Exhaust Treatment Support Mechanism for Wheel Loader Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
The positioning of exhaust treatment devices above the engine in wheel loaders obstructs rearward visibility due to their elevated placement, which is necessary to accommodate the devices' size and structural support requirements.
Innovation Solution
A supporting mechanism comprising a base member with connecting parts and pipe members allows for the side-by-side placement of diesel particulate filter and selective catalyst reduction devices, enabling their installation in a lower position by forming an opening section that accommodates protruding components, thus improving rearward visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the platform is positioned higher to avoid contact with protruding engine parts, then the exhaust treatment device can be properly supported, but rearward visibility is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The invention repositions the exhaust treatment devices from a horizontal arrangement to a vertical arrangement above the engine. The base member is positioned as low as possible, and exhaust treatment devices are stacked vertically, allowing them to clear protruding engine parts while maintaining lower overall height to improve rearward visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention nests the exhaust treatment devices vertically one above another on the base member. The first exhaust treatment device is positioned above the base member, and the second exhaust treatment device is positioned above the first, creating a compact vertical configuration that reduces the horizontal footprint and allows lower positioning of the base member.
2Weight of moving object
If holes are provided in the platform to reduce weight and allow pipe passage, then the platform structure is improved, but the strength near the base frame is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the exhaust treatment devices from the traditional platform configuration and positions them directly above the engine using a base member supported by legs. This eliminates the need for a heavy platform structure with holes, as the devices are mounted on a simplified base frame that does not require weight-reducing holes near the base frame.
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a supporting mechanism that enables an exhaust treatment device to be disposed in a position as low as possible so that rearward visibility may be improved in a work vehicle in which the exhaust treatment device is disposed above the engine. A supporting mechanism according to a first aspect of the present invention supports a first exhaust treatment device and a second exhaust treatment device for treating exhaust gas from an engine and is provided with a base member, a first supporting member, and a second supporting member. The base member includes a first connecting part, a second connecting part, a first pipe member, and a second pipe member. The base member supports the first exhaust treatment device and the second exhaust treatment device. The first supporting member supports one side of the base member. The second supporting member supports the other side of the base member. The first connecting part is joined with the first supporting member. The second connecting part is joined with the second supporting member. The first pipe member and the second pipe member are disposed side by side on an identical horizontal plane. An opening section is formed by the edges of the first pipe member, the second pipe member, the first connecting part, and the second connecting part.