliary frame 55 of the pair of long frames 51, specifically, against the first portion 5511 of the first member 551 from above. The curved plate portion 531 is formed so that the portion located further rearward in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is positioned higher, and it is curved so as to be concave downward. Alternatively, a flat plate portion that is inclined so as to be positioned higher towards the rearward direction of the vehicle may be used instead of the curved plate portion 531.

[0067] The rear crossover section 54 is the part that connects the pair of long frames 51 to the rear side of the tank body 4. The rear crossover section 54 is a flat plate formed so that the part located further rearward in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is positioned lower. In this embodiment, the rear crossover section 54 extends from the pair of long frames 51 to the lower part of the rear end 42 of the tank body 4. The upper end of the rear crossover section 54 is connected to the rear end 42 of the tank body 4 via a reinforcing plate 540 provided separately from the rear crossover section 54. The rear crossover section 54 may also be a curved plate.

[0068] In the powder and granular material transport vehicle 1 described above, as shown in Figure 3, welding beads B44 and B54 are formed along the front-rear direction of the vehicle on the upper part 46 of the tank body 40, so that the welding beads B44 and B54 reinforce the upper part 46 of the tank body 40. Therefore, even if an operator stands on the tank body 40, the reinforcement by the welding beads B44 and B54 suppresses indentation of the upper part 46, allowing for safe operation.

[0069] In the powder and granular material transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, welding beads B45 and B54 are formed along the entire length of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction on the upper part of the front body 44 and the rear body 45. As a result, the upper parts of the front body 44 and the rear body 45 can be reinforced with welding beads B44 and B54, allowing workers to work safely while standing on these body parts 44 and 45.

[0070] Furthermore, in the powder and granular material transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the manhole M1 is formed in a single outer plate P432 that forms the upper part of the central body 43. Therefore, when installing the manhole M1 during the manufacturing of the powder and granular material tank 3, cracks and other damage are less likely to occur in the outer plate P432. Moreover, since the weld beads B44 and B54 are formed along the entire front-to-rear direction of the vehicle on the upper parts of the front body 44 and rear body 45, workers can safely access the manhole M1 from the front and rear sides of the vehicle.

[0071] Furthermore, in the powder and granular material transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the weld beads B44 and B54 are formed between a pair of step sections 60, so the upper parts of the front body section 44 and the rear body section 45 between the pair of step sections 60 are reinforced by the weld beads B44 and 45. Therefore, even if an operator moves from the step section 60 onto the upper parts of the front body section 44 or the rear body section 45, they can work safely.

[0072] Furthermore, in the powder and granular material transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the weld beads B44 and B54 are formed within the width region W of the manholes M1 and M2, so the upper part of the tank body 40 in which the manholes M1 and M2 are formed is reinforced by the weld beads B44 and B45.

[0073] It should be noted that the powder and granular material transport vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0074] In the above embodiment, each of the parts 43, 44, and 45 of the tank body 40 was composed of four outer plate parts P, but they may be composed of two, three, or five or more outer plate parts P. In any case, if welding beads B are formed on the upper part 46 of the tank body 40 along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, to weld adjacent outer plate parts P together in the circumferential direction to form at least a part of the upper part 46 of the tank body 40, the welding beads B can reinforce the upper part 46 of the tank body 40. In the above embodiment, the front body 44 and the rear body 45 were composed of the same number of outer plate parts P, and the positions of the welding beads B on each body part 44 and 45 were the same, but the positions of the welding beads B on the front body 44 and the rear body 45 may be different.

[0075] Specifically, if a weld bead B44 is formed on the upper part of the front body 44 along the entire longitudinal direction of the vehicle, for example, when welding adjacent outer plate sections P443 and P444 in the circumferential direction to form the upper part of the front body 44, then the upper part of the front body 44 can be reinforced with the weld bead B44. Similarly, if a weld bead B54 is formed on the upper part of the rear body 45 along the entire longitudinal direction of the vehicle, when welding adjacent outer plate sections P453 and P454 in the circumferential direction to form the upper part of the rear body 45, then the upper part of the rear body 45 can be reinforced with the weld bead B54.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the front edge of the weld bead B31 of the central body section 43 was positioned above the rear edge of the weld bead B42 of the front body section 44, and the front edge of the weld bead B32 of the central body section 43 was positioned above the rear edge of the weld bead B43 of the front body section 44, but this is not limited to this. The front edge of the weld bead B31 of the central body section 43 may be positioned below the rear edge of the weld bead B42 of the front body section 44, or the weld bead B32 of the central body section 43 may be positioned below the rear edge of the weld bead B43 of the front body section 44. Furthermore, the rear edge of the weld bead B42 of the front body section 44 may be aligned with the front edge of the weld bead B31 of the central body section 43, or the rear edge of the weld bead B43 of the front body section 44 may be aligned with the front edge of the weld bead B32 of the central body section 43. The same applies to the positional relationship between the front edge of the weld bead B52 of the rear section 45 and the rear edge of the weld bead B31 of the central section 43, and to the relationship between the front edge of the weld bead B53 of the rear section 45 and the rear edge of the weld bead B32 of the central section 43.

[0077] Furthermore, the front end 41 and the rear end 42 may be formed from a single curved plate, or they may be so-called end plates.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the powder tank 3 was equipped with a tank step 6 attached to the tank body 4, on which an operator could stand and move; however, the tank step 6 is not required. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...Powder and granular material transport vehicle, 2...Vehicle, 3...Powder and granular material tank, 4...Tank body, 5...Tank frame, 6...Tank step, 30...Cover, 40...Tank body, 41...Front end, 42...Rear end, 43...Center body, 44...Front body, 45...Rear body, 46...Upper part, 51...Long frame, 52...Frame connection part, 53...Front crossover, 54...Rear crossover, 55...Front auxiliary frame, 56...Center auxiliary frame, 57...Bracket, 60...Step part, 61...Front step part, 62...Rear step part, 63...Center Step section, 64...Front step section, 65...Rear step section, 430...Air piping, 431...Hose, 450...Discharge piping, 451...Hose, 511...First section, 512...Second section, 513...Third section, 514...Front support section, 515...Central support section, 516...Rear support section, 530...Flat plate section, 531...Curved plate section, 532...Reinforcement plate, 540...Reinforcement plate, 551...First member, 552...Second member, 905...Tank, 905a...Inlet, 907...Central cylindrical plate, 907c...Both sides, 908...Cylinder, 90 8a...Opening, 909...Cylindrical body, 909a...Opening, 910, 911...End plate, 5511...First part, 5512...Second part, B, B11, B21, B31, B32, B33, B34, B41, B42, B43, B44, B45, B51, B52, B53, B54...Weld bead, C...Cab, F...Chassis frame, M1...Central manhole, M2...Rear manhole, M10...Central hole section, M11...Central cover section, M12, M13...Edge, M20...Rear hole section, M21...Rear cover section, M22, M23...Edge, P...Outer panel, P411...Upper cover panel, P412...Lower cover panel, P413...Peripheral panel, P421...Upper cover panel, P422...Lower cover panel, P423...Peripheral panel, P431...Bottom panel, P432...Upper panel, P433...One side of width panel, P434...Other side of width panel, P441...One side of bottom width panel, P442...Other side of bottom width panel, P443...One side of top width panel, P444...Other side of top width panel, P451...One side of bottom width panel, P452...Other side of bottom width panel, P453...One side of top width panel, P454...Other side of top width panel, W...Width area

Claims

1. The chassis frame extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, The system includes a granular material tank mounted on the chassis frame, The aforementioned granular material tank comprises a tank body capable of containing granular material, The tank body comprises a cylindrical tank section formed around the vehicle's longitudinal axis, The tank body is constructed by welding together multiple outer plates that are aligned circumferentially around the vehicle's longitudinal axis. A powder and granular material transport vehicle, wherein, among the plurality of outer plates, welding beads are formed along the vehicle's longitudinal direction on the upper part of the tank body, welding adjacent outer plates in the circumferential direction to form at least a portion of the upper part of the tank body.

2. The tank body comprises a central body located in the center in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, a front body located in front of the central body in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and a rear body located behind the central body in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The powder and granular material transport vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the welding bead, which is used to weld adjacent outer plate portions in the circumferential direction to form the upper part of at least one of the front and rear body portions, is formed along the entire area in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the upper part of at least one of the body portions.

3. The upper part of the central body is formed by a single outer plate that runs circumferentially. The powder and granular material transport vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a manhole is formed in one of the outer panels.

4. The aforementioned granular material tank is equipped with a tank step attached to the tank body, on which an operator can stand and move, The tank step extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and comprises a pair of step portions that face each other in the vehicle width direction via the upper part of the tank body. The powder and granular material transport vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weld bead is formed between the pair of step portions.

5. A manhole is formed at the top of the tank body. The powder and granular material transport vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the welding bead is formed within the width region of the manhole in the vehicle width direction.

Images