Air Intake Pipe Design for Compact Construction Machine Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction machines face challenges in reducing the width size of the assembly of air cleaners and air intake pipes while maintaining efficient maintenance access, as conventional orientations increase the width due to the need for a U-shaped return portion in the air intake pipe, compromising space utilization and safety during filter maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The air intake pipe is designed with a returning portion that gradually changes from a circular to a triangular cross-section, allowing it to be integrated into the space between the air cleaner's outer surface and the restriction surfaces, reducing the overall width and enhancing space efficiency by utilizing dead spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the air cleaner is oriented so that the exhaust port faces a side opposite to the engine for maintenance access, then ease of operation is improved, but the width size of the assembly increases due to the U-shaped return portion in the air intake pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake pipe utilizes the vertical space between the air cleaner's outer peripheral surface and the air-cleaner placement surface by routing part of its length in the vertical direction rather than only horizontally. This dimensional change allows the pipe to connect the exhaust port (facing opposite the engine) to the engine while minimizing the horizontal width footprint of the assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The air intake pipe employs a curved returning portion that smoothly transitions from the exhaust port connection to the engine connection, eliminating sharp angles and reducing the overall width requirement compared to a rigid U-shaped configuration. The curved path allows the pipe to nestle more efficiently in the available space.
2Ease of operation
If the air intake pipe is designed with a U-shaped return portion to connect the exhaust port facing opposite the engine, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake pipe is designed as an integrated component where the returning portion and downstream portion form a continuous, unified structure. This merging of functions into a single pipe element reduces assembly complexity compared to using multiple separate pipe sections with connectors, while still achieving the necessary routing to accommodate the exhaust port orientation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the air intake pipe is arranged away from the air cleaner outer surface, then airflow resistance is reduced, but the width size of the assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air intake pipe has varying cross-sectional characteristics along its length, with the returning portion positioned close to the air cleaner's outer peripheral surface where space is constrained, and the downstream portion extending away from the surface where airflow requirements are more critical. This local differentiation allows the pipe to satisfy both spatial constraints and airflow performance requirements in different zones.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a construction machine including an air cleaner (22) having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface (24a) and an air intake pipe (32), wherein the assembly of the air cleaner (22) and the air intake pipe (32) can have a reduced width size in the front-rear direction. The air intake pipe (32) has a returning portion (32a) and a downstream-side portion (32b). The downstream-side portion (32b) has a cross section having a shape including a hypotenuse portion (Y) inclined toward the air cleaner (22), arranged in the state where at least a part of the hypotenuse portion (Y) is located in a space (T) defined between the cylindrical outer peripheral surface (24a) of the air cleaner (22) and an air-cleaner placement plane (35A).