Cab Frame Floor Plate and Lower Frame Housing for Construction Machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Construction machines face a challenge in securing adequate workspace within the cab due to interference between the cab and devices on the upper slewing body, leading to reduced workability and the need for smaller component designs, which limits component sharing across models.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a floor-side projecting portion on the cab's floor plate and a frame-side projecting portion on the lower frame, allowing the device to be positioned below the floor plate and the frame, respectively, with inclined surfaces guiding their assembly to avoid vertical interference and maintain standardization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If the device is arranged on the upper slewing body to overlap with the cab in plan view, then the overall height of the construction machine can be kept low, but interference between the device and the cab occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall heightVSAvoidinterference between cab and device
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The device is positioned to overlap with the cab in the horizontal plane (plan view), utilizing the horizontal dimension rather than vertically stacking components. This allows the device to be arranged below the floor plate while maintaining low overall height, avoiding vertical interference with the cab structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Length of stationary object

If the concave portion is formed by denting the side surface inward to avoid interference, then the overall height is kept low, but the internal space of the cab is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall heightVSAvoidinternal space of cab
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The device is extracted from the conventional position on the side surface and relocated to below the floor plate. This extraction allows the device to be positioned in an otherwise unused space, avoiding the need to dent the side surface inward and preserving the cab's internal volume for worker operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Volume of moving object

If the device is positioned below the floor plate with overlapping arrangement, then wide internal space is secured, but assembly complexity increases due to projecting portions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal space of cabVSAvoidassembly structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The floor-side housing portion and frame-side housing portion are designed as nested structures where one housing portion fits within or alongside the other. This nesting arrangement accommodates the overlapping positioning of the device below the floor plate while managing the complexity through hierarchical structuring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The housing structure is segmented into a floor-side housing portion and a frame-side housing portion, with each portion having its own projecting features. This segmentation allows independent positioning and assembly of each housing portion, simplifying the overall assembly process despite the overlapping arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2664717B1Cab frame for a construction machine
Publication Date: 2019.08.07 KOBELCO CONSTR MASCH CO LTD
  • EP2664717B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2664717B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2664717B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To secure a wide space in a cab while avoiding interference between a device provided on an upper slewing body and the cab. A cab 30 includes a floor plate 31 that constitutes a floor surface of the cab 30 and a frame-shaped lower frame 34 which extends along a peripheral edge of the floor plate 31 and which is fixed onto the floor plate 31. A swivel joint 50 is arranged below the floor plate 31 such that a part of the swivel joint 50 overlaps with a peripheral edge of the lower frame 34 in plan view. A floor-side projecting portion 31a that projects upward is provided on the peripheral edge of the floor plate 31 and a floor-side housing portion 31d that houses the swivel joint 50 is provided below the floor-side projecting portion 31a. A frame-side projecting portion 34a that projects upward is provided on the lower frame 34, and a frame-side housing portion 34d that houses the floor-side projecting portion 31a is provided below the frame-side projecting portion 34a.