Guard Panel Air Suction Port for Construction Machine Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Construction machines, such as excavators, face challenges in increasing the required intake area for outside cooling air while minimizing the number and size of air suction ports, which can degrade appearance, increase noise leakage, and compromise waterproofing, leading to higher costs for design and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a guard panel with a first panel and a pivotable second panel, where the peripheral portions of both panels are shifted inward-outward to form an air suction port, reducing the number and size of air suction holes, enhancing appearance, and preventing noise and water infiltration through the use of a seal member and recessed areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number and size of air suction ports are increased to meet the required intake area for cooling air, then the cooling performance is improved, but the appearance is degraded and noise leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional planar guard panel to a three-dimensional structure by forming a recessed portion that extends inward from the outer surface. This dimensional change allows the air suction port to be positioned within the recessed area, enabling adequate intake area while maintaining a smooth outer surface that reduces noise leakage and preserves appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The air suction port is nested within the recessed portion of the guard panel, creating a hierarchical structure where the intake function is embedded within the panel body. This nesting allows the cooling air intake to occur through the recessed area without requiring additional openings on the outer surface, thus maintaining appearance quality while ensuring sufficient cooling air supply.
2Quantity of substance
If the number and size of air suction ports are increased to meet the required intake area, then the cooling performance is improved, but waterproofing is compromised leading to higher costs
Solution Approach 1:
By creating a recessed portion that extends inward from the outer surface, the invention provides a three-dimensional space that can accommodate the air suction function without compromising the two-dimensional waterproof surface. The recessed structure allows air intake while the outer surface remains intact and waterproof, eliminating the need for additional waterproofing measures.
Solution Approach 2:
The air suction function is extracted from the outer surface of the guard panel and relocated to the recessed portion. This extraction separates the cooling air intake function from the waterproof surface, allowing the outer surface to maintain its integrity and waterproofing properties while the recessed area handles the air suction requirement.
3Quantity of substance
If the effective area of the guard panel is decreased due to multiple air suction ports, then the cooling air intake is improved, but the space for design decals and caution labels is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes the third dimension by creating a recessed portion that extends inward from the outer surface. This allows the air suction port to occupy space within the recessed volume rather than consuming surface area, preserving the effective area of the outer surface for design decals and caution labels while providing adequate cooling air intake through the recessed structure.
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 an adequate intake area while improving the machine's appearance, reducing noise leakage, and enhancing waterproofing, allowing for sufficient space for design decals and caution labels without significant cost increases.
Implementation Method 1
a seal member attached to the peripheral portion of the second panel to make close contact with the opening edge of the first panel in a state where the second panel closes the opening
Implementation Method 2
The cooling fan 9 rotates to introduce outside cooling air and blow the air through the heat exchanger 10
Implementation Method 3
The heat exchanger 10 includes a radiator and an oil cooler
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a construction machine including a guard panel with an air suction port and capable of ensuring a required intake opening area with suppressed disadvantages of the air suction port. The construction machine includes an engine, a cooling fan, and a heat exchanger which are accommodated in a device accommodation space in an upper slewing body, and a guard panel covering the device accommodation space. The guard panel includes a first panel with an opening edge defining an opening and a second panel that opens and closes the opening and has a peripheral portion to be supported by the opening edge with the opening closed. Respective parts of the peripheral portion and the opening edge are shifted from each other in an inward-outward direction to form an air suction port bringing the device accommodation space into communication with outside, between the second panel and the first panel.