Work machine

Abstract

A work machine 1 includes: a battery device 70; an electric motor 30 that is driven by the battery device 70; and a hydraulic pump 40 that is disposed above or below the electric motor 30 and that is driven by the electric motor 30.

Description

Work machinery

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a work machine equipped with a battery device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric work machine that includes a battery device, an electric motor driven by the battery device, and a hydraulic pump driven by the electric motor.

[0003] In a work machine in which a battery device is used as the power source for the hydraulic pump, a relatively large battery capacity is required, and therefore the size of the battery device tends to be large. As a result, it can be difficult to secure space for arranging the electric motor and the hydraulic pump within the limited space in the work machine.

[0004] Patent No. 7156878

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a work machine in which it is easy to ensure space for arranging an electric motor and space for arranging a hydraulic pump, even when the power source of the hydraulic pump is a battery device.

[0006] A work machine according to a first aspect includes a battery device, an electric motor driven by the battery device, and a hydraulic pump disposed above or below the electric motor and driven by the electric motor.

[0007]

[0016] Fig. 1 is a side view of a work machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Fig. 2 is a plan view of an upper rotating body of the work machine as seen from above, showing a state in which an outer wall defining a machine room has been removed; and

[0018] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a battery device, an electric motor, and a hydraulic pump of the work machine.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] The work machine 1 according to this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is an electric work machine equipped with a battery device as a power source for a hydraulic pump. The work machine 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a hydraulic excavator.

[0010] The work machine 1 comprises a lower running body 10 capable of running on the ground G, an upper rotating body 12 mounted on the lower running body 10 so as to be rotatable around a rotation center axis Cs extending in the vertical direction, and a work device 14 mounted on the upper rotating body 12.

[0011] The lower traveling structure 10 includes a pair of right crawlers 11R and left crawlers 11L disposed on the right and left, respectively. The right crawlers 11R and left crawlers 11L are each operated to cause the lower traveling structure 10 to travel on the ground G.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upper rotating body 12 includes a rotating frame 16, a cab 18 serving as an operator's compartment, a battery device 70, an electric motor 30, a hydraulic pump 40, a tank 80, a counterweight 50, and an outer wall 60.

[0013] The rotating frame 16 is a member that constitutes the base portion of the upper rotating body 12, and supports the cab 18, the battery device 70, the electric motor 30, the hydraulic pump 40, the tank 80, the counterweight 50, and the outer wall 60. The cab 18 is located in the front portion of the upper rotating body 12, on the left side of the work implement 14. However, the cab 18 may also be located on the right side of the work implement 14.

[0014] The outer wall 60 defines a machinery compartment 60S. The outer wall 60 is disposed, for example, behind the cab 18. The outer wall 60 may be disposed not only behind the cab 18 but also to the side of the cab 18. The outer wall 60 includes an upper wall disposed above the revolving frame 16, a rear wall extending from the revolving frame 16 to the rear edge of the upper wall, a right wall extending from the revolving frame 16 to the right edge of the upper wall, a left wall extending from the revolving frame 16 to the left edge of the upper wall, and a front wall extending from the revolving frame 16 to the front edge of the upper wall. The rear wall of the outer wall 60 and the counterweight 50 disposed along the rear wall each have a bow-shaped curved shape (e.g., a circular arc shape) as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0015] Inside the machinery room 60S, electric equipment including a battery device 70 and an electric motor 30, and hydraulic equipment including a hydraulic pump 40 and a tank 80 are arranged. The tank 80 stores hydraulic oil to be supplied to the hydraulic pump 40. The battery device 70, the electric motor 30, the hydraulic pump 40, and the counterweight 50 will be described later.

[0016] The work device 14 includes a boom 21, an arm 22, and a bucket 24. The boom 21 is supported by the swivel frame 16 so as to be able to rise and fall. The arm 22 is attached to the tip of the boom 21 so as to be able to rotate up and down relative to the boom 21. The bucket 24 is attached to the tip of the arm 22 so as to be able to rotate up and down relative to the arm 22. The bucket 24 is a tip attachment used for, for example, excavation work. The tip attachment is not limited to the bucket 24, and may be other devices such as a fork, a grapple, or a lifting magnet.

[0017] The work machine 1 has a boom cylinder 26, an arm cylinder 27, and a bucket cylinder 28. The boom cylinder 26 is a hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts when hydraulic oil is supplied from a hydraulic pump 40, causing the boom 21 to rotate in the raising and lowering direction relative to the revolving frame 16. The arm cylinder 27 is a hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts when hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic pump 40, causing the arm 22 to rotate up and down relative to the boom 21. The bucket cylinder 28 is a hydraulic cylinder that extends and retracts when hydraulic oil is supplied from the hydraulic pump 40, causing the bucket 24 to rotate up and down relative to the arm 22.

[0018] Next, the battery device 70, electric motor 30, hydraulic pump 40, and counterweight 50 will be described. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper rotating body 12 of the work machine 1 as seen from above, showing a state in which the outer wall 60 that defines the machine room 60S has been removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the battery device 70, electric motor 30, and hydraulic pump 40 of the work machine 1.

[0019] The battery device 70, the electric motor 30, and the hydraulic pump 40 are disposed inside the machine room 60S.

[0020] The battery device 70 is disposed at the rear of the revolving frame 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the battery device 70 is disposed along the front surface 50S of the counterweight 50. By disposing the battery device 70, which is a large, heavy object, along the front surface 50S of the counterweight 50 in this manner, the battery device 70 itself can serve as a weight at the rear of the upper revolving body 12. This allows the weight of the counterweight 50 to be reduced, thereby enabling cost reductions. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the battery device 70 is preferably disposed at a position between the revolving central axis Cs of the upper revolving body 12 and the rear end of the counterweight 50.

[0021] The electric motor 30 is driven by a battery device 70. The hydraulic pump 40 is driven by the electric motor 30.

[0022] 3, the hydraulic pump 40 is disposed below (directly below) the electric motor 30. In this embodiment, the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 are disposed side by side vertically, which makes it easier to ensure space for disposing the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 in the limited space in the machine room 60S of the work machine 1, compared to when they are disposed side by side front to back or left to right.

[0023] Furthermore, by arranging the hydraulic pump 40 so that it is aligned vertically with the electric motor 30, the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 can be arranged in the limited space of the machinery room 60S without interfering with the counterweight 50, the battery device 70, the cab 18, etc. Furthermore, when fixing the hydraulic pump 40 to the electric motor 30, it is also easy to adjust the relative positions thereof.

[0024] The rotation shaft (not shown) of the electric motor 30 may be oriented in a direction parallel to the vertical direction or in a direction tilted relative to the vertical direction. The tilt angle of the rotation shaft of the electric motor 30 relative to the vertical direction may be set within a range of 0 to 45 degrees, for example.

[0025] 2 and 3, the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 are disposed next to the battery device 70. In this case, it is possible to prevent the length of the wiring for supplying power from the battery device 70 to the electric motor 30 from becoming too long.

[0026] 1 and 2, the counterweight 50 is located on the rear side of the work machine 1. Specifically, the counterweight 50 is located on the rear side of the upper rotating body 12.

[0027] The counterweight 50 is positioned to cover one or both of the side of the electric motor 30 and the side of the hydraulic pump 40. Even if the upper rotating body 12 comes into contact with a surrounding structure while the upper rotating body 12 is rotating, the counterweight 50 can mitigate the impact on at least one of the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 at the time of contact. In the specific example shown in Fig. 2, the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 are located between the battery device 70 and the counterweight 50 when viewed from above. The counterweight 50 has a curved shape (e.g., an arc shape) as shown in Fig. 2.

[0028] In the specific example shown in FIG. 3 , the counterweight 50 is arranged to cover the left side and rear side of the hydraulic pump 40. However, the counterweight 50 may be arranged to cover only one of the left side, right side, and rear side of the hydraulic pump 40, or may be arranged to cover only one of the left side, right side, and rear side of the electric motor 30. Furthermore, when the counterweight 50 covers the side of the electric motor 30, it is preferable that the counterweight 50 cover the entire range of the electric motor 30 from the lower end to the upper end, but it does not necessarily have to cover the entire range, and it may cover only a portion of the entire range of the electric motor 30 from the lower end to the upper end. Furthermore, when the counterweight 50 covers the side of the hydraulic pump 40, it is preferable that the counterweight 50 cover the entire range of the hydraulic pump 40 from the lower end to the upper end, but it does not necessarily have to cover the entire range, and it may cover only a portion of the entire range of the hydraulic pump 40 from the lower end to the upper end.

[0029] 2, the battery device 70 is disposed near the center in the left-right direction and at the rear in the front-rear direction of the revolving frame 16. The battery device 70 includes a battery main body 71, a battery case 72 that houses the battery main body 71, and a support member 73 that is supported by the battery case 72.

[0030] The battery body 71 is a battery that supplies power to the electric motor 30, and may be a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery.

[0031] The battery case 72 includes a lower plate, an upper wall disposed above the lower plate, a rear wall extending downward from the rear edge of the upper plate, a right wall extending downward from the right edge of the upper plate, a left wall extending downward from the left edge of the upper plate, and a front wall extending downward from the front edge of the upper plate.

[0032] The support member 73 supports one or both of the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40. By using the battery case 72 to support one or both of the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 in this manner, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

[0033] 3 , the support member 73 supports the electric motor 30, and the shaft of the electric motor 30 is connected to the hydraulic pump 40. Specifically, the electric motor 30 may have a flange (not shown) extending outward from its outer periphery, and may be fixed to the support member 73 by a plurality of bolts (not shown) inserted into a plurality of bolt through holes (not shown) formed in the flange. The hydraulic pump 40 may be supported by a second support member (not shown) disposed on the revolving frame 16.

[0034] The battery case 72 has a vertical wall 72W that extends vertically and is interposed between the battery main body 71 and the electric motor 30 and hydraulic pump 40. In the specific example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the vertical wall 72W is the left wall of the battery case 72. However, the vertical wall 72W is not limited to the left wall of the battery case 72, and may be the right wall, rear wall, or front wall of the battery case 72.

[0035] The support member 73 is supported by the vertical wall 72W in a position that protrudes laterally from the vertical wall 72W. In this case, the height position of the support member 73 with respect to the vertical wall 72W can be set within the range of the dimension of the vertical wall 72W in the height direction. In other words, there is a large degree of freedom in determining the relative position of the support member 73 with respect to the vertical wall 72W in the height direction. Therefore, it is easy to lay out the support member 73 with respect to the vertical wall 72W at a height position that corresponds to the sizes of the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40.

[0036] 2 and 3 , the support member 73 includes a plate member 731 having an upper surface that extends leftward from the vertical wall 72W (left wall) of the battery case 72, a reinforcing plate that extends downward from the rear edge of the plate member 731, and a reinforcing plate that extends downward from the front edge of the plate member 731. An opening 73A in which the lower part of the electric motor 30 is disposed is formed in the plate member 731 of the support member 73.

[0037] The work machine 1 includes a base frame disposed below the battery case 72, and a plurality of mount buffer members 92 interposed between the base frame and the battery case 72. The plurality of mount buffer members 92 can not only reduce vibrations transmitted to the battery body housed in the battery case 72, but can also reduce vibrations transmitted to the electric motor 30 and hydraulic pump 40 supported on the battery case 72 via support members 73. In this embodiment, the base frame is the revolving frame 16, but it may also be, for example, a separate member disposed on the revolving frame 16.

[0038] 2 and 3 , the multiple mount buffer members 92 include four mount buffer members 92 that are arranged directly below the battery case 72 and close to the four corners of the battery case 72. Each of the multiple mount buffer members 92 includes a buffer material (vibration-damping material) for damping vibrations that occur while the work machine 1 is in operation.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 3, the hydraulic pump 40 has a suction port 40P to which one end of a suction pipe 90 is connected. As shown in Fig. 2, the other end of the suction pipe 90 is connected to the tank 80. The hydraulic pump 40 is connected to the tank 80 via the suction pipe 90. As a result, the hydraulic oil stored in the tank 80 is supplied to the hydraulic pump 40 via the suction pipe 90.

[0040] In this embodiment, the hydraulic pump 40 is disposed next to the battery case 72, and the tank 80 is disposed on the opposite side of the battery case 72 from the hydraulic pump 40. The hydraulic pump 40 is disposed below the electric motor 30, and the suction pipe 90 is disposed in the space between the battery case 72 and the revolving frame 16. By disposing the hydraulic pump 40 below the electric motor 30 in this way, it becomes easier to route the suction pipe 90 to the tank 80 through the space between the battery case 72 and the revolving frame 16.

[0041] [Modifications] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes, for example, the following modifications.

[0042] (A) In the specific example shown in FIG. 3, the hydraulic pump 40 is disposed below the electric motor 30, but it may also be disposed above the electric motor 30.

[0043] (B) In the above embodiment, the support member 73 supporting one or both of the electric motor 30 and the hydraulic pump 40 is arranged to protrude laterally from the vertical wall 72W of the battery case 72, but the support member does not necessarily have to be a member supported by the battery case 72, and may be a member supported by, for example, the swivel frame 16.

[0044] (C) In the above embodiment, the work machine is a hydraulic excavator (work machine 1), but the work machine of the present disclosure is not limited to a hydraulic excavator. The work machine may be in another form, such as a crane. Furthermore, the lower traveling structure 10 is not limited to a crawler type, and may be a traveling device having tires.

[0045] As described above, even when the power source for the hydraulic pump is a battery device, a work machine can be provided in which it is easy to ensure space for arranging the electric motor and the hydraulic pump.

[0046] A work machine according to a first aspect includes a battery device, an electric motor driven by the battery device, and a hydraulic pump disposed above or below the electric motor and driven by the electric motor.

[0047] In this first aspect, the electric motor and hydraulic pump are arranged side by side, one above the other, making it easier to secure space for arranging the electric motor and the hydraulic pump in the limited space in the work machine compared to when they are arranged side by side, front to back or left to right.

[0048] A work machine according to a second aspect may be the work machine according to the first aspect, further including the following configuration. That is, in the work machine according to the second aspect, the electric motor and the hydraulic pump may be disposed adjacent to the battery device. In this second aspect, it is possible to prevent the wiring for supplying power from the battery device to the electric motor from becoming too long.

[0049] A work machine according to a third aspect is preferably the work machine according to the first or second aspect, further comprising the following configuration. That is, the work machine according to the third aspect further comprises a counterweight, and the counterweight is preferably positioned so as to cover one or both of a side of the electric motor and a side of the hydraulic pump. In this third aspect, even if the upper structure comes into contact with a surrounding structure when the upper structure is rotating, the counterweight can mitigate the impact on at least one of the electric motor and the hydraulic pump at the time of contact. In this third aspect, for example, the electric motor and the hydraulic pump may be located between the battery device and the counterweight when viewed from above.

[0050] A work machine according to a fourth aspect may be the work machine according to the third aspect, further including the following configuration: That is, in the work machine according to the fourth aspect, the counterweight may be located on the rear side of the work machine.

[0051] A work machine according to a fifth aspect may be the work machine according to the third aspect, further comprising the following configuration: That is, the work machine according to the fifth aspect may include a lower traveling body, an upper rotating body rotatably supported on the lower traveling body, and a working device supported on the upper rotating body, and the counterweight may be located on the rear side of the upper rotating body.

[0052] A work machine according to a sixth aspect may further include the following configuration in the work machine according to the fifth aspect. That is, in the work machine according to the sixth aspect, it is preferable that the battery device is arranged along the front surface of the counterweight. In this sixth aspect, by arranging the battery device, which is a large, heavy object, along the front surface of the counterweight, the battery device itself can serve as a weight at the rear of the upper rotating body. This allows the counterweight to be lighter, thereby reducing costs.

[0053] A work machine according to a seventh aspect is preferably the work machine according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising the following configuration. That is, in the work machine according to the seventh aspect, it is preferable that the battery device comprises a battery main body, a battery case that houses the battery main body, and a support member that is supported by the battery case, and that the support member supports one or both of the electric motor and the hydraulic pump. In this seventh aspect, by using a battery case to support one or both of the electric motor and the hydraulic pump, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

[0054] A work machine according to an eighth aspect is preferably the work machine according to the seventh aspect, further comprising the following configuration. That is, in the work machine according to the eighth aspect, it is preferable that the battery case has a vertical wall that is interposed between the battery main body, the electric motor, and the hydraulic pump and extends vertically, and the support member is supported by the vertical wall in a position that protrudes from the vertical wall. In this eighth aspect, the height position of the support member relative to the vertical wall can be set within the range of the height dimension of the vertical wall. That is, there is a large degree of freedom in determining the relative position of the support member relative to the vertical wall in the height direction. Therefore, it is easy to lay out the support member relative to the vertical wall according to the sizes of the electric motor and the hydraulic pump.

[0055] A work machine according to a ninth aspect is preferably the work machine according to the seventh or eighth aspect, further comprising the following configuration. That is, the work machine according to the ninth aspect preferably further comprises a base frame disposed below the battery case, and a mount shock absorber interposed between the base frame and the battery case. In this ninth aspect, the mount shock absorber can not only reduce vibrations transmitted to the battery main body housed in the battery case, but also reduce vibrations transmitted to one or both of an electric motor and a hydraulic pump supported on the battery case via a support member.

Claims

1. A work machine comprising: a battery device; an electric motor driven by the battery device; and a hydraulic pump disposed above or below the electric motor and driven by the electric motor.

2. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor and the hydraulic pump are disposed adjacent to the battery device.

3. The work machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a counterweight, said counterweight being arranged so as to cover one or both of a side of said electric motor and a side of said hydraulic pump.

4. A work machine according to claim 3, wherein the counterweight is located at the rear of the work machine.

5. A work machine as described in claim 3, comprising: a lower running body; an upper rotating body rotatably supported on said lower running body; and a working device supported on said upper rotating body, wherein said counterweight is located to the rear of said upper rotating body.

6. The work machine according to claim 5, wherein the battery device is disposed along the front surface of the counterweight.

7. A work machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the battery device comprises: a battery body; a battery case that houses the battery body; and a support member supported by the battery case, the support member supporting one or both of the electric motor and the hydraulic pump.

8. A work machine as described in claim 7, wherein the battery case has a vertical wall extending vertically and interposed between the battery body, the electric motor and the hydraulic pump, and the support member is supported by the vertical wall in a position such that it protrudes from the vertical wall.

9. A work machine as set forth in claim 7 or 8, further comprising: a base frame disposed below said battery case; and a mount buffer member interposed between said base frame and said battery case.

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