Construction Machine Canopy Rainwater Drainage Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional construction machines with canopies for operator seats face issues where rainwater can leak through gaps at the ends of the roof plate projection, leading to water droplets falling on the operator's seat, and existing solutions increase the number of components, thereby raising manufacturing costs.

Innovation Solution

A canopy design featuring a bend portion at the front end of the roof plate that projects upward, sandwiched by plate-shaped lifting brackets with discharging notches, which guide rainwater along the front columns, preventing it from reaching the operator's seat and eliminating the need for additional components by integrating lifting hooks within the brackets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the projection portion is provided over the entire length of the roof plate in the left-right direction to suppress rain water from dropping down, then the rain water protection is improved, but the number of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverain water dropping on operator's seatVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the rainwater drainage function with the existing lifting brackets by integrating discharging notches into them. Instead of adding separate drainage components, the lifting brackets are modified to include notches that guide rainwater along the front columns, thereby combining multiple functions into existing structures and avoiding increased component count

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting brackets are designed to serve dual purposes: lifting the canopy and simultaneously draining rainwater through integrated discharging notches. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated rainwater drainage components, resolving the contradiction between protection effectiveness and component simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the projection portion is simply provided over the entire length in the left-right direction, then the rain water protection is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to increased components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverain water dropping on operator's seatVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the rainwater drainage function with the lifting brackets by integrating discharging notches into them. This merging eliminates the need for separate drainage components, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining effective rainwater protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lifting brackets are designed to perform both lifting and rainwater drainage functions through integrated notches. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components required, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while achieving the rainwater protection objective

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2666913B1Construction machine
Publication Date: 2015.08.05 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP2666913B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2666913B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2666913B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A canopy (23) is provided to rise in an upper revolving structure (3) for covering an upper side of an operator's seat (19). A bend portion (25B) extending in the left-right direction and projecting upward is provided in a front end side of a roof plate (25) in the canopy (23). A plate-shaped left front lifting bracket (26) is provided in a left front connecting portion (24J), and a plate-shaped right front lifting bracket (27) is provided in a right front connecting portion (24L). The left and right front lifting brackets (26, 27) sandwich the bend portion (25B) from both sides in the left-right direction. Further, the left and right front lifting brackets (26, 27) are provided with lifting holes (26A, 27A) and also discharging notches (26B, 27B).