Abstract:
To make it possible to arrange an engine control unit in a narrow arrangement space by, for multiple purposes, using a support member for attaching an operation device. On a machine base supported by a traveling unit, an engine is mounted and a controlling part having an operator&#39;s seat is arranged; on one of left and right sides of the controlling part, a vehicle accessory is mounted and covered with an accessory cover; and on a front side of the operator&#39;s seat of the controlling part, and near the accessory cover, a support member is provided upright to provide an operation device. Between the accessory cover and the operation device, an engine control unit that controls the engine is arranged, and the engine control unit is attached to the support member.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a working machine that is, on a machine base, provided with an engine and an operator&#39;s seat. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    In this sort of working machine, on a machine base supported by traveling units, an engine is mounted as well as a controlling part having an operator&#39;s seat being arranged; on one of left and right sides of the controlling part, vehicle accessories are mounted, which is covered by an accessory cover; and on a front side of the operator&#39;s seat of the controlling part, a display device (operation device) is provided with the accessory cover being provided with a support member upright. 
         [0003]    A conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A2001-213198 relates to a display device of a construction machine including: a display part that is provided in an operator&#39;s cabin of the construction machine having a front working machine and displays positional information of the front working machine; an operation part that switches display content of the display part; and a display control part that controls the display content according to an operation of the operation part, wherein at least the display part of the display part, the operation part, and the display control part is separated from the operation part and the display control part, and configured as an independent unit, and these units are dispersively arranged in different locations within the operator&#39;s cabin (claims). 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    In the conventional technique, the display part is arranged on a front lateral side of an operator&#39;s seat, and the operation part and the display control part are arranged adjacent to a lateral surface of the operator&#39;s seat. 
         [0005]    Recently, an engine has been automatically controlled by an engine control unit, which has low heat resistance, and is therefore arranged in a cooling air suction area inside an engine room; however, the number of sensors for controlling the engine has been increased to increase the unit in size, or a second engine control unit has been required, and therefore it has been difficult to, in a controlling part, ensure an arrangement space for the one or two engine control units and support members for attaching the units. 
         [0006]    The present invention is intended to provide a working machine that is adapted to be able to solve such a problem of the conventional technique. 
         [0007]    The present invention is intended to provide a working machine that is, by attaching an engine control unit to a support member supporting an operation device between an accessory cover and the operation device to, for multiple purposes, use the support member for attaching the operation device, adapted to be able to arrange the engine control unit in a narrow arrangement space. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0008]    Specific means adapted to solve the problem in the present invention are as follows. 
         [0009]    A first aspect of the present invention is a working machine adapted such that: on a machine base  3  supported by a traveling unit  2 , an engine  11  is mounted and a controlling part  6  having an operator&#39;s seat  5  is arranged; on one of left and right sides of the controlling part  6 , a vehicle accessory  12  is mounted and covered with an accessory cover  15 ; and on a front side of the operator&#39;s seat  5  of the controlling part  6 , and near the accessory cover  15 , a support member  29  is provided upright to provide an operation device  27 , wherein between the accessory cover  15  and the operation device  27 , an engine control unit  30  that controls the engine  11  is arranged, and the engine control unit  30  is attached to the support member  29 . 
         [0010]    A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the support member  29  is, in an upper part of a supporting post  29 A, provided with: an inner bracket  29 B for attaching the operation device  27 ; and an outer bracket  29 C for attaching the engine control unit  30 . 
         [0011]    A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the engine control unit  30  is adapted such that, inside a case cover  30 A, a unit main body  30 B is attached, and the case cover  30 A is attached to the support member  29 . 
         [0012]    The fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that near a lower part of the support member  29  on the machine base  3 , a harness guide member  32  is arranged, and the harness guide member  32  is formed with an insertion port  32 A for inserting and guiding a harness  31  connected to the engine control unit  30 . 
         [0013]    A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the operator&#39;s seat  5  is arranged with an air conditioner  20 ; the operation device  27  has an air duct  25  that is connected to the air conditioner  20  and arranged on a front lateral side of the operator&#39;s seat  5 , and a meter panel  26  that is provided on an upper back side of the air duct  25 ; and the air duct  25  is attached to the support member  29 . 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0014]    According to the present invention, the engine control unit can be arranged in a narrow arrangement space by, for multiple purposes, using the support member for attaching the operation device. 
         [0015]    That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, between the accessory cover  15  and the operation device  27 , the engine control unit  30  that controls the engine  11  is arranged, and the engine control unit  30  is attached to the support member  29 , so that by using the support member  29  for multiple purposes, the engine control unit  30  can be arranged in a narrow arrangement space between the accessory cover  15  and the operation device  27 . 
         [0016]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, the support member  29  is, in the upper part of the supporting post  29 A, provided with: the inner bracket  29 B for attaching the operation device  27 ; and the outer bracket  29 C for attaching the engine control unit  30 , and therefore with a simple and inexpensive configuration, the operation device  27  and the engine control unit  30  can be attached. 
         [0017]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, the engine control unit  30  is adapted such that, inside the case cover  30 A, the unit main body  30 B is attached, and the case cover  30 A is attached to the support member  29 , and therefore a configuration change in the case cover  30 A or the unit main body  30 B can be handled. 
         [0018]    According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, near the lower part of the support member  29  on the machine base  3 , the harness guide member  32  is arranged, and the harness guide member  32  is formed with the insertion port  32 A for inserting and guiding the harness  31  connected to the engine control unit  30 , and therefore the harness  31  connected to the engine control unit  30  can be adequately guided in the controlling part  6 . 
         [0019]    According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the air duct  25  that is, on the upper back side thereof, provided with the meter panel  26  can be supported by the support member  29 . 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a machine base illustrating an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the machine base; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the machine base; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is an overall side view of a working machine; 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is an overall plan view of the working machine; 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of upper structure of the machine base; 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of the upper structure of the machine base; 
           [0027]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the upper structure of the machine base; 
           [0028]      FIG. 9  is a front view of the upper structure of the machine base; 
           [0029]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating electronic device attachment structure; 
           [0030]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a support member as viewed from a front side 
           [0031]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the support member as viewed from a back side; 
           [0032]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of a floor step; 
           [0033]      FIG. 14  is a front view of the floor step; 
           [0034]      FIG. 15  is a side view of the floor step; 
           [0035]      FIG. 16  is a plan view of a harness guide; 
           [0036]      FIG. 17  is a side view of the harness guide; 
           [0037]      FIG. 18  is a perspective view of a doorway step; 
           [0038]      FIG. 19  is an exploded perspective view of the doorway step; 
           [0039]      FIG. 20  is a plan view of the doorway step; and 
           [0040]      FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of the doorway step along an X-X line. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0041]    In the following, an embodiment of the present invention is described on the basis of the drawings. 
         [0042]      FIGS. 1 to 5  exemplify a reduced tail-swing backhoe as a working machine  1 , and in the backhoe  1  is adapted to: on crawler-type traveling units  2 , support a machine base (revolving base)  3  that is revolvable around a vertical shaft; have a bucket type excavator unit  4  on a front side of the machine base  3 ; and on the machine base  3 , mount a cabin  7  surrounding a controlling part  6  having an operator&#39;s seat  5 . 
         [0043]    The machine base  3  is adapted to: mount an engine  11  on a back part of a revolving frame  3 A; mount vehicle accessories  12  such as an oil tank, a control valve, and a battery on one of left and right sides (on a right side); cover the engine  11  with a fixed engine cover  13  and an openable/closable engine hood  14 ; and cover the vehicle accessories  12  with an accessory cover  15 . The accessory cover  15  has: an accessory side cover  15 A that is fixed to a laterally middle part of the revolving frame  3 A; and an outer open/close cover  15 B that is openable/closable. 
         [0044]    The cabin  7  is substantially rectangular shaped in a plan view, mounted on a front part of the revolving frame  3 A and on a left side of the accessory cover  15 , and provided with: left and right pairs of front supporting posts  7 A and side supporting posts  7 B; an upper frame  7 C that is connected to upper ends of the four supporting posts, i.e., the front and side supporting posts  7 A and  7 B, and attached with a ceiling member; a lower frame  7 D that ranges from lower ends of the front supporting posts  7 A to lower ends of the side supporting posts  7 B and is connected with the lower ends of the left and right side supporting posts  7 B; an open/close door  7 E that opens/closes a doorway surrounded by a front supporting post  7 A, side supporting post  7 B, and frame members such as the upper frame  7 C and the lower frame  7 D; and the like. 
         [0045]    In  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  5  to  9 , in the controlling part  6  inside the cabin  7 , a seat base  21  is fixed to a longitudinal middle part of the revolving frame  3 A in front of the engine cover  13 ; on the seat base  21 , the operator&#39;s seat  5  is placed; and inside the seat base  21 , an air conditioner  20  is contained. 
         [0046]    On upper right and left sides of the seat base  21 , lever controlling devices  22 R and  22 L for controlling a boom cylinder and bucket cylinder of the excavator unit  4  and a revolving motor for the machine base  3 , and the like are arranged with being distributed right and left across the operator&#39;s seat  5 . 
         [0047]    On an upper surface of the revolving frame  3 A in front of the seat base  21 , a floor step  23  is detachably provided; in front of the floor step  23 , a front floor plate  19  is provided; in such a way as to vertically penetrate through the front floor plate  19 , a traveling lever controlling device  24  for controlling hydraulic motors of the traveling units  2 , and the like is arranged in the front part of the revolving frame  3 A; and also, a traveling accelerator pedal, a swing pedal for operating a swing cylinder of the excavator unit  4 , and the like are arranged. 
         [0048]    Upward from a right front of the seat base  21 , an air duct  25  is protruded; the air duct  25  is communicatively connected to the air conditioner  20 ; a plurality of air blowing ports  25 A for blowing cooling air to a windshield, operator&#39;s seat  5 , and the like in the cabin  7  is formed; and on a back side of an upper part of the air duct  25 , a meter panel  26  is provided. The air duct  25  and the meter panel  26  constitute an operation device  27 . 
         [0049]    The operation device  27  is positioned in front of the right lever controlling device  22 R, i.e., arranged in a posture of rising from below on the right front side of the operator&#39;s seat  5 , and the meter panel  26  is provided with various types of meter display parts, a maintenance display part, and the like. 
         [0050]    The accessory side cover  15 A that covers an inner lateral side of the vehicle accessories  12  forms a right side wall of the cabin  7 , and between the accessory side cover  15 A and the air duct  25  as the operation device  27 , an engine control unit (ECU)  30  as an electronic device that controls the engine  11  is arranged. 
         [0051]    In a right lateral part of the revolving frame  3 A, a support member  29  is provided upright. An upper part of the support member  29  supports the air duct  25  and is attached with the engine control unit  30 . 
         [0052]    The engine control unit  30  is one that controls the engine  11  by itself, or one that is, with a main engine control unit performing main control of the engine  11  being provided inside the engine cover  13 , connected to the main engine control unit to secondarily control the engine  11 . 
         [0053]    On a right lateral side of the floor step  23 , a harness guide member  32  that guides harnesses  31  from the engine control unit  30  to the engine  11  side is provided under the support member  29 , and on a left lateral side of the floor step  23 , a doorway step (a getting-on/off step)  34  is provided on a left machine base side cover  33  of the machine base  3 . A front part of the left machine base side cover  33  is connected to a front cover  36  that covers a left front part of the machine base  3 . 
         [0054]    On the basis of  FIGS. 1 to 3  and  6  to  12 , attachment structure of the engine control unit  30  as an electronic device is described. 
         [0055]    The engine control unit  30  is supported by the support member  29  and arranged between the accessory side cover  15 A of the accessory cover  15  covering the vehicle accessories (auxiliary devices for vehicle)  12  on a right lateral side of the controlling part  6  and the operation device  27  having the air duct  25  and the meter panel  26 . 
         [0056]    The support member  29  is, in an upper part of a supporting post  29 A made of a round pipe, provided with: an angle-shaped inner bracket  29 B for attaching the operation device  27 ; and a vertically long outer bracket  29 C for attaching the engine control unit  30 . 
         [0057]    The engine control unit  30  is adapted such that, inside a box-shaped case cover  30 A, a unit main body  30 B as an electronic device main body is attached, and the case cover  30 A is held with being suspended at an upper part of the outer bracket  29 C through bolts, and also fixed on a lateral surface with bolts. 
         [0058]    Attachment surfaces of the inner bracket  29 B and outer bracket  29 C of the support member  29  are laterally and vertically separated, and the operation device  27  is attached on the operator&#39;s seat  5  side, and can be attached/detached to/from the inner bracket  29 B even in the presence of the engine control unit  30 , whereas the engine control unit  30  is attached on the accessory side cover  15 A side, and can be attached/detached to/from the outer bracket  29 C even in the presence of the operation device  27 . 
         [0059]    Near a lower part of the support member  29  on the machine base  3 , the harness guide member  32  is arranged, and the harness guide member  32  is provided with a stay  41  attached to a lower part of the outer bracket  29 C. 
         [0060]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 6 to 10 ,  17 , and  18 , the harness guide member  32  has: a fitting part  32 C that is L-shaped in a plan view, and fits into the supporting post  29 A in a middle part; a first insertion port  32 Aa that is positioned on a left lateral side of the fitting part  32 C; and a second insertion port  32 Ab that is positioned on a front lateral side of the fitting part  32 C, and is inserted with the harnesses  31  connected to the engine control unit  30  and engine  11  or the main engine control unit to guide the harnesses  31  into the machine base  3 . 
         [0061]    Surfaces forming the first and second insertion ports  32 Aa and  32 Ab of the harness guide member  32  are on front sides of chevron surfaces that protrude upward, and aback side tilted surface of the first insertion port  32 Aa serves as a footrest surface  32 B, whereas a back side tilted surface of the second insertion port  32 Ab is provided with the stay  41 . 
         [0062]    Accordingly, the harness guide member  32  is attached to the lower part of the outer bracket  29 C to guide the plurality of harnesses  31  with longitudinally and laterally separating the harnesses  31 , and by providing the footrest surface  32 B, prevents a foot of an operator from being caught by any of the harnesses  31 . 
         [0063]    On the basis of  FIGS. 1 to 3 ,  6  to  9 , and  13  to  15 , the floor step  23  is described in detail. 
         [0064]    The floor step  23  is one formed by press punching and drawing processes of a laterally long flat plate, on which a plurality of (two) swelling parts  38  that are laterally long and of an upward protruding shape are longitudinally formed; on one of left and right sides (right side) of the floor step  23  and on a front side of an end part of the back swelling part  38 B, an opening part  40  for inserting the harnesses  31  for the engine control unit (electronic device)  30  is provided; and on a laterally middle part side of the opening part  40 , a connecting swelling part  38 C that connects the back swelling part  388  and the front swelling part  38 A to each other is formed. 
         [0065]    Above the opening part  40 , the harness guide member  32  is arranged. The opening part  40  may be opened to a front end of the floor step  23  to form a swelling shape connecting a right end of the front swelling part  38 A and a front end of the connecting swelling part  38 C to each other; however, in the present embodiment, an end part  38 Aa of the front swelling part  38 A is provided with extending to a lateral side of the connecting swelling part  38 C and a front side of the opening part  40 . 
         [0066]    The front swelling part  38 A is adapted such that an end part thereof on a side connecting to the connecting swelling part  38 C is formed to have a longitudinally wide width as compared with the rest thereof, and thereby the right end part  38 Aa of the front swelling part  38 A can go into the front side of the opening part  40 . 
         [0067]    The floor step  23  improves strength thereof by longitudinally forming the plurality of swelling parts  38  and also connecting the back swelling part  388  and the front swelling part  38 A through the connecting swelling part  38 C, and prevents a reduction in strength of an end part of the floor step  23 , which is caused by forming the opening part  40 , by making the right end part  38 Aa of the front swelling part  38 A go into the front side of the opening part  40 . 
         [0068]    On the floor step  23 , a floor mat  39  is laid. The floor mat  39  is, on a lower surface thereof, formed with a rib that fits not only in a circumference of the floor step  23  but also fits between the front and back swelling parts  38 A and  38 B, and laid over the whole of an upper surface of the floor step  23 . 
         [0069]    In  FIGS. 1 to 3 ,  5 ,  7 , and  18  to  21 , structure of the doorway step  34  is described in detail. 
         [0070]    The doorway step  34  is arranged in a position where the lower frame  7 D of the cabin  7  and a lower part of the open/close door  7 E overlaps with each other; on an upper surface of the left side machine base side cover  33 , a concave portion  35  of which a bottom surface  35 A is horizontal is formed; in the concave portion  35 , a doorway step member  34 A is provided; and an outer edge  34   b  of the doorway step member  34 A is of an arc shape that is parallel to a side surface of the left machine base side cover  33 , whereas an inner edge  34   a  is positioned on an inner side of an outer surface of the lower part of the open/close door  7 E of the cabin  7  and of a substantially parallel linear shape. 
         [0071]    That is, regarding the doorway step  34 , on a front lateral surface of the revolving frame  3 A, the left machine base side cover  33  is provided; the left machine base side cover  33  has a horizontal upper wall  33   a  and an arc-shaped side wall  33   b ; and on the side wall  33   b  side of the upper wall  33   a , the doorway step concave portion  35  is formed. 
         [0072]    Regarding the concave portion  35 , the bottom surface  35 A is formed horizontally and in parallel with an upper surface of the upper wall  33   a ; a rising tilted surface  35 B that rises obliquely upward from a circumference of the bottom surface  35 A is formed; and an upper edge of the rising tilted surface  35 B is connected to the upper surface of the upper wall  33   a.    
         [0073]    Part of the upper edge of the rising tilted surface  35 B on the floor step  23  side (part of the upper edge of the tilted surface on a longitudinally long depth side) is linear, and formed on an inner side of the outer surface of the lower part of the open/close door  7 E and in substantially parallel with the outer surface of the lower part. 
         [0074]    The doorway step member  34 A is formed of resin, rubber, or the like, and with being inserted into the concave portion  35 , attached to the left machine base side cover  33  with fastening members such as bolts. 
         [0075]    The doorway step member  34 A is of a shape similar to a planar shape of the concave portion  35 , and the inner edge  34   a  on the cabin  7  side is of a linear shape substantially parallel to the upper edge of the rising, tilted surface  35 B, and arranged on the inner side than the outer surface of the lower part of the open/close door  7 E and in substantially parallel with the outer surface of the lower part. 
         [0076]    The outer edge  34   b  of the doorway step member  34 A is formed in the arc shape that is an outward protruding shape parallel to an outer surface of the machine base side cover  33  and an outer edge of the concave portion  35 . 
         [0077]    The doorway step member  34 A is adapted such that, in a lateral width direction thereof, an upper surface from the inner edge  34   a  to a middle part is a flat surface  34 Aa, and an upper surface from the middle part to the outer edge  34   b  is a nonslip surface  34 Ab having unevenness; the outer surface of the lower part of the open/close door  7 E at the time of closing is positioned in the middle part of the doorway step member  34 A; the flat surface  34 Aa from the inner edge  34   a  to middle part of the doorway step member  34 A overlaps with the open/close door  7 E; and the nonslip surface  34 Ab is positioned on an outer side of the outer surface of the lower part of the open/close door  7 E. 
         [0078]    Note that in the present invention, it is best to configure shapes of the respective members in the embodiment, and longitudinally, laterally, and vertically positional relationships among the respective members as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 21 . However, without limitation to the embodiment, the members and configurations may be variously modified, and combinations may be changed. 
         [0079]    For example, the air duct  25  attached to the support member  29  may be formed with an air blowing port for blowing cooling air toward the engine control unit  30 . 
         [0080]    It is to be understood that although the present invention has been described with regard to preferred embodiments thereof, various other embodiments and variants may occur to those skilled in the art, which are within the scope and spirit of the invention, and such other embodiments and variants are intended to be covered by the following claims. 
         [0081]    The texts of Japanese application Nos. 2012-174125, 2012-174123, and 2012-174124 filed on Aug. 6, 2012 are hereby incorporated by reference.