Construction Exhaust Pipe Layout for Vibration Absorption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional construction machines with exhaust gas purifying devices face challenges in efficiently arranging the exhaust pipe with a bellows pipe in limited spaces around the engine, leading to increased size and reduced visibility for operators due to the need for the pipe to cross above the engine.

Innovation Solution

The exhaust pipe is configured with a lateral pipe line extending in the left and right direction, featuring a bellows pipe for vibration absorption, and a bent pipe line that connects to the inlet port of the first exhaust gas purifying device, allowing the pipe to be longer and absorb relative displacement effectively, thus avoiding the need for an upper placement that would increase the machine's height and obstruct visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the exhaust pipe is arranged above the engine to accommodate the bellows pipe length, then the relative displacement can be absorbed, but the machine height increases and visibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration absorptionVSAvoidmachine height
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The exhaust pipe is routed laterally along the left and right directions of the vehicle body instead of vertically above the engine. The bellows pipe is positioned in the lateral dimension, allowing vibration absorption without increasing machine height, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and height.

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

2Volume of moving object

If the exhaust pipe with bellows pipe is arranged in limited space around the engine, then the machine size is reduced, but the space for pipe arrangement becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachine sizeVSAvoidarrangement space
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The exhaust pipe system utilizes the lateral space (left and right directions) around the engine instead of vertical space. This dimensional shift allows sufficient bellows pipe length for vibration absorption while keeping the machine compact in the vertical dimension, resolving the contradiction between machine size and arrangement space.

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

3Reliability

If the exhaust pipe is extended laterally to provide sufficient bellows pipe length, then vibration absorption is improved, but the pipe arrangement becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration absorptionVSAvoidpipe arrangement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The exhaust pipe is divided into multiple segments: a lateral pipe line extending in the left and right direction, and a bent pipe line with U-shape. The bellows pipe is specifically positioned in the lateral pipe line portion, allowing sufficient length for vibration absorption while the segmented structure manages the complexity of the overall arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration allows for stable absorption of relative displacement between the engine and the exhaust gas purifying device, reducing the machine's overall height, improving operator visibility, and enabling a more compact arrangement of the purifying devices in a narrow space.

Implementation Method 1

a bellows pipe for absorbing relative displacement between the engine and the first exhaust gas purifying device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3006250B1Construction apparatus
Publication Date: 2018.07.18 HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO LTD
  • EP3006250B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3006250B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3006250B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An inlet port (17A) of a first exhaust gas purifying device (16) is provided on a side opposite to an engine (8) by sandwiching an axis (O1-O1) of a cylindrical body (17) of the first exhaust gas purifying device (16). An exhaust pipe (26) connecting the engine (8) and the first exhaust gas purifying device (16) is constituted by a lateral pipe line (27) extending in a left and right direction of an upper revolving structure (3) on a front side of the first exhaust gas purifying device (16) and having a bellows pipe (28) in the middle for absorbing relative displacement between the engine (8) and the first exhaust gas purifying device (16) and a bent pipe line (29) bent having a U-shape rearward from a tip end side of the lateral pipe line (27) and connected to the inlet port (17A) of the first exhaust gas purifying device (16).