Construction machinery

Abstract

Even when multiple hydraulic motors are installed for slewing, sufficient workspace for maintenance on the vehicle body is ensured, thereby improving work efficiency. [Solution] The front swivel hydraulic motors 49, 50 and the rear swivel hydraulic motors 51, 52 are positioned between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, sandwiching the center joint 35 in the front-rear direction. Above the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, a pipe support member 53 is provided, extending in the left-right direction across the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9 at a higher position than the swivel hydraulic motors 49-52, supporting a plurality of closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39. The front swivel hydraulic motors 49, 50 and the rear swivel hydraulic motors 51, 52 are positioned below the pipe support member 53 and are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator in which an upper rotating body is mounted on a lower traveling body via a rotating device.

Background Art

[0002] In general, a hydraulic excavator as a representative example of a construction machine includes a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably provided on the lower traveling body via a rotating device, and a working device provided at a front portion of the upper rotating body.

[0003] The lower traveling body includes a track frame, drive wheels provided on both left and right sides of the track frame, idler wheels provided on the opposite side in the front-rear direction from the drive wheels on both left and right sides of the track frame, crawler belts wound around the drive wheels and the idler wheels, and a traveling hydraulic motor that drives the drive wheels.

[0004] The rotating device includes a slewing bearing that rotatably supports the upper rotating body on the lower traveling body, and a slewing hydraulic motor that is provided on the upper rotating body and causes the upper rotating body to perform a slewing operation along the slewing bearing on the lower traveling body. The working device includes a boom, an arm, a bucket, and a boom cylinder, an arm cylinder, and a bucket cylinder that rotate these components.

[0005] The traveling hydraulic motor of the lower traveling body, the slewing hydraulic motor of the rotating device, the boom cylinder, the arm cylinder, and the bucket cylinder of the working device constitute hydraulic actuators.

[0006] The upper slewing body comprises a slewing frame on which left and right vertical plates extend in the front-rear direction and are erected with a gap in the left-right direction between them on a base plate supported on the lower traveling body via a slewing wheel; a prime mover such as an engine or electric motor located at the rear of the slewing frame; a hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover; a control valve device located in front of the prime mover and mounted on the slewing frame, with a manifold block to which multiple control valves are attached; a center joint located at the pivot center of the slewing wheel for circulating pressurized oil between the lower traveling body and the upper slewing body; a plurality of pump-side pipes connecting the hydraulic pump and the manifold block; and a plurality of actuator-side pipes connecting the manifold block to the boom cylinder, arm cylinder, bucket cylinder of the work device, the slewing hydraulic motor of the slewing device, and the center joint (travel hydraulic motor).

[0007] In large hydraulic excavators, the weight increases as the size of the upper rotating body increases. For this reason, large hydraulic excavators are equipped with multiple hydraulic motors for rotating the upper rotating body (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-133752 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The hydraulic excavator described in Patent Document 1 has multiple swing hydraulic motors mounted on the swing frame, which requires space to install the multiple swing hydraulic motors. In addition, the number of actuator-side pipes connected to the swing hydraulic motors increases. Consequently, it becomes difficult to secure workspace around the swing hydraulic motors for maintenance such as inspection and repair on the vehicle body, resulting in poor workability when performing maintenance.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine that, even when multiple slewing hydraulic motors are installed, can secure sufficient workspace on the vehicle body for maintaining equipment including the slewing hydraulic motors, thereby improving the workability when performing maintenance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention comprises a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body via a rotating device, and a working device provided at the front of the upper rotating body and rotated by a hydraulic cylinder, wherein the rotating device comprises a rotating wheel that rotatably supports the upper rotating body on the lower traveling body, and a rotating hydraulic motor provided on the upper rotating body that rotates the upper rotating body along the rotating wheel on the lower traveling body, wherein the upper rotating body comprises a rotating frame on which a left vertical plate and a right vertical plate are erected with a gap in the left-right direction between them, extending in the front-rear direction, on a bottom plate supported on the lower traveling body via the rotating wheel, a prime mover provided at the rear of the rotating frame, a hydraulic pump driven by the prime mover, a control valve device located in front of the prime mover and provided on the rotating frame, with a plurality of control valves attached to a manifold block, and provided at the pivot center of the rotating wheel, the lower In a construction machine comprising a center joint for circulating pressurized oil between a traveling body and the upper rotating body, a plurality of pump-side pipes connecting the hydraulic pump and the manifold block, and a plurality of actuator-side pipes connecting the manifold block to the hydraulic cylinder of the work device, the rotating hydraulic motor of the rotating device, and the center joint, a plurality of rotating hydraulic motors are arranged between the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate, sandwiching the center joint in the front-rear direction, and a pipe support member is provided above the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate, extending in the left-right direction across the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate at a position higher than the plurality of rotating hydraulic motors, and supporting the plurality of actuator-side pipes, and the front rotating hydraulic motor and the rear rotating hydraulic motor are located below the pipe support member and are arranged apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, even when a construction machine is equipped with multiple slewing hydraulic motors, it is possible to secure a workspace on the vehicle body for maintaining the equipment including the slewing hydraulic motors, thereby improving the workability when performing maintenance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a left side view showing a hydraulic excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the upper rotating body with the building structure omitted. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the front of the upper rotating body, taken from the direction indicated by arrow III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing a portion of the slewing frame, control valve device, slewing hydraulic motor, piping support member, and actuator-side piping. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a portion of the slewing frame, control valve device, slewing hydraulic motor, piping support block, and actuator-side piping. [Figure 6] This is an external view showing a slewing hydraulic motor with a filter block attached. [Figure 7] This is a hydraulic circuit diagram showing a swivel hydraulic motor with a filter block attached. [Figure 8] This is a diagram of the hydraulic circuit for a hydraulic excavator. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, a hydraulic excavator will be used as a representative example of a construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 8. In this embodiment, the front direction is the forward side when the operator is seated in the cab, the opposite side from the front is the rear side, and the sides when facing forward are the left and right sides.

[0015] In Figure 1, a hydraulic excavator 1, which is a representative example of construction machinery, is used for earth and sand excavation work and the like. The hydraulic excavator 1 includes a self-propelled crawler-type lower traveling body 2, and an upper revolving body 5 which will be described later and is provided on the lower traveling body 2. Further, a revolving device 47 which will be described later is provided between the lower traveling body 2 and the upper revolving body 5. Furthermore, a working device 40 which will be described later is rotatably provided at the front portion of the upper revolving body 5.

[0016] The lower traveling body 2 includes a track frame 2A, drive wheels 2B provided on both left and right sides of the track frame 2A, idler wheels 2C provided on both left and right sides of the track frame 2A on the side opposite to the drive wheels 2B in the front-rear direction, and crawler belts 2D wound around the drive wheels 2B and the idler wheels 2C (all of which are illustrated only on the left side). The left drive wheel 2B is rotationally driven by the left traveling hydraulic motor 3 (see Figure 8). The right drive wheel is rotationally driven by the right traveling hydraulic motor 4 (see Figure 8). The traveling hydraulic motors 3 and 4 constitute a hydraulic actuator.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the upper revolving body 5 is provided on the lower traveling body 2 so as to be revolvable via the revolving device 47. The upper revolving body 5 is configured to include a revolving frame 6, an engine 12, hydraulic pumps 22, 31, control valve devices 23, 32, a center joint 35, pump-side pipes 36, 37, actuator-side pipes 38, 39, a pipe support member 53, and pipe support blocks 54, 55, all of which will be described later.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the revolving frame 6 includes a bottom plate 7 extending in the front-rear direction, a left vertical plate 8 positioned slightly to the left of the middle portion in the left-right direction and erected on the bottom plate 7 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and a right vertical plate 9 positioned slightly to the right of the middle portion in the left-right direction and erected on the bottom plate 7 so as to extend in the front-rear direction.

[0019] The left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9 are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction. Thereby, the space on the bottom plate 7 between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9 serves as a space for installing the center joint 35, the revolving hydraulic motors 49 to 52, and the like, which will be described later.

[0020] Further, the front portion of the left vertical plate 8 is formed in a mountain shape that is elevated at a position slightly receding from the front end portion, specifically, a position corresponding to the vicinity of the rear portion of a cab 10 to be described later. The base end portion of a boom 41 of a working device 40 to be described later is rotatably connected to the mountain-shaped top portion 8A of the left vertical plate 8. A boom cylinder 44 of the working device 40 is attached to the front portion 8B of the left vertical plate 8. Further, a left pipe support block 54 to be described later is attached to the inner side surface (right side surface) 8C of the left vertical plate 8 that faces the right vertical plate 9.

[0021] Similar to the front portion of the left vertical plate 8, the front portion of the right vertical plate 9 has a mountain shape and includes a top portion 9A and a front portion 9B. Further, a right pipe support block 55 to be described later is attached to the inner side surface (left side surface) 9C of the right vertical plate 9. Furthermore, end portions of a pipe support member 53 to be described later are attached to the rear position of the top portion 8A of the left vertical plate 8 and the rear position of the top portion 9A of the right vertical plate 9.

[0022] The cab 10 is mounted on the left front side of the swing frame 6, and forms an operator compartment therein. A driver's seat (not shown) on which an operator sits is provided inside the cab 10. Further, operating devices 11 (see FIG. 8) for operating the hydraulic excavator 1 are provided in front of, on the left side of, and on the right side of the driver's seat. As an example of a combination of operation targets and lever operations, the operating devices 11 are configured to include a left operation lever 11A for operating swing hydraulic motors 49 to 52 and an arm cylinder 45 which will be described later, a right operation lever 11B for operating a boom cylinder 44 and a bucket cylinder 46 which will be described later, and left and right traveling lever-pedals 11C, 11D for operating the left traveling hydraulic motor 3 and the right traveling hydraulic motor 4.

[0023] The operating devices 11 are connected to a controller 58 to be described later via signal lines or the like. By operating the operating devices 11, the operator can swing the upper swing body 5, rotate the working device 40, and cause the lower traveling body 2 to travel.

[0024] The prime mover, engine 12, is located at the rear of the swing frame 6. Engine 12 is configured as, for example, a diesel engine. One engine 12 is installed in a transverse position, extending in the left-right direction. For example, on the right side of engine 12, multiple closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22, open-circuit hydraulic pumps 31, etc., described later, are attached via a power transmission device 13. The power transmission device 13 has multiple gear mechanisms (not shown) that transmit the rotation of the output shaft of engine 12, and each gear mechanism is connected to the multiple closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22, open-circuit hydraulic pumps 31, etc. Also, a heat exchange device 14 consisting of a radiator, oil cooler, condenser, etc., is located on the left side of engine 12.

[0025] The prime mover may be a hybrid type combining a diesel engine and an electric motor, or an electric motor alone. Alternatively, the prime mover may be installed in a longitudinal configuration extending in the front-rear direction of the upper rotating body 5. Furthermore, the prime movers may be arranged in a configuration with two units side by side in the left-right or front-rear direction.

[0026] The counterweight 15 is attached to the rear of the slewing frame 6. The counterweight 15 constitutes a weight that balances the weight with the working equipment 40. The building 16 is located between the cab 10 and the counterweight 15 and houses the engine 12 and other components mounted on the slewing frame 6.

[0027] Furthermore, the hydraulic fluid tank 17 is formed as a container for storing hydraulic fluid to be supplied to the open-circuit hydraulic pump 31, etc. (see Figure 8). The tank-side piping 59, which will be described later, is connected to the hydraulic fluid tank 17.

[0028] Next, the configurations of the closed-circuit systems 18-21 and the open-circuit systems 27-30 will be explained with reference to Figure 8.

[0029] In this embodiment, the hydraulic system of the hydraulic excavator 1 is configured such that any one of the closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22 can be connected in a closed circuit (to form a closed circuit) to any one of the hydraulic actuators by a closed-circuit control valve device 23 between the four closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22 and the four types of hydraulic actuators: boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, bucket cylinder 46, and swing hydraulic motors 49-52. The controller 58 controls the closed-circuit control valve device 23 according to the operating conditions and work conditions, thereby switching the connection relationship between each hydraulic actuator and each closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22.

[0030] In this embodiment, we will describe a case in which four closed-circuit systems are configured by connecting each closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 to each hydraulic actuator in a one-to-one relationship. Specifically, closed-circuit system 18 is a hydraulic system for driving the boom cylinder 44. Closed-circuit system 19 is a hydraulic system for driving the arm cylinder 45. Closed-circuit system 20 is a hydraulic system for driving the bucket cylinder 46. Furthermore, closed-circuit system 21 is a hydraulic system for driving the slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52. Below, we will describe the case in which these four simplest closed-circuit systems 18 to 21 are configured.

[0031] The closed-circuit system 18 includes a closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 driven by the engine 12, and closed-circuit pump-side piping 36 and closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 that connect the closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 to the boom cylinder 44 of the work device 40 described later.

[0032] Here, the configurations of closed-circuit systems 19-21 are almost the same as those of closed-circuit system 18. For this reason, closed-circuit systems 19-21 are denoted by the same symbols used in the description of closed-circuit system 18, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the multiple, for example, four, closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22 that constitute the closed-circuit systems 18-21 are mounted on the right side of the engine 12 (power transmission device 13). The four closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22 are composed of, for example, variable displacement swashplate hydraulic pumps, oblique-shaft hydraulic pumps, radial piston hydraulic pumps, etc. One end of the closed-circuit pump side piping 36, which will be described later, is connected to the four closed-circuit hydraulic pumps 22.

[0034] Next, the configurations of the closed-circuit control valve device 23 and the open-circuit control valve device 32 of this embodiment will be described.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the closed-circuit control valve gear 23 is located on the swing frame 6, in front of the engine 12. The closed-circuit control valve gear 23 is positioned laterally, extending in the left-right direction, and is located behind the rear swing hydraulic motors 51 and 52. The closed-circuit control valve gear 23 includes a manifold block 24, a control valve 25, and a filter 26, which will be described later.

[0036] The manifold block 24 serves as a common base for the closed-circuit control valve device 23 and the open-circuit control valve device 32, and is mounted on the swing frame 6. The common manifold block 24 is flattened in the front-rear direction and formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the left-right and up-down directions.

[0037] Specifically, the manifold block 24 is formed to be wide in the left-right direction so as to face the rear of the left rear swing hydraulic motor 51 and the rear of the right rear swing hydraulic motor 52, which will be described later. The left half of this wide manifold block 24 is used as part of the closed-circuit control valve device 23. On the other hand, the right half of the manifold block 24 is used as part of the open-circuit control valve device 32. Alternatively, the manifold blocks for closed circuits and open circuits may be provided separately, and the two manifold blocks may be arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0038] Here, the manifold block 24 is fitted with a control valve 25 for closed circuits and piping 38 for closed circuit actuators. The manifold block 24 also has multiple oil passages (none of which are shown) that communicate with the multiple control valves 25 for closed circuits and the multiple piping 38 for closed circuit actuators.

[0039] The control valves 25 for multiple closed circuits control the boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, bucket cylinder 46 of the work device 40, and the slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 of the slewing device 47, etc. The control valves 25 are mounted on the left half of the manifold block 24.

[0040] The filter 26 is mounted on the left side of the upper surface of the manifold block 24. By capturing foreign matter mixed into the hydraulic fluid, the filter 26 can prevent damage to the sliding parts of hydraulic actuators and valves.

[0041] Next, the open-circuit system 27 is a hydraulic system that compensates for any excess or deficiency of hydraulic fluid supplied to the closed-circuit system 18. The open-circuit system 28 is a hydraulic system that compensates for any excess or deficiency of hydraulic fluid supplied to the closed-circuit system 19. The open-circuit system 29 is a hydraulic system that compensates for any excess or deficiency of hydraulic fluid supplied to the closed-circuit system 20. Furthermore, the open-circuit system 30 is a hydraulic system that compensates for any excess or deficiency of hydraulic fluid supplied to the closed-circuit system 21. In addition, the open-circuit systems 27 to 30 also supply hydraulic fluid to the left-side travel hydraulic motor 3 and the right-side travel hydraulic motor 4.

[0042] The open-circuit system 27 includes an open-circuit hydraulic pump 31 driven by the engine 12, and open-circuit pump-side piping 37 and open-circuit actuator-side piping 39, which connect the open-circuit hydraulic pump 31 to the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38, as described later. The open-circuit system 27 is also provided with an open-circuit control valve 33, which will be described later, between the open-circuit pump-side piping 37 and the open-circuit actuator-side piping 39.

[0043] Here, the configurations of open-circuit systems 28-30 are almost the same as those of open-circuit system 27. For this reason, open-circuit systems 28-30 are denoted by the same symbols used in the description of open-circuit system 27, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0044] Multiple open-circuit hydraulic pumps 31, such as four, that constitute the open-circuit systems 27-30 are mounted together with the closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 on the right side of the engine 12 (power transmission device 13). The four open-circuit hydraulic pumps 31 are composed of, for example, variable displacement swashplate hydraulic pumps, oblique-shaft hydraulic pumps, radial piston hydraulic pumps, etc.

[0045] The open-circuit control valve device 32 is located on the right half of the manifold block 24. Like the closed-circuit control valve device 23, the open-circuit control valve device 32 includes the aforementioned common manifold block 24, the control valve 33 (described later), and the filter 34.

[0046] The multiple control valves 33 for open circuits control the left-side travel hydraulic motor 3, the right-side travel hydraulic motor 4, and the like. The multiple control valves 33 are mounted on the right half of the manifold block 24.

[0047] The filter 34 is mounted on the right side of the upper surface of the manifold block 24. Like the filter 26, the filter 34 can prevent damage to hydraulic actuators, valve sliding parts, etc., by capturing foreign matter mixed in the hydraulic fluid.

[0048] The center joint 35 is located at the pivot point of the slewing wheel 48, which constitutes the slewing device 47 described later. The center joint 35 facilitates the flow of pressurized oil (hydraulic fluid) and electricity (signals) between the lower traveling body 2 and the upper slewing body 5.

[0049] The center joint 35 comprises a cylindrical body attached to the track frame 2A of the lower traveling body 2, a spindle inserted into the body and rotatable about the pivot center of the slewing wheel 48, a plurality of annular oil passages provided between the inner circumferential surface of the body and the outer circumferential surface of the spindle, and connecting oil passages (none of which are shown) that communicate with the plurality of annular oil passages and open to the outside of the body and spindle. The spindle is engaged with the slewing frame 6 in the rotational direction so as to rotate together with the upper slewing body 5. The center joint 35 also includes an electrical path that allows electricity (signals) to flow between the lower traveling body 2 and the upper slewing body 5 even when the upper slewing body 5 is slewing on the lower traveling body 2.

[0050] Here, the top of the center joint 35 is formed flat so that an operator can place their foot on it or stand on it. The center joint 35 is also positioned facing the filter blocks 49A to 52A of the slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52. This allows the operator to easily reach the filter blocks 49A to 52A by standing on the top of the center joint 35.

[0051] Multiple closed-circuit pump-side pipes 36 connect the closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 to the filter 26 of the closed-circuit control valve device 23. Additionally, multiple open-circuit pump-side pipes 37 connect the open-circuit hydraulic pump 31 to the filter 34 of the open-circuit control valve device 32.

[0052] Multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 connect the closed-circuit control valve device 23 to the boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, bucket cylinder 46 of the work device 40, and the slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 of the slewing device 47.

[0053] An example of the connection configuration of the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 is described below. One end of the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 is attached to the front of the manifold block 24, and the other end extending from the front to the front side is connected to the cylinders 44-46 of the work device 40 via the piping support member 53 described later.

[0054] Furthermore, of the remaining portion of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38, the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 located on the left side has one end attached to the front of the manifold block 24, and the other end extending from the front to the front is connected to the left front swing hydraulic motor 49 and the left rear swing hydraulic motor 51 of the swing device 47 via the left piping support block 54, which will be described later.

[0055] On the other hand, of the remaining portion of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38, the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 located on the right side has one end attached to the front of the manifold block 24, and the other end extending from the front to the front is connected to the right front swing hydraulic motor 50 and the right rear swing hydraulic motor 52 of the swing device 47 via the right piping support block 55, which will be described later.

[0056] Here, the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 are partially supported by a pipe support member 53, described later, which is provided extending from the rear position of the top 8A of the left vertical plate 8 and the rear position of the top 9A of the right vertical plate 9 of the slewing frame 6. Therefore, the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 are supported by a pipe support member 53 located near the highest tops 8A and 9A of the slewing frame 6. This ensures that there is sufficient height space (work space 56, described later) between the bottom plate 7 of the slewing frame 6 and the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 for an operator to perform their work.

[0057] Furthermore, of the remaining closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38, the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 extending from the left side of the manifold block 24 toward the front extends toward the front along the inner surface 8C of the left vertical plate 8 and is connected to the left piping support block 54. On the other hand, of the remaining closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38, the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 extending from the right side of the manifold block 24 toward the front extends toward the front along the inner surface 9C of the right vertical plate 9 and is connected to the right piping support block 55.

[0058] As a result, a sufficiently wide space can be secured in the left-right and front-back directions for an operator to work between the left closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 extending along the inner surface 8C of the left vertical plate 8 and the right closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 extending along the inner surface 9C of the right vertical plate 9.

[0059] Multiple open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39 connect the open-circuit control valve device 32 to the left-side travel hydraulic motor 3 and the right-side travel hydraulic motor 4 of the lower travel body 2. One end of each open-circuit actuator-side pipe 39 is attached to the front of the manifold block 24, and the other end, which extends from the front to the front, is connected to the center joint 35 (travel hydraulic motors 3, 4) etc. via a pipe support member 53.

[0060] Since the multiple open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39 are supported by the pipe support member 53, just like the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38, sufficient height space can be secured between the bottom plate 7 of the slewing frame 6 and the multiple open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39 for an operator to perform their work.

[0061] As shown in Figure 1, the working device 40 is located at the front of the upper slewing body 5. The working device 40 includes a boom 41 whose base end is rotatably attached to the top 8A of the left vertical plate 8 and the top 9A of the right vertical plate 9 of the slewing frame 6, an arm 42 rotatably attached to the tip of the boom 41, a bucket 43 rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 42, and a boom cylinder 44, an arm cylinder 45, and a bucket cylinder 46.

[0062] The boom cylinder 44 rotates the boom 41 relative to the slewing frame 6 and is located between the front 8B of the left vertical plate 8 and the front 9B of the right vertical plate 9 of the slewing frame 6 and the middle section of the boom 41. The arm cylinder 45 rotates the arm 42 relative to the boom 41 and is located between the boom 41 and the arm 42. The bucket cylinder 46 rotates the bucket 43 relative to the arm 42 and is located between the arm 42 and the bucket 43.

[0063] The boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, and bucket cylinder 46, acting as hydraulic actuators, extend and retract based on the hydraulic fluid (pressurized oil) from the closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 and the open-circuit hydraulic pump 31, thereby changing the posture of the work device 40. That is, during excavation work of soil and sand, for example, the boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, and bucket cylinder 46 extend and retract based on the operation of the left operating lever 11A and the right operating lever 11B, causing the boom 41, arm 42, and bucket 43 to rotate. This allows the bucket 43 to excavate soil and sand.

[0064] Here, the boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, and bucket cylinder 46 are configured as single-rod hydraulic cylinders and extend and retract based on the supply and discharge of hydraulic fluid. Specifically, the boom cylinder 44, arm cylinder 45, and bucket cylinder 46 are composed of a tube, a piston slidably inserted into the tube and dividing the inside of the tube into a bottom-side oil chamber and a rod-side oil chamber, and a rod whose base end is attached to the piston and whose tip end protrudes outside the tube.

[0065] The slewing device 47 is a device that rotates the upper slewing body 5 on the lower traveling body 2. The slewing device 47 comprises a slewing wheel 48 (see Figure 1) made of a large-diameter bearing that supports the upper slewing body 5 so that it can rotate on the lower traveling body 2, and a plurality of slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52 (see Figures 2 to 8) provided on the upper slewing body 5 that rotate the upper slewing body 5 along the slewing wheel 48 on the lower traveling body 2. The four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52 constitute a hydraulic actuator.

[0066] The four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 are mounted on the slewing frame 6 via a reduction gear (not shown). As shown in Figure 2, the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 are positioned between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, with two motors on each side sandwiching the center joint 35 in the front-rear direction.

[0067] The left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 is located on the bottom plate 7 above the slewing wheel 48, near the right side of the left vertical plate 8, which is located forward from the center joint 35. The left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 in the left-right direction.

[0068] Furthermore, a filter block 49A equipped with a filter 49B (see Figure 7) that captures foreign matter contained in the hydraulic fluid (pressurized oil) is mounted on top of the left front swing hydraulic motor 49. The filter 49B of the filter block 49A is regularly cleaned and replaced as part of its maintenance. The filter block 49A is positioned behind the left front swing hydraulic motor 49 so as to face the center joint 35 when viewed from above. In other words, the filter block 49A is positioned so as to face the work space 56, which will be described later.

[0069] Furthermore, the filter block 49A is connected, for example, to the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 via the left piping support block 54. In this case, the filter block 49A is positioned at a high location to facilitate the routing of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38.

[0070] The right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 is positioned on the bottom plate 7 located above the slewing wheel 48, near the left side of the right vertical plate 9, which is located forward from the center joint 35. The right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 is positioned at a predetermined distance from the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 in the left-right direction. In this case, the predetermined distance between the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 is a width dimension that allows an operator to pass through in a normal walking posture without having to assume a posture to avoid an obstacle. As a result, an access passage 57, described later, is formed between the slewing hydraulic motors 49 and 50.

[0071] Furthermore, a filter block 50A equipped with a filter 50B is mounted on the upper part of the right front swing hydraulic motor 50, at a rear position facing the center joint 35, i.e., the work space 56. The closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 is connected to the filter block 50A, for example, via the right piping support block 55. In this case, the filter block 50A is positioned at a high position to facilitate the routing of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38.

[0072] The left rear swing hydraulic motor 51 is located on the bottom plate 7 above the swing wheel 48, near the right side of the left vertical plate 8, which is located behind the center joint 35. Above the left rear swing hydraulic motor 51, a filter block 51A with a filter 51B is mounted in a forward position facing the center joint 35, i.e., the work space 56. The closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 is connected to the filter block 51A, for example, via the left piping support block 54. In this case, the filter block 51A is positioned high up to facilitate the routing of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38.

[0073] The right rear swing hydraulic motor 52 is located on the bottom plate 7 above the swing wheel 48, near the left side of the right vertical plate 9, which is located behind the center joint 35. Above the right rear swing hydraulic motor 52, a filter block 52A with a filter 52B is mounted in a forward position facing the center joint 35, i.e., the work space 56. The closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 is connected to the filter block 52A, for example, via the right piping support block 55. In this case, the filter block 52A is positioned high up to facilitate the routing of the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38.

[0074] The four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 are positioned higher than the center joint 35. This allows the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 to avoid the numerous pipes and wires connected to the center joint 35, making piping, wiring, and inspection work easier. Furthermore, the height of the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 is within a predetermined range from the top of the center joint 35. This predetermined range from the top of the center joint 35 means that the distance from the top of the center joint 35 is within a predetermined range set considering a person's height, build, etc. (for example, the range within which a worker standing on the top of the center joint 35 can reach (height position, distance from the top)). Therefore, a worker can use the center joint 35 as a step stool to perform piping, wiring, and inspection work on the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52. This eliminates the need to bring in a step stool, thus improving work efficiency.

[0075] The pipe support member 53 is provided across the upper part of the left vertical plate 8 and the upper part of the right vertical plate 9. More specifically, the left end of the pipe support member 53, which extends in the left-right direction, is attached to the rear side of the top 8A of the left vertical plate 8, and the left end is attached to the rear side of the top 9A of the right vertical plate 9. As a result, the pipe support member 53 is positioned higher than the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52. The pipe support member 53 supports multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39.

[0076] Here, since the pipe support member 53 is positioned high above the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39 supported by this pipe support member 53 can also be positioned higher than the four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52. As a result, a workspace 56, described later, with sufficient height for an operator to perform their work can be secured between the bottom plate 7 of the slewing frame 6 and the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39.

[0077] The left pipe support block 54 and the right pipe support block 55, which serve as pipe support blocks, are attached to the inner surfaces 8C of the left vertical plate 8 and 9C of the right vertical plate 9, respectively, which face each other. The left pipe support block 54 is positioned between the left front swing hydraulic motor 49 and the left rear swing hydraulic motor 51, and is located at a high position on the left vertical plate 8. Therefore, the left pipe support block 54 is positioned to the left, lateral to the center joint 35. Either the closed-circuit actuator-side pipe 38 or the open-circuit actuator-side pipe 39 is connected to the left pipe support block 54.

[0078] On the other hand, the right piping support block 55 is positioned between the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 and the right rear slewing hydraulic motor 52, and is located at a high position on the right vertical plate 9. Therefore, the right piping support block 55 is located to the right, lateral to the center joint 35. Either the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 or the open-circuit actuator-side piping 39 is connected to the right piping support block 55.

[0079] Here, the left pipe support block 54 is attached to the left vertical plate 8, and the right pipe support block 55 is attached to the right vertical plate 9. This ensures a predetermined distance between the left pipe support block 54 and the right pipe support block 55, providing a workspace 56 with sufficient width in the left-right direction for the worker to perform their duties.

[0080] Next, the configuration of the workspace 56 and the access passage 57, which are characteristic features of this embodiment, will be described.

[0081] The workspace 56 is located below the pipe support member 53, between the left front swivel hydraulic motor 49, the right front swivel hydraulic motor 50, the left rear swivel hydraulic motor 51, and the right rear swivel hydraulic motor 52. In other words, the workspace 56 is surrounded by the four swivel hydraulic motors 49-52 around the center joint 35. Inspection and replacement work on the center joint 35, swivel hydraulic motors 49-52 (filter blocks 49A-52A), various pipes, and wiring can be performed in the workspace 56.

[0082] The front-to-back range (dimensions) of the workspace 56 is the area between the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49, the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50, the left rear slewing hydraulic motor 51, and the right rear slewing hydraulic motor 52. The left-to-right range (dimensions) of the workspace 56 is the area between the left piping support block 54 and the right piping support block 55. Furthermore, the vertical range (height dimension) of the workspace 56 is the area between the bottom plate 7 of the slewing frame 6 and the piping support member 53 (the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 and the open-circuit actuator-side piping 39 supported by the piping support member 53).

[0083] The workspace 56 is formed between the left pipe support block 54 and the right pipe support block 55. Therefore, the workspace 56 is formed using almost the entire space between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9. Furthermore, the pipe support member 53 that defines the upper limit (ceiling position) of the workspace 56 is positioned near the highest points 8A and 9A of the slewing frame 6, so there is sufficient height for work, specifically vertical space that allows the worker to stand and work in a natural posture. In addition, in the workspace 56, the worker can stand on top of the center joint 35 and perform piping work, wiring work, inspection work, etc. for the four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52.

[0084] The access passage 57 is located between the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50. As indicated by the arrow in Figure 4, the access passage 57 is a passage for entering and exiting the work space 56 from the front of the slewing frame 6 (bottom plate 7). In this way, with the access passage 57 located between the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50, workers can enter and exit the work space 56 by walking on the bottom plate 7 of the slewing frame 6.

[0085] As shown in Figure 8, the controller 58 is connected via signal lines to the operating device 11, the multiple control valves 25 of the closed-circuit control valve device 23, and the control valve 33 of the open-circuit control valve device 32. The controller 58 can switch each of the control valves 25, 33 based on signals from the operating device 11.

[0086] Furthermore, the tank-side piping 59 connects the manifold block 24 of the closed-circuit control valve device 23 and the open-circuit control valve device 32 to the hydraulic oil tank 17.

[0087] The hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment has the configuration described above, and its operation will now be explained.

[0088] The operator, seated in the cab 10, starts the engine 12 to drive the closed-circuit hydraulic pump 22 and the open-circuit hydraulic pump 31. In this state, the lower vehicle 2 can be moved forward or backward by operating the left and right travel levers and pedals 11C and 11D. Meanwhile, the work device 40 can be rotated by operating the left operation lever 11A and the right operation lever 11B to perform tasks such as excavating soil.

[0089] Thus, in this embodiment, the left front swivel hydraulic motor 49, the right front swivel hydraulic motor 50, the left rear swivel hydraulic motor 51, and the right rear swivel hydraulic motor 52 are positioned between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, sandwiching the center joint 35 in the front-rear direction. Above the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9, a pipe support member 53 is provided, extending in the left-right direction across the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9 at a higher position than the four swivel hydraulic motors 49-52, supporting a plurality of closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39. The left front swivel hydraulic motor 49, the right front swivel hydraulic motor 50, the left rear swivel hydraulic motor 51, and the right rear swivel hydraulic motor 52 are located below the pipe support member 53 and are positioned apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction.

[0090] Therefore, the multiple closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39 are supported by pipe support members 53 located higher than the four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52. This ensures vertical space between the slewing frame 6 and the closed-circuit actuator-side pipes 38 and open-circuit actuator-side pipes 39. In addition, the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 are positioned at a predetermined distance from each other in the front-rear direction, with the left rear slewing hydraulic motor 51 and the right rear slewing hydraulic motor 52 separated from each other. This ensures front-rear space between the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 and the left rear slewing hydraulic motor 51 and the right rear slewing hydraulic motor 52.

[0091] As a result, even when four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 are mounted on the slewing frame 6, a workspace 56 can be formed that has sufficient space in both the vertical and longitudinal directions. In this workspace 56, the equipment including the center joint 35 and the slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 can be maintained on the vehicle body while standing in a natural posture, thus improving the work efficiency when performing maintenance.

[0092] Furthermore, a left piping support block 54 and a right piping support block 55 are provided on the inner surfaces 8C of the left vertical plate 8 and 9C of the right vertical plate 9, which face each other, and are located to the side of the center joint 35 to which the closed-circuit actuator-side piping 38 or the open-circuit actuator-side piping 39 is connected. The left front slewing hydraulic motor 49, the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50, the left rear slewing hydraulic motor 51, and the right rear slewing hydraulic motor 52 are positioned between the left piping support block 54 and the right piping support block 55. This allows for sufficient space in the left-right direction between the left piping support block 54 and the right piping support block 55, specifically, a working space 56 that is almost the entire space between the left vertical plate 8 and the right vertical plate 9. As a result, workability in the working space 56 can be improved.

[0093] Furthermore, the left front slewing hydraulic motor 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 are arranged with a predetermined distance between them in the left-right direction. Therefore, an access passage 57 can be formed between the two left front slewing hydraulic motors 49 and the right front slewing hydraulic motor 50 for entering and exiting the workspace 56 from the front of the slewing frame 6. As a result, workers can easily enter and exit the workspace 56 by passing through the access passage 57, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0094] Furthermore, the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52 are positioned higher than the center joint 35, and are arranged so that their distance from the top of the center joint 35 is within a predetermined range. Therefore, workers can use the center joint 35 as a step stool to perform piping work, wiring work, inspection work, etc., on the four slewing hydraulic motors 49-52. This eliminates the need to bring in a step stool, thus improving work efficiency.

[0095] Furthermore, filter blocks 49A to 52A, each equipped with filters 49B to 52B to capture foreign matter contained in the pressurized oil, are mounted on the four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52, facing the center joint 35. This allows workers in the workspace 56 formed around the center joint 35 to easily reach the filter blocks 49A to 52A of the four slewing hydraulic motors 49 to 52, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0096] In this embodiment, the left front swivel hydraulic motor 49 and the right front swivel hydraulic motor 50 are positioned on the front side of the center joint 35, and the left rear swivel hydraulic motor 51 and the right rear swivel hydraulic motor 52 are positioned on the rear side of the center joint 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and for example, one swivel hydraulic motor may be positioned on the front side of the center joint and one swivel hydraulic motor may be positioned on the rear side of the center joint.

[0097] Furthermore, in the embodiments, a hydraulic excavator 1 equipped with a backhoe-type working device 40 was used as an example to describe the construction machine. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be broadly applied to other construction machines such as hydraulic excavators equipped with a loading shovel-type working device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1. Hydraulic excavator (construction machinery) 2 Lower running body 3. Left-side travel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 4. Right-side travel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 5. Upper rotating body 6. Swivel Frame 7 Bottom plate 8 Left vertical board 8C,9C inner surface 9 Right vertical board 12. Engine (prime mover) 22. Closed-circuit hydraulic pump (hydraulic pump) 23. Control valve device for closed circuits (control valve device) 24 Manifold Block 25 Control valve for closed circuits 31. Open-circuit hydraulic pump (hydraulic pump) 32. Open-circuit control valve device (control valve device) 33 Control valve for open circuit 35 Center Joint 36. Closed-circuit pump-side piping (pump-side piping) 37. Open-circuit pump-side piping (pump-side piping) 38. Piping on the actuator side for closed circuits (actuator-side piping) 39. Piping on the actuator side for open circuits (actuator-side piping) 40 Working equipment 41 Boom 42 Arms 43 buckets 44 Boom Cylinder (Hydraulic Actuator, Hydraulic Cylinder) 45. Arm Cylinder (Hydraulic Actuator, Hydraulic Cylinder) 46. ​​Bucket Cylinder (Hydraulic Actuator, Hydraulic Cylinder) 47. Swivel device 48 Swivel Wheel 49. Left front swivel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 49A, 50A, 51A, 52A filter blocks 49B, 50B, 51B, 52B filters 50 Right front swivel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 51. Left rear swivel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 52 Right rear swivel hydraulic motor (hydraulic actuator) 53 Pipe support member 54 Left pipe support block (pipe support block) 55 Right pipe support block (pipe support block)

Claims

1. It comprises a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body via a swivel mechanism, and a working device mounted at the front of the upper rotating body and rotated by a hydraulic cylinder, The aforementioned swivel device is A slewing wheel that rotatably supports the upper slewing body on the lower traveling body, The system includes a pivoting hydraulic motor provided on the upper pivoting body, which pivots the upper pivoting body along the pivoting wheel on the lower traveling body, The upper rotating body is, A slewing frame is provided, on which a bottom plate is supported on the lower traveling body via the slewing wheel, and a left vertical plate and a right vertical plate are erected with a gap in the left-right direction between them, extending in the front-rear direction. The prime mover is located on the rear side of the aforementioned slewing frame, A hydraulic pump driven by the aforementioned prime mover, A control valve device is provided on the swing frame located in front of the prime mover, and has a plurality of control valves attached to the manifold block. A center joint is provided at the pivot center of the aforementioned slewing wheel, and allows pressurized oil to flow between the lower traveling body and the upper slewing body, Multiple pump-side pipes connecting the hydraulic pump and the manifold block, Multiple actuator-side piping connecting the manifold block, the hydraulic cylinder of the work device, the slewing hydraulic motor of the slewing device, and the center joint, In a construction machine equipped with, Multiple slewing hydraulic motors are positioned between the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate, sandwiching the center joint in the front-rear direction. Above the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate, a pipe support member is provided that extends horizontally across the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate at a position higher than the plurality of slewing hydraulic motors, and supports the plurality of actuator-side pipes. A construction machine characterized in that the front and rear slewing hydraulic motors are located below the pipe support member and are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction.

2. In the construction machine described in claim 1, On the inner surfaces of the left vertical plate and the right vertical plate, which face each other, are provided a left pipe support block and a right pipe support block, which are located to the side of the center joint and to which the actuator-side piping is connected. A construction machine characterized in that the front slewing hydraulic motor and the rear slewing hydraulic motor are arranged between the left pipe support block and the right pipe support block.

3. In the construction machine described in claim 1, The construction machine is characterized in that two of the aforementioned front-side slewing hydraulic motors are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction.

4. In the construction machine described in claim 1, The construction machine is characterized in that the slewing hydraulic motor is positioned higher than the center joint and is positioned such that the distance from the top of the center joint is within a predetermined range.

5. In the construction machine described in claim 1, A construction machine characterized in that each of the aforementioned multiple slewing hydraulic motors is fitted with a filter block that captures foreign matter contained in the pressurized oil, positioned facing the center joint.

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