Door for cabin in construction machine

A cabin in a construction machine has a door having a vertically extending door frame and a door glass attached to the door frame. The door frame has a pulling handle portion which is attached to the cabin frame pivotally around a vertical pivot axis and projects in a direction having a component extending away from the door glass. The pulling handle portion is aligned with the riding handle in front and rear directions outside the cabin when the door is fully opened. The pulling handle portion satisfies at least one of a first condition that the height position of the second gripped portion is offset upward from the height position of the riding handle, and a second condition that the second gripped portion of the pulling handle portion extends in a second extending direction different from the first extending direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a door of a cabin having an entrance and provided in a construction machine such as a hydraulic shovel, the door adapted to open and close the entrance.

2. Description of the Background Art

FIG. 6shows an example of a hydraulic shovel provided with a cabin7having a door, andFIGS. 7 through 9show the cabin7with the door opened.

The hydraulic shovel is provided with a crawler-type lower propelling body1, an upper slewing body2loaded on the lower propelling body1slewably around an axis perpendicular to the ground, and a working attachment6to be attached to the upper slewing body2. The working attachment6has a boom3, an arm4and a bucket5. The cabin7is disposed on a left-side front portion of the upper slewing body2.

In the present specification, “front and rear” and “left and right” are described based on a viewing direction of an operator seated in the cabin7.

The cabin7has a cabin frame, an entrance8formed in the cabin frame to allow the operator to get in and out of the cabin through the entrance8, and a door9. The entrance8is formed in a front portion on a left surface of the cabin7. The door9, which is adapted to open and close the entrance8, has a front end portion to be pivotally connected to a main body of the cabin7and a rear end portion so as to open and close the entrance8.

The cabin frame has a front fringe portion located on the front side of the entrance8and a rear fringe portion located on the rear side of the entrance8, the front and rear fringe portions attached with front and rear riding handles10and11respectively. Each of the front and rear riding handles10and11, which is provided at an intermediate position of the cabin frame in respect of up and down directions, has a pair of upper and downward extending portions projecting from the corresponding fringe portion and a connecting portion vertically interconnecting respective ends of the projections, thus allowing the operator to get in and out of the cabin by gripping vertical portions of the front and rear riding handles10and11.

The door9, as also shown inFIG. 9, has a door frame12formed of a vertically extending pipe and a door glass13to be attached to the door frame12. The cabin frame includes an intermediate pillar14located at an intermediate portion of the cabin frame in respect of front and rear directions. The door frame12has an upper end and a lower end to be attached to the intermediate pillar14via a pair of upper and lower hinges15and15pivotally around a vertical axis respectively. The door glass13pivots integrally with the door frame12to thereby open and close the entrance8.

The pipe constituting the door frame12has been bent to form the door frame12into a shape having an upper straight portion and a lower straight portion each vertically extending and an intermediate portion located between the upper and lower straight portions and bulging from the upper and lower straight portions orthogonally to vertical directions. As shown inFIG. 9, a small clearance C2is formed between the upper and lower straight portions, and the door glass13; and a clearance C1is formed between the intermediate portion and the door glass13. The clearance C1has a size larger than that of the clearance C2and large enough to allow the operator to insert his fingers into the clearance C1to grip the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion of the door frame12, therefore, serves as a pulling handle portion16to be gripped by the operator to close the door9by a pulling operation from the inside of the cabin7.

Although not illustrated, the cabin7is provided with, in addition to the pulling handle portion16, an opening/closing handle to be operated in a direction of opening the door9from the inside of the cabin7and operated to open and close the door9on the outside of the cabin7, and a catch mechanism for retaining the door9at both of the opening position and the closing position.

There has been found no document disclosing a door provided with the door frame12constituted of a pipe as described above. The technology relating to the above arrangement is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-215702.

The door9has a drawback that the operator may misuse the pulling handle portion16as the riding handle to thereby allow an unwanted mechanical load to be applied on the door frame12or on the door glass13. Specifically, the pulling handle portion16is:

a) positioned at such a height position that the operator standing on the ground is likely to grip, as well as the intermediate portion of the rear riding handle11;

b) positioned immediately behind the rear riding handle11, and

c) provided with a vertically extending portion which is likely to be gripped by the operator, as well as the rear riding handle11.

Furthermore, the pulling handle portion16is vertically longer than the rear riding handle11and has a shape of projecting outwardly when the door glass13is opened; this is intend to cause the operator to mistakenly grip the pulling handle portion16when getting in and out of the cabin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a door for a cabin in a construction machine, which door includes a pulling handle portion to be pulled in a direction of closing the door from the inside of the cabin and is capable of preventing the pulling handle portion from being used as a riding handle by mistake.

The door according to the invention is provided in a cabin including a cabin frame having an entrance and a riding handle projecting, in a specific direction, from a fringe portion fringing the entrance of the cabin frame, the riding handle including a first gripped portion extending in a first extending direction to be gripped by an operator when the operator rides in the cabin. The door comprises a door frame vertically extending and a door glass to be attached to the door frame. The door frame is attached to the cabin frame pivotally around a vertical pivot axis to allow the door to open and close the entrance of the cabin. The door frame has a pulling handle portion projecting in a direction having a component of a direction away from the door glass to be gripped for operating the door in a closing direction from the inside of the cabin. The pulling handle portion is disposed so as to be aligned with the riding handle in front and rear directions outside the cabin when the door is fully opened. The pulling handle portion has a second gripped portion to be gripped by the hand of the operator. Furthermore, the pulling handle portion satisfies at least one of the following directions: a first condition that the height position of the second gripped portion is offset upward from the height position of the riding handle; and a second condition that the second gripped portion of the pulling handle portion extends in a second extending direction different from the first extending direction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the invention is described referring toFIGS. 1 to 5. The embodiment is an example, wherein the invention is applied to a door29of a cabin provided in a hydraulic shovel (construction machine1) shown inFIG. 1.

The hydraulic shovel is provided with a crawler-type lower propelling body21, an upper slewing body22to be loaded on the lower propelling body21so as to be slewed around an axis extending perpendicularly to the ground, and a working attachment26to be attached to the upper slewing body22. The working attachment26has a boom23, an arm24and a bucket25. The cabin is disposed on a left-side front portion of the upper slewing body22.

The cabin has a cabin frame27, an entrance28formed in the cabin frame to allow the operator to get in and out of the cabin through the entrance28, and a door29. The entrance28is formed in a front portion on a left surface of the cabin. The door29, which is adapted to open and close the entrance28, has a front end portion to be pivotally connected to a main body of the cabin and a rear portion adapted to be swung so as to open and close the entrance28when the door29is pivoted.

The cabin frame27has a front fringe portion27alocated on the front side of the entrance28and a rear fringe portion27blocated on the rear side of the entrance28. The front and rear fringe portions are provided with front and rear riding handles30and31respectively. Each of the front and rear riding handles30and31is provided at a vertically intermediate position of the cabin frame, having a pair of upper and lower projections each projecting from the corresponding fringe portion (in the riding handle31, projecting toward the entrance28, that is, toward the left side inFIG. 2) and a connecting portion vertically interconnecting respective ends of the upper and downward extending portions. The operator is allowed to get in and out of the cabin while gripping the connecting portion of the front and rear riding handles30and31(that is, a first gripped portion; hereinafter, each may be called “a gripped portion of the riding handle”).

As also shown inFIG. 2, the door9has a door frame32formed of a pipe extending vertically and a door glass33to be attached to the door frame32so as to be positioned outside the door frame32when the door9is closed. The cabin frame includes an intermediate pillar34located at an intermediate portion of the cabin frame in respect of front and rear directions. The intermediate pillar34forms the rear fringe portion of the entrance28. The door frame32has an upper end and a lower end to be attached to the intermediate pillar34via a pair of upper and lower hinges35and35pivotally around a vertical pivot axis35a, respectively. The door glass33pivots integrally with the door frame32to thereby open and close the entrance28.

The pipe constituting the door frame32is bent to thereby bring the door frame32into the shape shown inFIG. 2. Specifically, the door frame32comprises: an upper front-to-rear extending portion36and a lower front-to-rear extending portion37that extend in front and rear directions in a state (hereinafter, called as “a door fully-opened state) that the door29is fully opened to a position along a wall, at the rear side of the entrance28, of the cabin frame as shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3; an upper vertically extending portion40that extends vertically downward from an end, at the front side in a door fully opened state, of both ends of the upper front-to-rear extending portion36; a lower vertically extending portion42that extends vertically upward from an end, at the rear side in a door fully-opened state, of both ends of the lower front-to-rear extending portion37; a pulling handle portion39that is a crank-shaped portion continuous with a lower end of the upper vertically extending portion40; and a joint portion41extending from the pulling handle portion39to an upper end of the lower vertically extending portion42, the upper and lower vertically extending portions40and42being attached to the intermediate pillar34via the hinges35and35respectively. Furthermore, the door glass33is connected to the door frame32at four sites, i.e., at respective distal ends of the upper and lower front-to-rear extending portions36and37and at the upper and lower hinges35and35.

The pulling handle portion39includes a laterally extending portion38. The extending portion38, which is provided at a position slightly above the intermediate position of the door frame32in respect of up and down directions and offset rearward and upward from the rear riding handle31in a door fully-opened state, extends laterally from a lower end of the upper vertically extending portion40, more specifically, extends rearward horizontally (may generally horizontally extend with slight upward or downward inclination rearwardly) in the door opened state. The laterally extending portion38constitutes the crank-shaped portion in cooperation with an upward extending portion39acontinuous with the crank-shaped portion at the upper side thereof and a downward extending portion39bcontinuous with the crank-shaped portion at the lower side thereof, the crank-shaped portion functioning as the pulling handle portion39. In other words, the pulling handle portion39includes the laterally extending portion38, the upward extending portion39aand the downward extending portion39b; the upward extending portion39aextends upward from a front end, that is, an end at the front side in the door opened state, of both ends of the laterally extending portion38, while the downward extending portion39bextends downward from a rear end, that is, an end at the rear side in the door opened state, of the both ends of the laterally extending portion38. The laterally extending portion38is offset upward from an upper end of the rear riding handle31.

The upper and lower vertically extending portions40and42, each of which extends along the pivot axis, constitute an upper supported portion and a lower supported portion to be supported by the intermediate pillar34, which is a rear fringe portion fringing the entrance28, via the hinges35and35, pivotally about the pivot axis. The front-to-rear extending portions36and37extend rearward from an upper end of the upper supported portion and a lower end of the lower supported portion in the door opened state respectively, and have respective distal ends connected to the door glass33, thereby constituting an upper reinforcing portion and a lower reinforcing portion for reinforcing the door glass33, respectively. The invention permits at least one of the upper and lower reinforcing portions to be omitted as appropriate.

As shown inFIG. 5, there is secured only a small clearance C4(seeFIG. 2): a) between the door glass33and each of the upper and lower vertically extending portions40and42that are the upper and lower supported portions; and b) between the door glass33and each of the upper and lower front-to-rear extending portions36and37that are the respective upper and lower reinforcing portions.

In contrast, the upper extending portion39aof the portions constituting the pulling handle portion39, as shown inFIG. 4andFIG. 5, projects from the door glass33so as to be gradually inclined in such a direction that the pulling handle portion39agoes away from the door glass33as extending downward. The laterally extending portion38extends laterally from the upper extending portion39ain parallel to the door glass33, while retaining a clearance C3(seeFIG. 5), between the door glass33and the upper extending portion39a, the clearance C3having a size larger than the size of the clearance C4and large enough to allow an operator to grip the laterally extending portion38by his hand. Besides, the downward extending portion39bprojects from the door glass33so as to be gradually inclined in such a direction that the downward extending portion39bis close to the door glass33as extending downward from the rear end of the laterally extending portion38.

The length of the laterally extending portion38can be set to an arbitrary value. Preferably, the length of the laterally extending portion38may be set to such a value that the operator can grip the laterally extending portion38with ease. For instance, it is preferable to give the laterally extending portion38a length size larger than the horizontal size of upper and lower end portions of the pulling handle portion16shown inFIG. 7.

In the pulling handle portion39, therefore, the laterally extending portion38serves as a substantial handle portion (hereinafter, called as “a gripped portion of the pulling handle portion”) which an operator can actually grip by his hand without difficulty so as to insert his fingers into a space between the laterally extending portion38and the door glass33.

The shape of the joint portion41has only to be a shape capable of interjoining the pulling handle portion39and an upper end of the lower vertically extending portion42. The joint portion41according to this embodiment has a first portion extending vertically downward from the downward extending portion39band a second portion extending from the first portion to the lower vertically extending portion42while being inclined in such a direction that the second position is forwardly displaced as extending downward.

The position and the shape of the pulling handle portion39enables the pulling handle portion39to be prevented from being misused as the riding handle31disposed adjacent thereto, in other words, can prevent an operator from gripping the pulling handle portion39by mistake when he gets in and goes out of the cabin through the entrance28. This is because the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39(in this embodiment, that is the laterally extending portion38) satisfies: the first condition that the height position of the laterally extending portion38is offset upward from the height position of the riding handle31; and the second condition that the extending direction in which the laterally extending portion38extends (in this embodiment, that is a lateral direction; a second extending direction according to the invention) is different from the extending direction of a gripped portion of the riding handle31to be gripped by an operator (in this embodiment, that is a vertical direction; a first extending direction according to the invention).

Specifically, the laterally extending portion38, satisfying the first condition, clarifies the difference in function between the pulling handle portion39and the riding handle31, and further makes an operator fall into a difficulty in gripping the pulling handle portion39while standing on the ground, thereby prompting the operator not to grip the pulling handle portion39but to grip the riding handle31. Besides, the pulling handle portion39, satisfying the second condition, can give a difference between the orientation of the hand of an operator gripping the pulling handle portion39and the orientation of the hand of an operator gripping the riding handle31, to thereby restrain the operator from confusion between the pulling handle portion39and the riding handle31. In particular, the vertically extending shape of the gripped portion of the riding handle31facilitates the operator to get in and out of the cabin while gripping the riding handle31; the laterally extending gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39facilitates the operator to grip the pulling handle portion39and pull the door29in a closing direction from the inside of the cabin.

Besides, the door frame32is formed into a shape having a gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39to be gripped by the hand (in this embodiment, the laterally extending portion38), which portion keeps the clearance C3allowing fingers of an operator to be inserted into a space between the gripped portion and the door glass33, and a portion which keeps the clearance C4smaller than the clearance C3between the portion and the door glass33(in this embodiment, the upper and lower vertically extending portions40and42); this enables the door frame32to be used as a handle to be pulled, with no use of other special members to be gripped and with no increase in the number of parts constituting the door frame32, thus contributing to the simplified structure of the door frame32, reduced cost, and improved appearance.

The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment but may include the following arrangements, for instance.

(1) Although it is preferable that the pulling handle portion39satisfies both of the first and second condition, it may satisfy only either one of the first and second conditions. For instance, the invention also includes: an embodiment where a second extending direction in which the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39, that is, a second gripped portion according to the invention, extends is the same as a first extending direction in which the gripped portion of the riding handle31, that is, a first gripped portion according to the invention, extends while the height position of the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39is offset upward from the height position of the upper end of the riding handle31; and an embodiment where the height position of the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39is lower than the height position of the upper end of the riding handle31, while a second extending direction in which the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39extends is different from a first extending direction in which the gripped portion of the riding handle31extends.

(2) The pulling handle portion39may lack the upper projection39a. For instance, it is also possible that: the laterally extending portion38raises from the door glass33normal thereto to constitute a gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39; alternatively, that both of the upper and downward extending portions39aand39bproject from the door glass33normal thereto and the laterally extending portion38interconnects respective ends of the upper and downward extending portions39aand39b. In either case, the difference between the laterally extending portion38as the gripped portion of the pulling handle portion39and the gripped portion of the rear riding handle31is so clear that the original object of the invention of preventing the pulling handle portion from being misused as a riding handle can be achieved.

(3) The door frame32is not limited to one formed of a pipe member. Other member extending in one direction such as a rod member or a plate member also can be bent so as to form the door frame32.

(4) The invention is not limited to a door having a front end to be pivotally supported by a cabin frame. For instance, the invention also targets a door having a rear end to be pivotally supported by a cabin frame and a front end movable in an opening/closing direction of the door. Also in this case, the riding handles30and31can be provided so as to be exposed outward in a door fully opened state.

(5) The invention can be applied not only to a hydraulic shovel but to another type of construction machine having a cabin with a door.

As described above, the invention can provide a door which is used for a cabin in a construction machine and includes a pulling handle portion to be pulled in a closing direction of the door from the inside of the cabin, while being capable of preventing the pulling handle portion from being misused as a riding handle. The door according to the invention is provided in a cabin including a cabin frame having an entrance and a riding handle projecting, in a specific direction, from a fringe portion fringing the entrance of the cabin frame, the riding handle including a first gripped portion extending in a first extending direction to be gripped by an operator when the operator rides in the cabin. The door comprises a door frame vertically extending and a door glass to be attached to the door frame. The door frame is attached to the cabin frame pivotally around a vertical pivot axis to allow the door to open and close the entrance of the cabin. The door frame has a pulling handle portion projecting in a direction having a component of a direction away from the door glass to be gripped for operating the door in a closing direction from the inside of the cabin. The pulling handle portion is disposed so as to be aligned with the riding handle in front and rear directions outside the cabin when the door is fully opened. The pulling handle portion has a second gripped portion to be gripped by the hand of the operator. Furthermore, the pulling handle portion satisfies at least one of the following directions: a first condition that the height position of the second gripped portion is offset upward from the height position of the riding handle; and a second condition that the second gripped portion of the pulling handle portion extends in a second extending direction different from the first extending direction.

The pulling handle portion, when satisfying the first condition, can clarify the difference in function between the pulling handle portion and the riding handle, and further make an operator fall into a difficulty in gripping the pulling handle portion while standing on the ground, thereby prompting the operator not to grip the pulling handle portion but to grip the riding handle. The pulling handle portion, when satisfying the second condition, can make the orientation of the hand of an operator gripping the pulling handle portion different from the orientation of the hand gripping the riding handle to thereby restrain the operator from confusion between the pulling handle portion and the riding handle.

In particular, the vertically extending shape of the first gripped portion of the riding handle and the laterally extending shape of the second gripped portion of the pulling handle portion clarify the difference between these two gripped portions and further facilitate an operator to get in and out of the cabin while gripping the riding handle and to pull the door in a closing direction of the door from the inside of the cabin by gripping the pulling handle portion.

Furthermore, satisfying both of the first condition and the second condition produces a synergetic effect to elevate the misuse prevention effect.

The door frame may be formed, for example, by bending a member extending in one direction, into a shape having a first portion that forms a first clearance large enough to allow fingers of an operator to be inserted into a space between the first portion and the door glass to grip the first portion and a second portion that forms a second clearance smaller than the first clearance between the second portion and the door glass. This enables the door frame to be used as a handle to be pulled, with no use of an additional member for a handle portion, and with no increase in the number of parts constituting the door frame. This results in a simplified structure of the door frame, reduced cost, and improved appearance.

It is preferable that the riding handle vertically extends while the pulling handle portion includes a laterally extending portion which extends laterally keeping the first clearance between the laterally extending portion and the door glass, the laterally extending portion constituting the second gripped portion. The laterally extending portion can satisfy the second condition. Furthermore, the laterally extending portion simultaneously can also satisfy the first condition if positioned at an upper side of an upper end of the riding handle.

More specifically, the door frame preferably has a shape of having: the pulling handle portion; an upper supported portion and a lower supported portion each extending along the pivot axis and supported to an upper portion and a lower portion of an fringe portion of an entrance of the cabin frame respectively via hinges pivotally around the pivot axis; and a joint portion, wherein the pulling handle portion is connected to the upper supported portion, and the joint portion interjoins the pulling handle portion and the lower supported portion. This shape enables the door to satisfy the second condition while the door frame is stably supported by the cabin frame at upper and lower positions thereof.

In this case, it is more preferable that the pulling handle portion has: the laterally extending portion; a first projecting portion extending from a lower end of the upper supported portion in a direction away from the door glass and projecting from the door glass in such a manner as to be connected to one end of the laterally extending portion; and a second projecting portion extending from the other end of the laterally extending portion in a direction toward the door glass and projecting from the door glass in such a manner as to extend to an upper end of the joint portion. This pulling handle portion can possess a shape of projecting from the door glass between the upper supported portion and the joint portion while being able to be desirably gripped.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-150967 filed on Jul. 1, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.