Construction Machine Cab Rear Panel Lateral Load Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cabs for construction machines, such as excavators, face challenges in providing adequate protection for operators against lateral loads during overturning, as thickening the rear panel for increased rigidity leads to higher material and production costs and potential breakage of rear pillars due to excessive load.
Innovation Solution
A dual-panel rear panel structure with an outer panel and an inner panel, where the inner panel includes vertically arranged panel portions and a bridge portion offset from the center, forming a low-strength section that absorbs lateral loads and reduces the load on rear pillars, preventing breakage and deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the rear panel is thickened to increase rigidity, then the deformation resistance of the rear panel is improved, but the material cost and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rear panel is divided into multiple panel portions (first, second, third, and fourth panel portions) that are joined together. This segmentation allows the structure to achieve high rigidity through the arrangement and connection of multiple thinner elements rather than using a single thick panel, thereby reducing material cost while maintaining deformation resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear panel employs a multi-layer composite structure where multiple panel portions are joined together to form a composite assembly. This composite construction provides enhanced rigidity and deformation resistance comparable to or exceeding that of a single thick panel, while using less material and reducing production costs.
2Strength
If the rear panel is given high rigidity, then the deformation resistance is improved, but the load on the rear pillar increases which may cause breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The rear panel is segmented into multiple portions that are joined together, creating a distributed load path. When a lateral load acts on the rear panel, the force is distributed across multiple panel portions and their connection points, rather than being concentrated on the rear pillar alone, thereby reducing the peak load on the pillar while maintaining overall rigidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear panel structure extends in multiple dimensions with panel portions arranged in different orientations and positions. This multi-dimensional arrangement creates a more complex load distribution pattern that disperses forces across the entire rear panel assembly and its connections, reducing the concentration of load on the rear pillar while preserving deformation resistance.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a cab for construction machine, having an excellent operator protection effect against a lateral load. Provided is a cab (43) disposed on an upper frame of a construction machine, including a pair of rear pillars (21, 22) and a rear panel (28) disposed therebetween. The rear panel (28) includes an outer panel and an inner panel (30) including a plurality of panel portions (31, 32) vertically arranged and a bridge portion (33) partly bridging the panel portions vertically adjacent to each other at a position offset from a lateral center position of the rear panel (28). The bridge portion (33) forms a low-strength portion having lower strength than that of the panel portions (31, 32) so as to make the low-strength portion include a bending point at which the rear panel (28) is bent when a lateral load (F) acts thereon through an outer rear pillar (21).