Construction machinery

Abstract

To detect that an opening / closing cover constituting an external cover is at an open position.SOLUTION: A hydraulic shovel 1 includes: a self-propelled lower travelling body 2; an upper turning body 3 which is turnably mounted on the lower travelling body 2 and has a device storage part 16; and an external cover 12 which is provided on the upper turning body 3, and includes an engine cover 18 moving between a close position where the device storage part 16 is closed and an open position where the device storage part 16 is opened. The hydraulic shovel 1 includes an object detection sensor 25 for detecting an object existing around a vehicle body, and the object detection sensor 25 is arranged at a position where the engine cover 18 is detected in the state of being at the open position. Accordingly, when the engine cover 18 is at the open position, the engine cover 18 is detected by the object detection sensor 25, and accordingly the object detection sensor 25 is used, which can accurately detect whether or not the engine cover 18 is at the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators, for example.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a hydraulic excavator, which is a representative example of construction machinery, has a vehicle body composed of a self - propelled lower traveling body and an upper revolving body that is rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body. A working device is provided on the front side of the upper revolving body. The hydraulic excavator moves forward or backward by the lower traveling body to reach a work site and performs excavation work or the like using the working device.

[0003] Some construction machinery such as hydraulic excavators is known to be equipped with an object detection sensor that detects objects such as other construction machinery, structures, and workers existing in the surroundings. This object detection sensor is composed of, for example, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, etc., and notifies the operator that an object has entered the detection range formed around the construction machinery.

[0004] The upper revolving body of a hydraulic excavator is composed of a revolving frame serving as a base, mounted equipment such as an engine, a hydraulic pump, and a heat exchanger mounted on the revolving frame, an exterior cover provided on the revolving frame to cover the mounted equipment, a counterweight, etc. The exterior cover is composed of a plurality of covers attached to support members or the like, and some of the covers constituting the exterior cover are opening - closing covers attached to the support members via a hinge mechanism. This opening - closing cover moves between an open position and a closed position around the hinge mechanism and holds the open position when the hydraulic excavator is stopped for inspection and maintenance of mounted equipment such as the engine. On the other hand, when the hydraulic excavator is operating, the opening - closing cover is held in the closed position to cover the mounted equipment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Here, after stopping the hydraulic excavator to perform inspections and maintenance on the mounted equipment, the operator may operate the excavator again without realizing or forgetting that the opening / closing cover is still held in the open position. In this case, the opening / closing cover, which remains in the open position, protrudes outward from the vehicle body, and there is a problem that the cover or the surrounding structure may be damaged if it collides with it, for example, when the upper rotating body rotates.

[0007] In contrast, conventional object detection sensors detect objects behind construction machinery when it is reversing, are installed at the rear of the vehicle, and are not configured to detect the state of the vehicle itself. Therefore, when detecting whether the opening / closing cover on a hydraulic excavator is in the open position, as described above, it is necessary to use a different sensor from the object detection sensor that detects other objects in the surrounding area, which increases the number of sensors installed on the vehicle. Furthermore, parts and electrical wiring are required to attach various sensors, which further increases the number of parts installed on the vehicle and makes the configuration more complex, and also leads to a higher incidence of sensor failures and damage due to vibrations of the vehicle.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a construction machine that can detect other objects in the surroundings and detect when an opening / closing cover constituting the exterior cover is in the open position, while suppressing an increase in the number of parts equipped on the vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a construction machine comprising a self-propelled lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body and having an equipment housing section, and an exterior cover provided on the upper rotating body, including an opening / closing cover that moves between a closed position that closes the equipment housing section and an open position that opens the equipment housing section, wherein the upper rotating body is provided with an object detection sensor that detects objects present around the vehicle body, and the object detection sensor is positioned to detect the opening / closing cover when it is in the open position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, when the opening / closing cover is in the open position, the opening / closing cover enters the detection range of the object detection sensor. Therefore, the object detection sensor can be used to accurately detect whether the opening / closing cover is in the open or closed position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a right side view of a hydraulic excavator according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the right side with the engine cover in the closed position. [Figure 2] This is a right side view of a hydraulic excavator with the engine cover in the open position. [Figure 3] This is a rear view of a hydraulic excavator with the engine cover in the closed position. [Figure 4] This is a rear view showing a hydraulic excavator with the engine cover in the open position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the construction machinery according to the present invention will be described in detail, using a rear-swing type hydraulic excavator as an example, with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the forward / backward, left / right, and up / down directions are based on the viewpoint of the operator seated in the driver's seat of the hydraulic excavator.

[0013] A typical example of construction machinery, the hydraulic excavator 1, comprises a self-propelled crawler-type lower vehicle 2 and an upper rotating vehicle 3 that is rotatably mounted on the lower vehicle 2. The lower vehicle 2 and the upper rotating vehicle 3 together constitute the body of the hydraulic excavator 1.

[0014] The upper rotating body 3 is equipped with a swing-type working device 4 located in front of the driver's cab 10 (described later), and this working device 4 is used for excavation work of earth and sand. The lower traveling body 2 is equipped with a soil removal device (blade) 5 in front, and this soil removal device 5 is used for leveling work.

[0015] The working device 4 comprises a swing post 4A mounted on the front end of the slewing frame 6 (described later) so as to be able to swing from side to side, a boom 4B mounted on the swing post 4A so as to be able to move up and down, an arm (not shown) mounted rotatably on the tip of the boom 4B, a bucket (not shown) mounted rotatably on the tip of the arm, and a boom cylinder 4C, an arm cylinder, and a bucket cylinder (none of which are shown). A swing cylinder (not shown) is also provided between the slewing frame 6 and the swing post 4A to allow the swing post 4A to swing from side to side.

[0016] The upper rotating body 3 consists of a rotating frame 6, onboard equipment such as the engine 7, a driver's cab 10, an exterior cover 12, a counterweight 17, a canopy 20, and the like.

[0017] The slewing frame 6 serves as the base for the upper slewing body 3 and is mounted on the lower traveling body 2 via a slewing mechanism. A support bracket 6A protruding forward is provided on the front side of the slewing frame 6, and the swing post 4A of the work device 4 is supported on the support bracket 6A so as to be able to swing from side to side. A counterweight 17, which will be described later, is provided on the rear side of the slewing frame 6, and this counterweight 17 maintains the weight balance with the work device 4.

[0018] The engine 7 as the prime mover is arranged on the front side of the counterweight 17. As shown in Fig. 4, the engine 7 is mounted on the swing frame 6 in a horizontally-mounted state where the crankshaft (not shown) extends in the left and right directions, and drives the hydraulic pump 8. Note that as the prime mover, an electric motor or a hybrid prime mover combining an engine and an electric motor can be used.

[0019] The hydraulic pump 8 is provided on the left side of the engine 7. The hydraulic pump 8 sucks and pressurizes the hydraulic oil when driven by the engine 7, and supplies this hydraulic oil (pressurized oil) to various hydraulic actuators mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1. A heat exchanger 9 is provided on the right side of the engine 7. The heat exchanger 9 radiates the heat of the engine cooling water, hydraulic oil, etc. heated during the operation of the hydraulic excavator 1 into the cooling air, and cools these engine cooling water, hydraulic oil, etc. The engine 7, the hydraulic pump 8, and the heat exchanger 9 constitute the mounted equipment mounted on the swing frame 6 and are covered by the exterior cover 12.

[0020] The driver's seat 10 is located on the front side of the counterweight 17 and provided on the swing frame 6. The driver's seat 10 is for the operator who operates the hydraulic excavator 1 to sit. On the front left side of the driver's seat 10, an entrance / exit is formed for the operator to get on and off the riding space where the driver's seat 10 is located. On the left and right sides sandwiching the driver's seat 10, left and right operation lever devices 11 for operating the swing device and the working device 4 are provided. Also, on the front side of the driver's seat 10, left and right travel lever - pedal devices (not shown) for controlling the travel operation of the lower traveling body 2 are provided.

[0021] The exterior cover 12 is disposed in front of the counterweight 17 and is supported by a support member (not shown) provided on the swivel frame 6. The exterior cover 12 includes a left cover 13, a right rear cover 14, a right front cover 15, and an engine cover 18 described later, and defines an equipment housing portion 16 on the swivel frame 6. Mounted equipment such as the engine 7, hydraulic pump 8, heat exchanger 9, oil storage tank (not shown) such as a hydraulic oil tank and a fuel tank, etc. mounted on the swivel frame 6 are housed in the equipment housing portion 16 in a state covered by the exterior cover 12.

[0022] The left cover 13 extends from the left end portion of the counterweight 17 to the left side of the driver's seat 10. The left cover 13 is attached to a support member or the like (not shown) provided on the swivel frame 6 and covers the hydraulic pump 8 and the like from the left side. The right rear cover 14 extends from the right end portion of the counterweight 17 to the right side of the driver's seat 10. The front end side of the right rear cover 14 is attached to a support member (both not shown) via a hinge mechanism, and the rear end side of the right rear cover 14 rotates in the front-rear direction about the hinge mechanism. Thereby, the right rear cover 14 is an opening / closing cover that moves between a closed position where it closes the equipment housing portion 16 and covers the heat exchanger 9 from the right side, and an open position where it opens the equipment housing portion 16 and exposes the heat exchanger 9 to the outside.

[0023] The right front cover 15 extends from the front end portion of the right rear cover 14 to the front end side of the swivel frame 6. The right front cover 15 is composed of a right front lower cover 15A that covers an oil storage tank (not shown) from the right side, and a right front upper cover 15B disposed above the right front lower cover 15A. The rear end side of the right front upper cover 15B is attached to a support member (both not shown) via a hinge mechanism, and the front end side of the right front upper cover 15B rotates in the vertical direction about the hinge mechanism. Thereby, the right front upper cover 15B is an opening / closing cover that moves between a closed position where it closes the equipment housing portion 16 and covers the oil storage tank from above, and an open position where it opens the equipment housing portion 16 and exposes the oil storage tank to the outside.

[0024] The counterweight 17 is located behind the driver's seat 10 and is provided at the rear end of the slewing frame 6. The counterweight 17 is a heavy, rectangular frame-shaped object with an inspection opening 17A in the center, and is integrally formed by casting. The counterweight 17 rises upward from the rear end of the slewing frame 6 and covers the mounted equipment such as the engine 7, hydraulic pump 8, and heat exchanger 9 from the rear.

[0025] The inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17 is located in the center of the counterweight 17 in the vertical and horizontal directions and consists of a rectangular corner hole that penetrates the counterweight 17 in the front-to-back direction. The inspection opening 17A communicates with the equipment housing 16, which is surrounded by the outer cover 12 and the counterweight 17, and is covered by the engine cover 18, which will be described later, when the engine cover 18 is in the closed position. This allows inspection work on the engine 7, hydraulic pump 8, etc., housed in the equipment housing 16 to be performed from outside the equipment housing 16 through the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17.

[0026] The upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 is a horizontally extending flat surface and forms the same plane as the upper surface 12A of the exterior cover 12, which consists of the left cover 13 and the right rear cover 14. The canopy mounting member 21, object detection sensor 25, etc., which will be described later, are attached to the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17. The rear surface 17C of the counterweight 17 is an arc-shaped convex curved surface centered on the pivot center of the upper rotating body 3, enabling the hydraulic excavator 1 to make a small rearward swing.

[0027] The engine cover 18, which functions as an opening and closing cover, is located on the rear surface 17C of the counterweight 17. The engine cover 18, together with the left cover 13, the right rear cover 14, and the right front cover 15, constitutes part of the exterior cover 12. The engine cover 18 is formed in a rectangular plate shape and covers the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17 in an openable and closable manner.

[0028] Link mechanisms 19 are provided between the left and right inner surfaces of the inspection opening 17A formed in the counterweight 17 and the engine cover 18. The engine cover 18 is supported by the link mechanisms 19 and moves vertically between a closed position, where the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17 is closed, as shown in Figure 3, and an open position, where the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17 is open, as shown in Figure 4. When the engine cover 18 is in the closed position, the upper edge 18A of the engine cover 18 is lower than the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 and the upper surface 12A of the exterior cover 12. On the other hand, when the engine cover 18 is in the open position, the upper edge 18A of the engine cover 18 protrudes above the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 and the upper surface 12A of the exterior cover 12. That is, the engine cover 18 in the open position protrudes further outward from the vehicle body (outward from the upper rotating body 3) than the engine cover 18 in the closed position.

[0029] When performing inspection work on the engine 7, hydraulic pump 8, etc., housed in the equipment housing 16, the engine cover 18 is moved upward from the closed position and held in the open position, as shown in Figure 4. This opens the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17, exposing the engine 7, etc. to the outside, allowing the worker to access the engine 7, etc., housed in the equipment housing 16 from the rear side 17C of the counterweight 17 through the inspection opening 17A.

[0030] The canopy 20 is attached to the counterweight 17 via a canopy mounting member 21. The canopy 20 is configured as a two-pillar canopy, comprising a canopy mounting member 21 fixed to the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17, left and right support columns 22 attached to the canopy mounting member 21 and extending upward, and a roof 23 provided above these left and right support columns 22 to cover the driver's seat 10 from above. An exhaust pipe 24 for discharging exhaust gas from the engine 7 is located at the rear of the canopy 20. The exhaust pipe 24 extends upward from the counterweight 17, and the upper end (exhaust port) of the exhaust pipe 24 opens backward at a position higher than the head of the operator seated in the driver's seat 10.

[0031] Next, the object detection sensor 25 used in this embodiment will be described.

[0032] The object detection sensor 25 is located on the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17. The object detection sensor 25 detects other construction machinery, structures, workers, and other objects present around the body of the hydraulic excavator 1 (for example, behind the upper rotating body 3). For this reason, the object detection sensor 25 is positioned to detect objects located below the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 and behind the rear surface 17C of the counterweight 17. The object detection sensor 25 is configured, for example, as a LiDAR, which emits laser light such as infrared light towards the rear of the upper rotating body 3 and detects the presence of an object behind the upper rotating body 3 by detecting when this laser light hits an object and bounces back.

[0033] When the object detection sensor 25 detects the presence of an object behind the upper rotating body 3, the operator is notified by a warning light 26 located to the right of the driver's seat 10. Specifically, the warning light 26 has, for example, a green light and a red light. When the object detection sensor 25 is operating while the hydraulic excavator 1 is running, the green light illuminates, and when the object detection sensor 25 detects an object, both the green and red lights illuminate. Therefore, the operator sitting in the driver's seat 10 can determine whether or not an object is present behind the upper rotating body 3 by the color of the illuminated warning light 26.

[0034] Here, the object detection sensor 25 is positioned above the engine cover 18 in the closed position and is positioned below the object detection sensor 25 to detect objects. As a result, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the object detection sensor 25 has a detection range A (shown by the dashed line in the figures) that extends horizontally while being tilted diagonally downward from above the counterweight 17 toward the rear, and detects objects that enter this detection range A. Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, when the engine cover 18 is in the open position and its upper edge 18A protrudes above the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17, and the engine cover 18 is positioned behind the object detection sensor 25, the engine cover 18 enters the detection range A of the object detection sensor 25.

[0035] Thus, when the engine cover 18 is in the closed position, the exterior cover 12, including the engine cover 18, is not within the detection range A of the object detection sensor 25. However, when the engine cover 18 is in the open position, the object detection sensor 25 is located in a place where the engine cover 18 is within the detection range A, namely the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17, and behind the driver's seat 10. This configuration allows the object detection sensor 25 to accurately detect whether the engine cover 18, which is difficult for the operator seated in the driver's seat 10 to see, is in the open position, and the operator can be notified by the warning light 26.

[0036] The hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment has the configuration described above. When performing excavation work using the hydraulic excavator 1, the operator sits in the driver's seat 10 and operates the travel lever / pedal device (not shown) to move the hydraulic excavator 1 to the desired work site. After moving to the desired work site, the operator operates the operating lever device 11 to rotate the upper slewing body 3 and raise and lower the work device 4, thereby performing excavation work and the like.

[0037] When the hydraulic excavator 1 is in operation, the object detection sensor 25 activates to detect whether or not an object is present behind the upper rotating body 3. Specifically, when no object is present within the detection range A of the object detection sensor 25, the green light of the warning light 26 illuminates, and when an object enters the detection range A of the object detection sensor 25, both the green and red lights of the warning light 26 illuminate. In this way, the operator can determine whether or not an object is present behind the upper rotating body 3 by the color of the illuminated warning light 26, and can perform excavation work using the hydraulic excavator 1 with a full understanding of the safety behind the upper rotating body 3.

[0038] In this case, when performing inspection work on the engine 7, for example, the operator stops the hydraulic excavator 1 and moves the engine cover 18 from the closed position to the open position to open the inspection opening 17A of the counterweight 17. In this way, with the engine 7 exposed to the outside, the inspection work on the engine 7 is performed from the rear side 17C of the counterweight 17 through the inspection opening 17A.

[0039] At this time, after the inspection work on the engine 7 is completed, for example, the operator may forget to move the engine cover 18 to the closed position and operate the hydraulic excavator 1 while sitting in the driver's seat 10 with the engine cover 18 in the open position. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the engine cover 18 is in the open position, the engine cover 18 is within the detection range A of the object detection sensor 25. Therefore, the object detection sensor 25 detects that the engine cover 18 is in the open position, and the green and red warning lights 26 illuminate. As a result, even if the operator forgets to move the engine cover 18 from the open position to the closed position, or operates the hydraulic excavator 1 without realizing that the engine cover 18 is in the open position, the operator can be reliably notified that the engine cover 18 is in the open position.

[0040] Furthermore, the object detection sensor 25 is installed on the counterweight 17 that constitutes the upper rotating body 3. This allows the object detection sensor 25 to constantly detect whether the engine cover 18 is in the open position, regardless of the rotational movement of the upper rotating body 3. Therefore, compared to the case where a dedicated sensor is installed to detect whether the engine cover 18 is in the open position, problems such as an increase in the number of parts, including cables (electrical wiring) connected to the sensor and mounting fixtures for attaching the sensor to the vehicle body, and problems such as an increase in inspection and maintenance work for the sensors can be avoided.

[0041] Thus, the hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment comprises a self-propelled lower traveling body 2, an upper rotating body 3 rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body 2 and having an equipment housing section 16, and an exterior cover 12 provided on the upper rotating body 3, which includes an engine cover 18 that moves between a closed position that closes the equipment housing section 16 and an open position that opens the equipment housing section 16. The hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with an object detection sensor 25 that detects objects present around the vehicle body, and the object detection sensor 25 is positioned to detect the engine cover 18 when it is in the open position.

[0042] With this configuration, the object detection sensor 25 can accurately detect whether or not the engine cover 18, which is in a position that is difficult for the operator seated in the driver's seat 10 to see, is in the open position.

[0043] In this embodiment, the object detection sensor 25 is positioned above the engine cover 18 in the closed position and positioned below the object detection sensor 25 to detect objects that are below it. In the open position, the engine cover 18 protrudes further outward from the vehicle body than in the closed position. With this configuration, the object detection sensor 25 can be used to detect when the engine cover 18 in the open position protrudes further outward from the vehicle body.

[0044] In this embodiment, the system includes a driver's seat 10 provided on the upper rotating body 3, a work device 4 provided on the upper rotating body 3 located in front of the driver's seat 10, and a counterweight 17 provided on the upper rotating body 3 located behind the driver's seat 10, having an inspection opening 17A that is covered by the engine cover 18 when the engine cover 18 is in the closed position. The object detection sensor 25 is provided on the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 and is configured to detect objects located behind the rear surface 17C of the counterweight 17. With this configuration, the engine cover 18, which is in the open position behind the rear surface 17C of the counterweight 17, can be detected using the object detection sensor 25.

[0045] In this embodiment, the engine cover 18 moves vertically between a closed position and an open position, and when in the open position, the engine cover 18 protrudes above the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17. With this configuration, the fact that the engine cover 18 has moved to the open position and protrudes above the upper surface 17B of the counterweight 17 can be detected using the object detection sensor 25.

[0046] In this embodiment, an engine cover 18 that opens and closes an inspection opening 17A by moving vertically relative to the counterweight 17 is exemplified as the opening / closing cover, and an object detection sensor 25 that detects an object located behind the upper rotating body 3 is exemplified as the object detection sensor, and a configuration in which the engine cover 18 is in the open position is described using this object detection sensor 25. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a right rear cover 14 that opens and closes in the left-right direction may be applied as the opening / closing cover, and an object detection sensor that detects an object located to the right of the upper rotating body 3 may be applied as the object detection sensor, and the configuration in which the right rear cover 14 is in the open position is detected when the right rear cover 14, which has moved to the open position, enters the detection range of this object detection sensor.

[0047] Furthermore, in the embodiment, an example is given in which the operator is notified by the color of the warning light 26 when the object detection sensor 25 detects that the engine cover 18 is in the open position. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other notification means such as voice synthesis or buzzer sounds may also be used. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1. Hydraulic excavator 2. Lower running body (vehicle body) 3. Upper rotating body (vehicle body) 4. Working equipment 7. Engine (Onboard Equipment) 10. Driver's seat 12 Exterior Cover 12A top 16 Equipment housing section 17 Counterweight 17B Top surface 17C Back 18. Engine cover (opening / closing cover) 25 Object detection sensors A Detection range

Claims

1. a self-propelled lower traveling body; an upper rotating body rotatably mounted on the lower traveling body and having an equipment storage section; a construction machine provided with an exterior cover including an opening / closing cover that is provided on the upper rotating body and moves between a closed position that closes the equipment storage section and an open position that opens the equipment storage section, an object detection sensor provided on the upper rotating body to detect an object present around the vehicle body; The construction machine is characterized in that the object detection sensor is disposed in a position where it can detect the opening and closing cover when it is in the open position.

2. the object detection sensor is positioned above the opening / closing cover when the opening / closing cover is in the closed position and is provided to detect an object present below the object detection sensor, 2. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the openable cover in the open position protrudes further outward from the vehicle body than the openable cover in the closed position.

3. A driver's seat provided on the upper rotating body; a working device provided on the upper rotating body and positioned forward of the driver's seat; a counterweight provided on the upper rotating body and positioned rearward of the driver's seat, the counterweight having an opening that is covered by the opening / closing cover when the opening / closing cover is in the closed position; Equipped with 3. The construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the object detection sensor is provided on an upper surface of the counterweight so as to detect an object present below the upper surface of the counterweight and behind the back surface of the counterweight.

4. the open / close cover moves up and down between the closed position and the open position, 4. The construction machine according to claim 3, wherein the openable cover in the open position protrudes above an upper surface of the counterweight.

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