Patent Publication Number: US-6907916-B2

Title: Cooling apparatus for a work machine

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a cooling apparatus for a work machine. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A radiator for radiating a heat of cooling water of an engine, and an oil cooler for radiating a heat of hydraulic fluid of a hydraulic equipment are necessary for a work machine. Further, in recent years, in order to heighten an intake air efficiency of an engine so as to heighten an engine performance, an after cooler for cooling a compressed supercharged air is adopted. Some techniques, which arrange such cooling equipments so as to heighten a cooling efficiency and take a maintainability and compactness of an installation space into consideration, have been conventionally suggested. 
   The first example is a cooling apparatus of a work machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-350530 (1999), and  FIG. 7  is an arrangement diagram of the cooling apparatus described in this publication. In  FIG. 7 , a radiator  33  is arranged on a front surface of a fan  32  driven by an engine  31  in the cooling apparatus  30 , and an oil cooler  34  and an intercooler  35  are arranged in parallel on the front surface of the radiator  33 . A ventilation area and a thickness of the oil cooler  34  are determined so that a thickness in a ventilation direction becomes approximately uniform. Here, a capacitor  36  for an air conditioner is provided in front of the intercooler  35 . 
   The second example is a cooling apparatus for a motorcar disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. S62-175218 (1987).  FIG. 8  is a front view and a partially cross sectional view of the cooling apparatus disclosed in this publication. In  FIG. 8 , an upper tank  41  and a lower tank  42  are provided on an upper portion and a lower portion of the cooling apparatus  40 , respectively. The upper tank  41  and the lower tank  42  are partitioned by partition plates  43  and  44  into two right and left upper tanks  45  and  46  and two lower tanks  47  and  48 . The upper tank  45  and the lower tank  47  are connected by a radiation tube  49  so as to form a radiator  50 . The upper tank  46  and the lower tank  48  are connected by a radiation tube  51  so as to form an intercooler  52 . Side supports  53  are fixed to both side portions of the cooling apparatus  40  where the radiator  50  and the intercooler  52  are integral, respectively. The cooling apparatus  40  is mounted to a body frame, not shown, via the side supports  53 . In such a manner, the radiator  50  and the intercooler  52  are arranged so that their front surfaces are approximately flush with each other, thereby improving cooling efficiency of the radiator  50  and miniaturizing the cooling apparatus  40 . 
   Further, the third example is a cooling apparatus shown in FIG.  9 . In  FIG. 9 , a radiator  63  is provided in front of a fan  62  driven by an engine  61 . A coil cooler  64  is provided in front of the radiator  63 , and its lower end portion is axially supported by a pin  65  so as to be rotative and its side surface is mounted to the radiator  63  by a bolt  66 . When the bolt  66  is loosened, the oil cooler  64  is tiltable forward about the pin  65  up to a position shown by an alternate long and two short dashes line in the drawing. In such a manner, the oil cooler  64  is tilted and an opening width C between the oil cooler  64  and the radiator  63  is widened so that cleaning of the radiator  63  and the oil cooler  64  is facilitated. 
   However, the above conventional techniques have the following problems. 
   In the first example, since the oil cooler  34  and the intercooler  35  are arranged in parallel on the front surface of the radiator  33 , when dirt and dust which adhere to the front surface of the radiator  33  are cleaned, the oil cooler  34  and the intercooler  35  should be removed. For this reason, the work is troublesome and takes a lot of time. 
   In the second example, since the radiator  50  and the intercooler  52  are integral, in the case where only one of them is desired to be removed and maintained, both of them should be removed. It is useless. 
   In the third example, since the oil cooler  64  is tiltable forward, the front upper portion of the radiator  63  can be cleaned, but a cleaning tool is difficulty put to the front lower portion, and thus sufficient cleaning is difficult. Moreover, this problem can be solved by increasing the tilting amount, but this is difficult due to restriction in a space of a car body. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention pays attention to the above conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling apparatus of a work machine which is capable of easily carrying out maintenance such as cleaning, check and remedy of respective cooling equipments such as a radiator, an oil cooler and an after cooler. 
   In order to achieve the above object, a cooling apparatus of a work machine according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a frame which forms an opening portion on a ventilation passage is provided on an upper stream side of a fan, a radiator and an oil cooler are arranged in parallel at the opening portion of the frame, and at least one of the radiator and the oil cooler is mounted detachably to the frame. 
   In addition, a cooling apparatus of a work machine according to another aspect is constituted so that a frame which forms an opening portion on a ventilation passage is provided on an upper stream side of a fan, a radiator and an oil cooler and an after cooler are arranged in parallel at the opening portion of the frame, and at least one of the radiator, the oil cooler and the after cooler is mounted detachably to the frame. 
   According to the above two aspects, since the frame which forms the opening portion on the ventilation passage is provided on the upper stream side of the fan and the radiator and the oil cooler or the radiator and the oil cooler and the after cooler are arranged in parallel at the opening portion of the frame, another cooling equipments do not exist on the front or rear sides of the respective cooling equipments. For this reason, the respective cooling equipments can be removed individually without removing another cooling equipments. Simultaneously, ventilation resistances of the respective cooling equipments are reduced so that a ventilation amount can be increased, and a temperature of cooling wind on the upper stream side of the cooling equipments is lowered, thereby improving cooling efficiency. Moreover, since at least one of the cooling equipments is mounted detachably, it can be removed easily. Therefore, maintenance such as cleaning and check can be carried out easily. 
   In still another aspect, a fan shroud is mounted to the frame. 
   According to the still another aspect, since the fan shroud is mounted to the frame, the cooling equipments can be attached/detached without removing the fan shroud, thereby carrying out the maintenance such as cleaning and remedy of the cooling equipments easily. 
   In still another aspect, a part of the fan shroud is detachable. 
   According to the still another aspect, since a part of the fan shroud is detachable, only a part of the fan shroud is removed, thereby attaching/detaching the cooling equipments easily. At the same time, dirt and dust which remain inside the fan shroud can be discharged easily, and thus maintainability is very good. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a Z view of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a Y view of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a X view of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fan shroud; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of a cooling apparatus according to a second embodiment; 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a first example of a conventional cooling apparatus; 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing a second example of a conventional cooling apparatus; and 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram showing a third example of a conventional cooling apparatus. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   There will be explained below a cooling apparatus of a work machine according to embodiments of the present invention referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6 . 
   Firstly, the first embodiment will be explained referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 .  FIG. 1  is a front view of a cooling apparatus according to the first embodiment,  FIG. 2  is a Z view of  FIG. 1 , and  FIG. 3  is a Y view of FIG.  1 . Moreover,  FIG. 4  is an X view of FIG.  2  and  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fan shroud. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , in the cooling apparatus  10 , a frame  1  which forms an opening portion la on a ventilation passage of a fan  26 , is provided on an upper stream side of the fan  26  attached to an engine  25 . A radiator  11 , an oil cooler  12  and an after cooler  13  are arranged in parallel at the opening portion la of the frame  1  so that their front surfaces are approximately flush with one another. 
   The frame  1  has left and right frames  2  and  3  which stand on a body frame  27  and upper and lower brackets  4  and  5  which connect the left and right frames  2  and  3  from an up-down direction. The opening portion  1   a  is formed at a center portion by the left and right frames  2  and  3  and the upper and lower brackets  4  and  5 . 
   Namely, bottom plates  2   a  and  3   a  are provided to lower portions of the left and right frames  2  and  3 , respectively, so as to be approximately horizontal with each other, and U-shaped vertical plates  2   b  and  3   b  stand on the upper surfaces of the bottom plates  2   a  and  3   a , respectively. Moreover, the upper and lower brackets  4  and  5  are mounted to front surfaces of the vertical plates  2   b  and  3   b  of the left and right frames  2  and  3 , respectively, by bolts  7 . The lower bracket  5  is provided with a plate  5   a  approximately horizontally, and four receiving bosses  5   b  which support the radiator  11  and the after cooler  13  are provided on the upper surface of the plate  5   a . A lower end portion of the backward end side of the plate  5   a  is fixed by bolts  7  to a bracket  6  which is mounted to insides of the vertical plates  2   b  and  3   b  of the left and right frames  2  and  3  by bolts  8 . 
   The radiator  11  has an upper tank  11   c  and a lower tank  11   a  at its up and down portions. Two feet  11   b  which are provided to a lower surface of the lower tank  11   a  are inserted into the receiving bosses  5   b  of the plate  5   a  of the lower bracket  5 , and the upper tank  11   c  is fixed to the upper bracket  4  by a bolt  7   a . In such a manner, the radiator  11  is mounted to the frame  1 . 
   Similarly the after cooler  13  has an upper tank  13   c  and a lower tank  13   a . Two feet  13   b  which are provided to a lower surface of the lower tank  13   a  are inserted into the receiving bosses  5   b  of the lower bracket  5 , and the upper tank  13   c  is fixed to the upper bracket  4  by a bolt  7   b . In such a manner the after cooler  13  is mounted to the frame  1 . 
   Here, cushions  14  and  15  are inserted among the lower surface of the lower tank  11   a  of the radiator  11  and the lower surface of the lower tank  13   a  of the after cooler  13  and the plate  5   a  of the lower bracket  5 . 
   The oil cooler  12  is mounted to the frame  1  in such a manner that its front portion is fixed to the upper and lower brackets  4  and  5  by a bolt  7   c  and its side portion is fixed to an inner surface of the vertical plate  3   b  of the right frame  3  by a bolt  9 . 
   In addition, dustproof nets  16  (for the radiator  11  and the after cooler  13 ) and  17  (for oil cooler  12 ) are provided in front of the front surfaces of the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13 . The dustproof nets  16  and  17  are dropped from above by using grooves  2   d  and  3   d , which are provided to plates  2   c  and  3   c  extending from outer surfaces of the vertical plates  2   b  and  3   b  of the left and right frames  2  and  3 , as guides, so as to be fixed to the plates  2   c  and  3   c  by wing bolts  18 . 
   Meanwhile, the fan shroud  19  is fixed to backward surfaces of the vertical plates  2   b  and  3   b  of the left and right frames  2  and  3  by wing bolts  7 . An L-shaped bracket  20  is fixed to an upper surface of the fan shroud  19  by a bolt  9   a , and a gap between backward surfaces of the upper tanks  11   c ,  12   c  and  13   c  of the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  and the upper surface of the fan shroud  19  is covered with a packing (not shown). A lower portion of the fan shroud  19  is bent into L shape so as to cover a gap with the backward surfaces of the lower tanks  11   a ,  12   a  and  13   a  of the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  via a packing (not shown). However, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the L-shaped portion is partially cut for a portion which partially faces the lower tank  11   a  of the radiator  11  and the lower tank  13   a  of the after cooler  13 . A bracket  21  which coverts the cut portion is fixed to a backward surface of the fan shroud  19  by a bolt  9   b.    
   Next, function and effect of the first embodiment will be explained referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 . 
   When maintenance such as cleaning and check of the front surfaces of the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  is carried out, firstly the wing bolts  18  are removed, and the dustproof nets  16  and  17  are pulled out upward. As a result, the whole front surfaces of the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  are exposed, and sufficient space exists in front of them, thereby carrying out the maintenance easily. At the time of the maintenance such as cleaning and check of only the oil cooler  12 , only the dustproof net  17  may be removed. 
   In addition, when the radiator  11  or the after cooler  13  is removed from the frame  1 , firstly the bolts  9   a  and  9   b  are removed, and the bracket  20  and the bracket  21  are removed from the upper surface and the lower surface of the fan shroud  19 . Next, the bolts  7   a  and  7   b , which fix the upper tank  11   c  of the radiator  11  and the upper tank  13   c  of the after cooler  13  to the upper bracket  4 , are removed. As a result, the radiator  11  or the after cooler  13  can be pulled up individually in a state that an outlet pipe  11   d  of the lower tank  11   a  or an outlet pipe  13   d  of the lower tank  13   a  does not interfere with the fan shroud  19 , thereby removing the radiator  11  or the after cooler  13  from the frame  1  easily. 
   In addition, when the oil cooler  12  is removed from the frame  1 , the bolt  7   c  and the bolt  9  which fix the front portion and the side portion of the oil cooler  12  to the upper and lower brackets  4  and  5  and the vertical plate  3   b  of the right frame  3  are removed, so that the oil cooler  12  can be pulled up, thereby removing the oil cooler  12  from the frame  1  easily. 
   In such a manner, the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  can be removed from the frame  1  individually without removing another cooling equipments and the fan shroud  19 . For this reason, the maintenance can be carried out easily. 
   In addition, since the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  are arranged in parallel, all dirt and dust which pass through the cooling equipments remain in the fan shroud  19 . Therefore, only the bracket  21  which is mounted to the lower portion of the fan shroud  19  is removed, so that the inside of the fan shroud  19  is partially opened. For this reason, the dirt and dust remaining in the fan shroud  19  can be discharged easily. 
   Further, since the radiator  11 , the oil cooler  12  and the after cooler  13  are arranged in parallel, the ventilation passages of the cooling equipments are not overlapped. For this reason, ventilation resistances are reduced so that a ventilation amount increases, and a temperature of cooling wind passing through the cooling equipments is lowered, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. 
   Next, a second embodiment will be explained referring to FIG.  6 .  FIG. 6  is a front view of a cooling apparatus according to the second embodiment. 
   In the cooling apparatus  10 A of the second embodiment, the radiator  11  and the after cooler  13  in the first embodiment is eliminated, but a radiator  11 A is mounted. 
   As shown in  FIG. 6 , the radiator  11 A is mounted to the frame  1  in such a manner that three feet  11   b  provided on a lower surface of a lower tank  11   e  are inserted into receiving bosses  5   b  of a lower bracket  5  and an upper tank  11   f  is fixed to an upper bracket  4  by a bolt  7 . 
   Therefore, the function and effect of the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment completely, but the second embodiment is suitable for an engine which does not require an after cooler. 
   As explained above, the present invention produces the following effects. 
   A frame for forming an opening portion is provided on a ventilation passage of a fan, and a radiator and an oil cooler, or a radiator and an oil cooler and a after cooler are arranged in parallel on the opening portion of the frame. For this reason, another cooling equipment does not exist in front of the respective cooling equipments, thereby removing the cooling equipments individually without removing another cooling equipments. As a result, maintenance such as cleaning and check can be carried out easily. 
   In addition, since the cooling equipments are mounted so that at least one of them can be detachable individually, one of them is removed so as to be maintained easily. 
   Further, since a fan shroud is mounted to the frame, the cooling equipments can be mounted/detached without removing the fan shroud, thereby carrying out the maintenance easily. 
   Furthermore, since a part of the fan shroud is detachable, a part of the fan shroud is removed so that the cooling equipments can be attached and detached easily, and dirt and dust which remain in the fan shroud can be discharged easily. 
   Other aspects, objects and advantages of this invention can be obtained from a further study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.