Patent Publication Number: US-2009230710-A1

Title: Rear accessible service hatch

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a components layout arrangement for an excavator. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a construction vehicle including a body, a pair of track assemblies for supporting the body for movement over a surface, an engine supported on the body for providing power, a lower attachment pivotably coupled to the body, an upper attachment pivotably coupled to the body, a hydraulic system for providing power to the lower attachment and the upper attachment, an operator support pivotably coupled to the body and a rear hatch coupled to the operator support. The operator support is pivotable from a usage position forward about a horizontal axis to a service position. The rear hatch is pivotable with the operator support from the usage position to the service position. The construction vehicle further includes a plurality of service check points located underneath the operator support in the usage position. In the usage position the rear hatch conceals the service check points, while in the service position service check points are accessible through an opening. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an excavator vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of the excavator vehicle of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the excavator vehicle of  FIG. 1  with the hatch in the open position. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear view of the excavator vehicle of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of a portion of the excavator vehicle of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the excavator vehicle of  FIG. 5  with the hatch partially removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an excavator vehicle  10  that is compact and can be referred to as a mini excavator. The illustrated excavator  10  includes a body  15  that encases an engine  20  and a hydraulic system  25 . The engine  20  and hydraulic system  25  are operable to provide power and hydraulic fluid to move both the excavator  10  and the attachments. The engine  20  and hydraulic system  25  can be positioned within a mechanicals compartment  27  below an operator support  30 . A plurality of operator manipulable controls, such as the illustrated joysticks  40 , are positioned adjacent the operator support  30  or armrests  42  and are operable to communicate with the engine  20  and the hydraulic system  25  to control operation of the excavator vehicle  10 . 
     A lower attachment, such as the illustrated dozer blade  45  is pivotably coupled to the body  15 . A dozer lift cylinder  50  is coupled between the body  15  and the dozer blade  45  for pivoting the dozer blade  45  with respect to the body  15 . The dozer blade  45  is positioned in front of the excavator vehicle  10  to help create a smooth path of travel. 
     The dozer blade  45  includes a middle portion  46  that is coupled to the frame member  35  and left and rights side portions  47  and  48  that are moveable with respect to the middle portion  46 . Left and right actuators (not shown) are coupled between the middle portion  46  and the respective left and right side portions  47  and  48 . The dozer blade  45  expands and retracts, such that the dozer blade  45  can be wider than the excavator vehicle  10  if necessary, but can retract to be as narrow as the excavator vehicle  10  to permit travel through narrow openings. 
     An upper attachment, such as the illustrated bucket  55 , is coupled to the body  15  by a boom arm  60  and an attachment arm  65 . The boom arm  60  is pivotably coupled to the body  15  and is pivoted relative to the body  15  by a first lift cylinder  70 . The attachment arm  65  is pivotably coupled to the boom arm  60  and is pivoted about the boom arm  60  by a second lift cylinder  75 . The bucket  55  is pivotable coupled to the attachment arm  65  and is pivoted about the attachment arm  65  by a tilt cylinder  80 . 
     The excavator vehicle  10  further includes left and right track assemblies  85  that are operable to support and move the excavator vehicle  10 . The track assemblies  85  each include a track  87  that moves along a surface to move the excavator  10 . The track assemblies  85  are driven by the engine  20  and the hydraulic system  25  through a plurality of conduits  90 , to provide power to left and right track drive units  95 . The track drive units  95  can be motors or any other similar unit that can receive an input of pressurized fluid and generate an output of mechanical movement. The track drive units  95  move left and right tracks assemblies  85  to thereby move the excavator vehicle  10  over a ground surface. The track assemblies  85  can further include a frame plate  100  to at least partially cover the interior of the track assemblies  85  to inhibit entry of debris. 
     The excavator vehicle  10  can further include a canopy  96  coupled to the body  15  and extending upwardly over the operator support  30 . The canopy  96  includes left and right uprights  97  on either side of the operator seat  30  and a cross-member  98  connecting the uprights  97 . The canopy  96  can include hinges  99  permitting the uprights  97  to fold down to lower the cross-member  98 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the rear of the excavator vehicle  10 . An openable hatch  100  is provided on the rear of the excavator vehicle  10  below the operator support  30  for accessing the mechanicals compartment  27 . By openable, it is meant that one or more portions of the hatch  100  can be re-positioned to create an opening through which various components shielded by the closed hatch  100  are revealed.  FIGS. 3-5  illustrate the hatch  100  in an opened configuration to reveal the opening  102 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the hatch  100  includes a rear cover portion  103  and an upper support portion  104 . The operator support  30  is positioned above the upper support portion  104  and is mounted to the upper support portion  104 . A forward edge  106  of the support portion  104  is pivotally coupled to the body  15  about a horizontal axis  108  at one or more hinges  110 . The hatch  100  is pivotable about the axis  108  from a first closed or usage orientation, shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in which the rear cover portion  103  is vertically oriented and is positioned adjacent to the opening  102  to conceal the opening  102 . Also, in the closed orientation, the support portion  104  is horizontally oriented and the operator support  30  is configured for receiving a seated operator thereon. The hatch  100  can be pivoted about the axis  108  forward to a second or service orientation as illustrated in  FIGS. 3-5  to reveal the opening  102 . In the service orientation, the hatch  100  and the operator support  30  are pivoted forward so that an operator cannot be seated on the operator support  30 . The hatch  100  and operator seat  30  can pivot to the service orientation while the armrests  42  and canopy  96  remain stationary. A latch  111  can be provided for securing the hatch  100  in the closed position during operation of the excavator vehicle  10 . 
     A plurality of components are located below the operator support  30  so as to be concealed by the hatch  100  when the hatch  100  is in the closed configuration (see  FIG. 2 ). When the hatch  100  is in the opened configuration, as shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , various components are visible and/or accessible through the opening  102  for inspection, servicing, repair, replacement, evaluation, etc. Such components are identified herein as “service check points”. The service check points are therefore easily accessible for routine or acute inspection and servicing simply by removing or opening the hatch  100 . The service check points are visible from the rear of the vehicle  10 . Some service check points can be visible and/or accessible at an approximately vertical plane facing rearwardly and some service check points can be visible and/or accessible at an approximately horizontal plane facing upwardly. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates service check points that are visible and/or accessible at a rear vertical plane (also shown in  FIG. 5 ). The service check points can include a coolant recovery tank  120 , an air filter  124 , a starter  128 , a hydraulic manifold  132 , a fuel hand pump  136 , an engine oil filter  140 , a hydraulic filter  144  and a fuel filter  148 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates service check points that are visible and/or accessible from a horizontal plane facing upwardly. The service check points can also include a fuse and relay box  152 , battery contacts  156 , a hydraulic oil filling cap  164  and a cooling system cap  168 . The service check points can also include an ISO/STD control pattern selector valve  186 , an alternator  190 , a battery  194 , a hydraulic oil cooler and radiator package  220  and an engine oil filling cap  224 . 
     By means of the arrangement illustrated and described, the canopy  96  can be coupled to an upper portion of the body  15 . In addition, the excavator  10  can be a zero tail swing vehicle. By zero tail swing, it is meant that the body  15 , including the canopy  96 , can rotate within the width of the tracks  87 . This allows the excavator vehicle  10  to be operated within narrow confines. 
     Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a rear hatch for accessing service components and/or daily maintenance points that is openable by pivoting the operator seat and the hatch together forward from a usage position. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.