Work vehicle
By positioning the hydrogen filling unit on the front side of the front wheel and installing tanks on the platform offset from the cab, the work vehicle addresses space and safety challenges, enabling efficient and safe hydrogen refueling.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KOMATSU LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Facilitating hydrogen filling work in a work vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank is challenging due to space constraints and potential damage or contamination risks.
The hydrogen filling unit is positioned on the front side of the front wheel, with the filling port located at a predetermined height and behind the bumper, and the hydrogen tanks are installed on the platform offset from the driver's cab, ensuring easy access, protection from mud and collision, and reduced risk of ignition.
This configuration enhances accessibility, protects the filling unit from damage, reduces contamination, and optimizes space utilization while minimizing ignition risks, facilitating safe and efficient hydrogen refueling.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025044679_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Work vehicle
[0001] This disclosure relates to a work vehicle.
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a work vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-071081
[0004] An object of the present disclosure is to facilitate hydrogen filling work in a work vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank.
[0005] The work vehicle according to the first aspect includes a front wheel, a hydrogen tank, and a hydrogen filling unit having a filling port for filling hydrogen into the hydrogen tank, and the hydrogen filling unit is located on the front side of the front wheel.
[0006] According to the present disclosure, in a work vehicle equipped with a hydrogen tank, hydrogen filling work can be facilitated.
[0007] It is a perspective view of a work vehicle. It is a side view showing an enlarged front part of the work vehicle.
[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.
[0009] The arrow FR appropriately shown in each figure indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction, respectively. Also, when the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are used without special mention in the following description, the front-rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, the up-down in the vehicle up-down direction, and the left-right in the vehicle width direction are indicated.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a work vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing an enlarged front part of the work vehicle 10.
[0011] The work vehicle 10 is a rigid off-road dump truck.
[0012] The work vehicle 10 includes a frame 20, a plurality of wheels 11, 12, a mudguard 13, a dump body 30, a platform 40, a cab 14, a plurality of hydrogen tanks 50, a tank case 70, a hydrogen filling unit 60, a filling pipe 81 (see FIG. 2), and a supply pipe 82 (see FIG. 2).
[0013] (Frame 20) As shown in Figure 2, the frame 20 comprises a rear side member 21, a front side member 22, a bumper 23, a front vertical member 24, a rear vertical member 25, and front and rear stays 26.
[0014] Of these, the rear side member 21, front side member 22, front vertical member 24, rear vertical member 25, and front and rear stays 26 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides, but Figure 2 only shows the configuration on one side in the vehicle width direction.
[0015] The rear side member 21 and the front side member 22 extend in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rear side member 21 and the front side member 22 extend in a direction that is slightly inclined upward toward the rear.
[0016] The bumper 23 extends parallel to the vehicle width direction. The bumper 23 connects the front ends of a pair of front side members 22 in the vehicle width direction.
[0017] The front vertical member 24 extends upward from both ends of the bumper 23 in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the front vertical member 24 extends in a direction that is inclined towards the rear in the upward direction.
[0018] The rear vertical member 25 extends upward from the rear end of the front side member 22.
[0019] The front and rear stays connect the upper end of the front vertical member 24 and the upper end of the rear vertical member 25 in the front-rear direction.
[0020] (Multiple wheels 11, 12) As shown in Figure 1, the multiple wheels 11, 12 consist of left and right front wheels 11 and left and right rear wheels 12.
[0021] (Mudguard 13) The mudguard 13 is provided on the front and rear sides of the front wheel 11.
[0022] (Dump body 30) The dump body 30 is rotatably supported on the frame 20. The dump body 30 is equipped with a protector 31 that protects the driver's cab 14 and multiple hydrogen tanks 50 from above.
[0023] (Platform 40) The platform 40 is fixed on top of the frame 20. Specifically, the platform 40 is fixed above a pair of front vertical members 24 and a pair of rear vertical members 25.
[0024] The platform 40 is positioned directly above the left and right front wheels 11. In other words, the platform 40 extends in the vehicle width direction from directly above the right front wheel 11 to directly above the left front wheel 11.
[0025] Platform 40 includes a right platform 41, a central platform 42, and a left platform 43. The central platform 42 is positioned higher than the right platform 41 and the left platform 43.
[0026] (Driver's cab 14) The driver's cab 14 is provided on the platform 40. Specifically, the driver's cab 14 is provided at a position offset from the center of the platform 40 in the vehicle width direction to the other side in the vehicle width direction (specifically, on the left side of the platform 43).
[0027] The driver's cab 14 has an inner door 14A that allows entry and exit to the driver's cab 14. The inner door 14A connects the central platform 42 to the inside of the driver's cab 14. The inner door 14A is a front-opening door with the hinge at the rear.
[0028] On the platform 40, a passageway for people is provided in front of the driver's cab 14 and on the outside in the vehicle width direction. Although not shown in the illustration, the driver's cab 14 also has an outside door. The outside door connects the passageway on the outside in the vehicle width direction to the inside of the driver's cab 14. The outside door is a front-opening door.
[0029] (Multiple hydrogen tanks 50, tank cases 70) Multiple hydrogen tanks 50 are housed in tank cases 70 and mounted on the platform 40. Note that the work vehicle of this disclosure may be equipped with only one hydrogen tank. For this reason, multiple hydrogen tanks 50 may be referred to as "one or more hydrogen tanks 50" below.
[0030] The multiple hydrogen tanks 50 are installed at positions offset to one side in the vehicle width direction from the center of the platform 40 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the positions where the multiple hydrogen tanks 50 are installed are offset from the center in the vehicle width direction in the direction opposite to the driver's cab 14 (specifically, on the right side of the platform 41).
[0031] The tank case 70 is configured to cover multiple hydrogen tanks 50 from the front, rear, both sides in the vehicle width direction, and from above.
[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the front wall portion 71F of the tank case 70 is located in front of the front end portion 31F of the protector 31.
[0033] Each of the hydrogen tanks 50 is oriented with its longitudinal direction facing the front-to-back direction. The hydrogen tanks 50 are arranged in multiple vertical rows (two rows) and in multiple columns (three rows) along the width of the vehicle.
[0034] On the platform 40, a passage is formed in front of the tank case 70. On the other hand, no passage is formed on the outer side of the tank case 70 in the vehicle width direction on the platform 40. The outer wall portion 71S of the tank case 70 in the vehicle width direction is located at approximately the same position as the outer edge of the platform 40 in the vehicle width direction.
[0035] The outer wall 71S of the tank case 70 in the vehicle width direction has a hydrogen outlet 75 for releasing evaporated gas from multiple hydrogen tanks 50. The hydrogen outlet 75 is located near the upper end and rear end of the outer wall 71S of the tank case 70 in the vehicle width direction. An opening of a hydrogen discharge pipe (not shown) is provided at the hydrogen outlet 75 so that hydrogen released from the hydrogen discharge pipe passes through the hydrogen outlet 75. The hydrogen outlet is used, for example, in an emergency to release hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank 50 to the outside.
[0036] (Hydrogen filling unit 60) The hydrogen filling unit 60 is a device having filling ports 61 for filling multiple hydrogen tanks 50 with hydrogen.
[0037] Specifically, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is a box-shaped device with a communication function that communicates with external equipment located at a distance from the work vehicle 10 using infrared communication. Specifically, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 communicates information such as the temperature and pressure of the hydrogen tank 50 to the external equipment. During hydrogen refueling operations, it is necessary to control hydrogen refueling while monitoring the temperature of the hydrogen tank, and this communication function is used for this purpose. The hydrogen refueling unit 60 also has a display unit (not shown), such as an LED lamp, that indicates whether or not the work vehicle 10 is ready for refueling.
[0038] The hydrogen refueling unit 60 is located on the same side in the vehicle width direction as the multiple hydrogen tanks 50. In other words, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is located on one side in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is fixed to the outer surface 24S in the vehicle width direction of the front vertical member 24 on one side in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the refueling port 61 is located at a predetermined height H from the ground.
[0039] The predetermined height of the filling port 61 is the height at which a person standing on the ground can connect a hose for filling with hydrogen to the filling port 61. Therefore, the predetermined value is determined based on the height of the operator or the person filling with hydrogen. For example, the predetermined value is 1.7m or less.
[0040] Furthermore, the specified value is, for example, above the minimum ground clearance. The minimum ground clearance, as used here, refers to the height between the lowest part of the vehicle body (excluding the wheels, ladder or steps, and mudguards) and the ground.
[0041] Furthermore, it is preferable that the filling port 61 be located above, for example, the tangent to the outer circumference of the front wheel 11, which indicates the approach angle. The tangent to the approach angle, as used here, refers to the tangent drawn from the lower end of the front end of the work vehicle 10 (for example, the front and lower ends of the bumper 23) to the tangent to the outer circumference of the front wheel 11. This ensures that the filling port 61 is positioned so as to avoid being within the range of the approach angle, which is the angle between the tangent and the ground. As a result, the filling port 61 is less likely to hit the ground when going uphill.
[0042] Specifically, the hydrogen filling portion 60 is located outside the vehicle width direction of the front vertical member 24. The hydrogen filling portion 60 is located at the same height as the lower end portion of the front vertical member 24.
[0043] The hydrogen filling portion 60 is located behind the front surface 23F of the bumper 23.
[0044] The hydrogen filling portion 60 is located in front of the mudguard 13 provided on the front side of the front wheel 11.
[0045] The filling port 61 faces the outside in the vehicle width direction. The filling port 61 is configured to be connectable to a hydrogen filling nozzle installed at a hydrogen station or the like. The hydrogen filling portion 60 is configured to be able to attach a lid (not shown) for closing the filling port 61.
[0046] (Filling pipe 81) The filling pipe 81 connects the hydrogen filling portion 60 and the plurality of hydrogen tanks 50.
[0047] The filling pipe 81 is provided along the front vertical member 24 on one side in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the filling pipe 81 is fixed to the front vertical member 24 along the outer surface 24S in the vehicle width direction of the front vertical member 24 on one side in the vehicle width direction. The filling pipe 81 is made of, for example, iron. The work vehicle 10 may include a cover (not shown) that covers the outer surface 24S in the vehicle width direction of the front vertical member 24 together with the filling pipe 81.
[0048] The filling pipe 81 is passed through a hole (not shown) penetrating in the vertical direction of the platform 40 and is led into the tank case 70 on the platform 40. The filling pipe 81 is connected to the plurality of hydrogen tanks 50 via a filling manifold (not shown) provided in the tank case 70.
[0049] (Supply pipe 82) The supply pipe 82 connects the hydrogen engine 18 and the plurality of hydrogen tanks 50. The hydrogen engine 18 is provided directly below the central portion 42 in the vehicle width direction of the platform 40. The supply pipe 82 is drawn out from the tank case 70 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, penetrates the central platform 42, and is led to the hydrogen engine 18 side.
[0050] <Effects> Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.
[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle 10 includes one or more hydrogen tanks 50 and a hydrogen filling unit 60 having a filling port 61 for filling the one or more hydrogen tanks 50 with hydrogen. Therefore, by connecting a hydrogen filling nozzle to the filling port 61 of the hydrogen filling unit 60, hydrogen can be filled into the hydrogen tanks 50.
[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the filling port 61 is provided at a position where the height H from the ground is a predetermined value. This improves accessibility to the filling port 61 and facilitates hydrogen refueling operations.
[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the work vehicle 10 is equipped with front wheels 11, and the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is located in front of the front wheels 11. Therefore, the space in front of the front wheels 11 can be used as space for hydrogen refueling work.
[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the work vehicle 10 is equipped with a mudguard 13 located in front of the front wheels 11, and the hydrogen filling unit 60 is located in front of the mudguard 13. Therefore, it is possible to suppress mud from getting on the hydrogen filling unit 60.
[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is located behind the front surface 23F of the bumper 23. Therefore, damage to the hydrogen refueling unit 60 during a frontal collision can be suppressed.
[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 is fixed to the frame 20. Therefore, the hydrogen refueling unit 60 can be fixed to a robust part of the work vehicle 10.
[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the hydrogen filling unit 60 is fixed to the front vertical member 24. This makes it easy to position the hydrogen filling unit 60 at an appropriate height.
[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the filling pipe 81 is fixed to the front vertical member 24 so as to follow the front vertical member 24. As a result, the filling pipe 81 follows the rigid frame 20, protecting it from deformation due to external damage.
[0059] Incidentally, because hydrogen has a lower energy density than diesel fuel, a large space is required to install hydrogen tanks. However, it is not easy to install hydrogen tanks of sufficient capacity within the limited space of a vehicle. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, one or more hydrogen tanks 50 are provided on the platform 40. This allows for the installation of hydrogen tanks while making effective use of the vehicle space. Furthermore, compared to an embodiment in which one or more hydrogen tanks 50 are positioned below the platform 40, the risk of leaked hydrogen igniting can be reduced. This is because there are fewer wires and other objects that could act as ignition sources above the platform 40 compared to below.
[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, one or more hydrogen tanks 50 are provided on one side of the platform 40 in the vehicle width direction, and the driver's cab 14 is provided on the other side of the platform in the vehicle width direction. This allows for weight balance between the left and right sides, reducing the risk of rollovers and other problems.
[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer wall portion 71S of the tank case 70 in the vehicle width direction has a hydrogen outlet 75 for releasing evaporated gas. Therefore, evaporated gas can be safely released from the hydrogen tank 50.
[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the work vehicle 10 is equipped with a dump body 30. The dump body 30 is equipped with a protector 31 that covers one or more hydrogen tanks 50 from above and protects the one or more hydrogen tanks 50. Therefore, the hydrogen tanks 50 can be protected from above.
[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the front wall portion 71F of the tank case 70 is located in front of the front end portion 31F of the protector 31. Therefore, compared to an embodiment in which the front wall portion 71F of the tank case 70 is not located in front of the front end portion 31F of the protector 31, the mounting space for the hydrogen tank 50 can be increased.
[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, one or more hydrogen tanks 50 are oriented with their longitudinal direction in the vehicle's front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even if the longitudinal dimension of the hydrogen tanks 50 is large, it is easy to secure space in the vehicle width direction between one or more hydrogen tanks 50 and the driver's cab 14.
[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the supply pipe 82 (see Figure 2) is routed inward in the vehicle width direction from the tank case 70. Therefore, compared to an embodiment in which the supply pipe 82 is routed outward in the vehicle width direction from the tank case 70, the supply pipe 82 can be positioned in a path with a lower risk of external damage.
[0066] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above description.
[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the work vehicle is a rigid-type off-road dump truck, but this disclosure is not limited to this.
[0068] Although the above-described embodiment includes multiple hydrogen tanks, this disclosure is not limited thereto. The number of hydrogen tanks in a work vehicle may be one.
[0069] In the above-described embodiment, the hydrogen tank is provided on the platform, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. The hydrogen tank may be provided in a position similar to that of the work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.
[0070] In the embodiments described above, the work vehicle is a hydrogen engine vehicle, but the work vehicle in this disclosure is not limited to this. The work vehicle may also be a fuel cell vehicle.
[0071] In the above-described embodiment, the hydrogen refueling unit is fixed to the front vertical member on one side in the vehicle width direction, but the hydrogen refueling unit of this disclosure is not limited to this.
[0072] In the above-described embodiment, the hydrogen tanks provided by the work vehicle consist only of multiple hydrogen tanks (one or more hydrogen tanks) installed on the platform. However, the work vehicle of this disclosure is not limited to this, and may be equipped with hydrogen tanks installed at other locations in addition to the one or more hydrogen tanks installed on the platform.
[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the hydrogen tank is oriented with its longitudinal direction in the vehicle's front-to-rear direction, but this disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the hydrogen tank may be oriented with its longitudinal direction in the vehicle's width direction.
[0074] In the above-described embodiment, one side in the vehicle width direction is the right side of the vehicle, and the other side in the vehicle width direction is the left side of the vehicle. However, this disclosure is not limited to this. One side in the vehicle width direction may be the left side of the vehicle, and the other side in the vehicle width direction may be the right side of the vehicle.
[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the work vehicle is a rigid-type off-road dump truck, but the work vehicle of this disclosure is not limited to this.
[0076] In the embodiments described above, the hydrogen outlet is located near the upper and rear ends of the outer wall portion in the vehicle width direction of the tank case, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the hydrogen outlet may be located near the upper and front ends of the outer wall portion in the vehicle width direction of the tank case. From the viewpoint of safely releasing hydrogen, the position of the hydrogen outlet is preferably near the upper end of the outer wall portion in the vehicle width direction.
[0077] In the above-described embodiment, one or more hydrogen tanks are arranged in multiple vertical stages, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.
[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the supply piping is connected to a hydrogen engine, but this disclosure is not limited to this. The supply piping may also be connected to a fuel cell.
[0079] 10 Work vehicle 11 Front wheels 14 Driver's cab 20 Frame 23 Bumper 23F Front 24 Front vertical member 30 Dump body 31 Protector 31F Front end 40 Platform 50 Hydrogen tank 60 Hydrogen filling section 61 Filling port 70 Tank case 71F Front wall 71S Outer wall in the vehicle width direction 75 Hydrogen outlet 81 Filling piping 82 Supply piping
Claims
1. A work vehicle comprising: front wheels; a hydrogen tank; and a hydrogen filling unit having a filling port for filling the hydrogen tank with hydrogen, wherein the hydrogen filling unit is located in front of the front wheels.
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is provided with a mudguard located in front of the front wheels, and the hydrogen filling unit is located in front of the mudguard.
3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle comprises a frame, the frame comprises a bumper extending in the width direction at the front of the vehicle, and the hydrogen refueling unit is located behind the front of the bumper.
4. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle comprises a frame, and the hydrogen refueling unit is fixed to the frame.
5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the frame comprises a bumper extending in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and a pair of front vertical members extending upward from the bumper, and the hydrogen refueling unit is fixed to one of the pair of front vertical members in the vehicle width direction.
6. The work vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the hydrogen refueling unit is fixed to the outside of the front vertical member in the vehicle width direction.
7. The work vehicle according to claim 1, comprising: a frame; a filling pipe connecting the hydrogen filling unit and the hydrogen tank; the frame comprising: a bumper extending in the width direction at the front of the vehicle; and a pair of front vertical members extending upward from the bumper; and the filling pipe being fixed to one of the pair of front vertical members in the width direction of the vehicle.
8. The work vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the filling pipe is fixed to the outside of the front vertical member in the vehicle width direction.
9. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is equipped with a platform, and the hydrogen tank is provided on the platform.
10. The work vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the work vehicle is equipped with a driver's cab, the hydrogen tank is located on one side in the vehicle width direction on the platform, and the driver's cab is located on the other side in the vehicle width direction on the platform.
11. The work vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the work vehicle comprises a tank case for housing the hydrogen tank, the tank case comprises an outer wall portion in the vehicle width direction that covers the hydrogen tank from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the outer wall portion in the vehicle width direction has a hydrogen outlet for releasing evaporated gas from the hydrogen tank.
12. The work vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the work vehicle comprises a dump body, and the dump body comprises a protector that covers the hydrogen tank from above and protects the hydrogen tank.
13. The work vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the work vehicle comprises a tank case for housing the hydrogen tank, the tank case comprises a front wall portion that covers the hydrogen tank from the front, and the front wall portion is located in front of the front end of the protector.
14. The work vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the hydrogen tank is oriented with its longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
15. The work vehicle according to claim 9, comprising: a tank case for housing the hydrogen tank; and a supply pipe for supplying hydrogen from the hydrogen tank, wherein the supply pipe is drawn out from the tank case inward in the vehicle width direction.
16. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the filling port is provided at a position where the height from the ground is a predetermined value, and the predetermined value is 1.7 m or less.
17. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the filling port is provided at a position where the height from the ground is a predetermined value, and the predetermined value is equal to or greater than the minimum ground clearance.
18. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the work vehicle is equipped with front wheels, and the filling port is located above the tangent to the outer circumference of the front wheels indicating the approach angle.
19. A work vehicle comprising a hydrogen tank and a hydrogen filling unit having a filling port for filling the hydrogen tank with hydrogen, wherein the filling port is at a height of 1.7 m or less from the ground.