Bulldozer Cab Armrest Geometry for Ripper Control Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The workability of a bulldozer's ripper operation is compromised due to difficulty in grasping the control lever and rotating the body, as the operator's elbow on the armrest hinders effective control and movement during ripper operations.
Innovation Solution
A cab design with an operator's seat tilted in the front-rear direction and an armrest positioned between the seat and the ripper control lever, featuring a protruding rear region closer to the midline and a wider rear area to accommodate the operator's elbow, allowing easier access and stability during ripper operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the operator rests the elbow on the armrest during ripper operation, then the operator can maintain a stable posture, but the workability deteriorates due to difficulty in grasping the ripper control lever and rotating the body
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed with non-uniform width along its length, with the width varying from the front end to the rear end. This creates different local characteristics: the wider rear portion provides stable elbow support, while the narrower front portion allows easier access to the control lever. This local variation in geometry resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from considering only the lateral position of the armrest to incorporating the longitudinal dimension (front-rear direction). By tilting the armrest and varying its width along its length, the design utilizes the longitudinal dimension to create zones with different functional properties, allowing the elbow to rest on a stable wider portion while the hand can access the control lever on a narrower portion.
2Ease of operation
If the operator needs to grasp the ripper control lever located rearward, then the control can be effective, but the operator's body rotation becomes difficult due to the armrest position
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest's width varies locally along its length, with the rear portion being narrower to facilitate hand access to the control lever while the front portion provides broader support. This local geometric variation enables effective control operation without hindering body rotation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the armrest is positioned standardly, then the structure is simple, but the operator cannot access the rearward ripper control lever effectively
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a uniform armrest design, the invention introduces local variation in width along the armrest's length. This relatively simple geometric modification maintains ease of manufacture while significantly improving access to the rearward control lever and overall workability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a cab which can improve the workability of ripping. The cab includes an operator's seat placed in the cab and a right armrest placed rightward of the operator's seat in the cab. A front end portion of the operator's seat is tilted rightward with respect to a front-rear direction (the direction of X) of the cab as seen in a plan view. The right armrest includes a front region including a front end of the right armrest and a rear region including a rear end of the right armrest. The rear region includes a portion placed at a shorter distance from a midline bisecting the operator's seat as seen in a plan view, than a distance between the front region and the midline.