Trapezoidal Cab Window Asymmetry for Visibility Trade-offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cabs for construction machines, such as motor graders, face a trade-off between securing forward view and maintaining visibility of the road surface behind the blade, with widened front windows compromising visibility and reduced front window areas hindering forward view during high-speed operations.
Innovation Solution
The cab design features diagonally cut forward ends on the floor and roof, a trapezoidal-shaped front window with a wider upper frame, and strategically placed side windows to enhance lateral width and downward view, ensuring a large front window area while minimizing floor width and reducing pillar interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the front window is largely widened to secure the forward view, then the forward visibility is improved, but the width in front of the floor is necessarily increased which deteriorates the visibility of the road surface to be readjusted behind the blade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the front window with a non-traditional shape where the upper end has a greater width than the lower end. This asymmetric configuration allows the upper portion of the front window to be widened for improved forward visibility while the lower portion maintains a smaller width that does not increase the floor width, thereby preserving the visibility of the road surface behind the blade.
2Illumination intensity
If the side window glass is extended to a floor area to secure forward and downward view, then the working view is improved, but the width in front of the floor is increased which deteriorates the visibility behind the blade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the side windows with different configurations on the left and right sides. Specifically, the left side window extends downward to provide improved working view and downward visibility, while the right side window has a different configuration. This asymmetric approach allows the operator to achieve enhanced working view without necessarily increasing the floor width on both sides, thereby mitigating the deterioration of visibility behind the blade.
3Area of stationary object
If the area of the front window is reduced to secure visibility behind the blade, then the visibility of road surface is improved, but pillars disposed on both sides of the front window hinder the forward view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the front window with an asymmetric shape where the upper end width is greater than the lower end width. This allows the upper portion to maintain a larger area for good forward view while the lower portion is reduced to improve visibility behind the blade. The asymmetric design optimizes the distribution of window area to balance both forward view and visibility behind the blade without requiring additional pillars that would hinder the forward view.
4Device complexity
If a traditional rectangular front window is used, then the structure is simple, but the lateral width of the upper window in the left and right direction at the point of view of the operator is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing the front window with a trapezoidal shape where the upper end has a greater width than the lower end. This asymmetric configuration increases the lateral width of the upper window at the operator's point of view, providing an enhanced field of vision. While this does increase structural complexity compared to a simple rectangular window, the asymmetric design efficiently utilizes the available space to maximize the lateral width of the upper window without proportionally increasing the overall window area or floor width.
Data Source
AI summary
A cab for a construction machine, a construction machine, and a motor grader are described. The construction machine and the motor grader each have the cab mounted thereon. The cab includes a floor and a roof, each having a respective front side having corresponding left and right ends, which are diagonally cut forward. A front window is provided on a front surface of the cab is formed in a trapezoidal shape. Upper and lower window frames are disposed along both the left and right ends of the floor and the roof. Frames are also disposed on front sides of side window frames along both left and right side window frames of the front window. When mounted on a construction machine or motor grader used for road surface and ground operations, the cab increases visibility of the area to be operated upon, specifically, visibility in the forward view.