GB2030084A

GB2030084A - Roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting machine or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2030084A
Application number: GB7931754A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Current assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Priority date: 1978-09-22
Filing date: 1979-09-13
Publication date: 1980-04-02
Also published as: FR2436554B1; DE2841277A1; DE2841277C2; FR2436554A1; GB2030084B

Abstract

A roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting machine or the like, particularly though not exclusively a self-propelled combine harvester (i) is provided with a heating and cooling blower 7 whereby filtered air is sucked in from the outside and is blown into the interior of the driver's cab, and (ii) comprises;- (a) an upper covering 4 with laterally dependent zones, (b) a lower closure part 5 with laterally upstanding zones, and (c) an inner profiled covering 6. Such a roof can be made of a small number of parts and the overall height of the cab can be kept low. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting machine or the like The invention relates to a roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting or like machine, particularly though not exclusively a self-propelled combine harvester, in which roof a heating and cooling blower is arranged, whereby filtered air is sucked in from the outside and is blown into the interior of the driver's cab.

Cabs for protecting the driver from the effects of weather are known in various constructions.

Thus, for example, US Patent Specification 3278 222 discloses a dirver's cab for agricultural machines that comprises a one-piece frame with panes of safety glass secured thereto and a roof fitted on the frame. Such cabs are usually also equipped with ventilation means or air-conditioning systems which are arranged below or above the roof of the cab.

However, systems of this kind require a certain amount of space for their installation and this of necessity increases the height of the cab and reduces the space available to the driver.

In an arrangement of an air-conditioning system above the roof of the cab, as, for example, in the constructions in accordance with US Patent Specifications 2 537 278 and 2977 774, not only is the height of the structure increased, but the shape and appearance of the machine are adversely influenced.

Furthermore, in the case of combine harvesters for example, the permitted load height is exceeded, because of the increased height of the cab, when transporting the machines by rail and road.

The above-mentioned disadvantages also occur in the equipment for cooling and warming the air in the driver's cab as disclosed in DT-AS 1 241 722, where one part of the housing for the cooling and warming equipment is located on the lower side of the roof of the cab, and the other part on the upper side of the roof.

Furthermore, cab roofs of hollow construction have also been introduced into practice, heating and cooling units being arranged in the cavity. However, because of their structure and design, these roofs suffer from the disadvantage that they consist of many individual parts and are awkward to assemble. It was therefore desirable to provide a cab roof which satisfactorily meets the requirements imposed thereon, particularly as regards a simple and functional structure.

According to the invention, there is provided a roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting machine or the like, particularly though not exclusively a self-propelled combine harvester, which roof (i) is provided with a heating and cooling blower whereby filtered air is sucked in from the outside and is blown into the interior of the driver's cab, and (ii) com prises:- (a) an upper covering with laterally dependent zones, (b) a lower closure part with laterally upstanding zones, and (c) an inner profiled covering.

In a preferred simple construction, the inner covering is of multi-level construction and in the forward portion of the roof of the cab is at a relatively large distance from the upper covering, whereas in the rear portion of the roof it is at only a relatively small distance from the upper covering. With this arrangement, the inner covering may form an airduct with the laterally dependent ends of the upper covering and the laterally upwardly extending ends of the lower closure part. The laterally upwardly extending ends of the lower closure part of the roof of the cab advantageously comprise air-inlet slots. In order to obtain the largest possible filter surface, a filter, held in a filter-frame, may be obliquely arranged in each of the airducts.For the purpose of reinforcing the upper covering and the lower closure part, reinforcing sectional elements may be firmly connected to these parts, which elements at the same time serve to accommodate the frames for the filters. To ensure that the heating and ventilation units are readily accessible, the inner covering may be in two parts, the front part being hinged to the rear part. The heating and ventilation unit or units are desirably arranged in the space formed by the upper covering, the lower closure part and the inner covering, and air drawn from the heating and ventilation units is blown into the driver's cab by way of a port.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the driver's cab of a combine harvester with the roof fitted thereon; Figure 2 illustrates the roof of the cab in a side view along the line ll-ll of Fig. 1; and Figure 3 shows the driver's cab in a front view along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 designates the driver's cab of a combine harvester, further details of which are not illustrated; a roof 2 is mounted on the cab to form an upper closure. This roof 2 has lateral air-inlet slots 3 which are inclined at approximately 45 to the vertical.

The roof 2 itself consists of an upper covering part 4 a lower closure part 5 and an inner covering part 6. The latter, as can be best seen from Figs. 2 and 3, is of stepped construction such that, near the head of the driver, the inner covering part 6 is as close as possible to the upper covering 4 so as to provide the greatest possible head room, and in the forward portion the inner covering part 6 extends downwardly in two stages to such an extent that the units 7, necessary for ventilating and heating and/or air-conditioning the driver's cab 1, can be accommodated in the space formed by the downwardly extending inner covering 6, the lower closure part 5 and the forward portion of the upper covering 4.As shown in Fig. 3, the inner covering 6 is also of such width that two lateral air ducts 8 are formed, in each of which are arranged filters extending over at least the length of the ducts 8. Each of these filters 9 is held in a frame, and the frames are pushed into sectional elements 11 which at the same time serve as reinforcement for both the upper covering and the lower closure part 5. In order to obtain the largest possible filter area, the filter mats are arranged obliquely and, in fact, at right-angles to the protected air intake slots 3 in the air duct 8. To enable the heating units to be exposed without much dismantling work, the inner covering 6 is divided into two in such manner that the forward part is hinged on the rear part (which is raised in its median zone).

The air drawn in by the heating and ventilation units 7 first passes through the air-intake slots 3 in the outer part of the air duct 8, which slots are downwardly inclined at an angle of less than 45 ; the air then passes through the filters 9 into the inner part of the air duct 8 and from here passes to the heating and ventilating units 7 which then blow it through the port 1 2 into the interior of the driver's cab 1. The units 7 are adjusted from the interior of the driver's cab 1 by way of switches 1 3 and rotary knobs 14.

The various parts of the roof of the cab can be made of sheet-metal. It is however particularly advantageous for them to be made of plastics materiai, in particular a fibreglass reinforced plastics material.

Claims

1. A roof for the driver's cab of a harvesting machine or the like, particularly though not exclusively a self-propelled combine harvester, which roof (i) is provided with a heating and cooling blower whereby filtered air is sucked in from the outside and is blown into the interior of the driver's cab, and (ii) comprises: (a) an upper covering with laterally dependent zones, (b) a lower closure part with laterally upstanding zones, and (c) an inner profiled covering.

2. A roof according to Claim 1, which has the following features: (a) the inner covering is of multi-level construction, (b) in the forward portion of the roof of the cab, it is at a relatively large distance from the upper covering, (c) in the rear portion of the roof of the cab, it is at only a relatively small distance from the upper covering, and (d) with the laterally dependent ends of the upper covering and the laterally upwardly extending ends of the lower closure part it forms an air duct.

3. A roof according to Claim 2, wherein the laterally upwardly extending ends of the lower closure part have air-inlet slots.

4. A roof according to Claims 2 or 3, wherein a filter held in a filter-frame is obliquely disposed in each of the air ducts.

5. A roof according to Claim 4 wherein (a) reinforcing sectional elements are firmly connected to the upper covering as well as the lower closure part in the zone of the air ducts, and (b) the reinforcing sectional elements serve to accommodate the filter-frames for the filters.

6. A roof according to any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein (a) the inner covering is divided in two, and (b) the front part is hinged to the rear part.

7. A roof according to any of Claims 1 to 6, wherein (a) a heating and ventilation unit is arranged in the space formed by the upper covering, the lower closure part and the inner covering, and (b) air may be blown from the heating and ventilating unit into the driver's cab by way of a port.

8. A roof for a driver's cab substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A harvesting machine having a driver's cab provided with a roof according to any preceding claim.