JPH11245675A - Fuel tank device for construction machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the fuel feeding work by improving the workability in the fuel feeding time, as well as simplifying the structure of an auxiliary fuel tank. SOLUTION: A communicating piping 31 to communicate the upper part of a main fuel tank 15 and the upper part of an auxiliary fuel tank 27 is provided, and the communicating piping 31 is composed of a transparent hose 34 or the like. As a result, the communicating piping 31 can be used as a respiration piping to exhaust the air in the auxiliary fuel tank 27, and the transparent hose 34 of the communicating piping 31 can be utilized as a level gauge of the fuel. Consequently, not only the structure of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 can be simplified by omitting a fuel feeding port, a cap, and the like, but also the fuel can be fed to the auxiliary fuel tank 27 side by only feeding the fuel to the main fuel tank 15. The communicating piping 31 is utilized as a level gauge of the fuel, so as to carry out an accurate fuel feeding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel tank device for a construction machine provided in a construction machine such as a hydraulic shovel and provided with a main fuel tank and an auxiliary fuel tank.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, construction machines such as hydraulic excavators are
The vehicle includes a lower traveling structure, an upper revolving structure rotatably mounted on the lower traveling structure, and a working device provided on the front side of the upper revolving structure so as to be capable of elevating.

The upper revolving structure includes a revolving frame having a frame structure, a building cover provided on the revolving frame for accommodating a motor, a hydraulic pump, and the like, and a cab box provided on the front left side of the building cover. , And is generally constituted by a counterweight or the like attached to the rear end of the turning frame. Further, a fuel tank is provided on the revolving frame, and the fuel tank stores fuel to be supplied to the prime mover housed in the building cover.

In some cases, a hydraulic excavator performs, for example, excavation work in the depths of a mountain. In this case, a refueling truck regularly goes to a work site in accordance with the maintenance and inspection timing of the hydraulic excavator to supply oil to the hydraulic excavator. Like that. However, the amount of fuel used during the operation differs depending on the operation time of the excavator, the contents of the operation, the amount of the operation, and the like, so that the fuel may be used up during the operation.

Therefore, some hydraulic excavators have an auxiliary fuel tank in addition to an existing fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as a main fuel tank). This type of hydraulic excavator includes a main fuel tank provided on a frame of a construction machine, an auxiliary fuel tank provided on the frame near the main fuel tank, and a main fuel tank and an auxiliary fuel tank. In order to circulate fuel between the fuel tanks, a fuel distribution pipe is provided for communicating a lower part of the main fuel tank and a lower part of the auxiliary fuel tank. Each of the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank is provided with a filler port, and a cap provided with a breathing valve is attached to the filler port.

As described above, in the conventional hydraulic excavator provided with the fuel tank device including the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank, the capacity of the fuel tank is increased by the amount of the auxiliary fuel tank added to the main fuel tank. A shortage of fuel during the operation can be prevented.

[0007]

In the above-mentioned conventional hydraulic excavator, the fuel supply port and the cap are provided in the auxiliary fuel tank as well as the main fuel tank, so that the structure of the auxiliary fuel tank is complicated. In addition, there is a problem in that both the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank must be refueled, and the refueling operation is troublesome.

In addition, since the breathing valve is also provided in the cap attached to the filler port of the auxiliary fuel tank, the fuel in the auxiliary fuel tank is discharged by the inclination of the hydraulic shovel, shaking during running or work, and the like. In order to prevent leakage through the cap, it is necessary to extend the filler port upward and arrange the cap at the same height position as the cap on the main fuel tank side. As a result, there are problems that the number of parts constituting the auxiliary fuel tank is increased, the structure is complicated, assembly workability is reduced, and manufacturing cost is increased.

Furthermore, since many auxiliary fuel tanks are not provided with a level gauge for checking the amount of fuel supplied, it is necessary to carefully perform refueling work so that fuel does not overflow. There is a problem that it costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to simplify the structure of an auxiliary fuel tank and to easily perform a refueling operation to the fuel tank. To provide a fuel tank device for a construction machine.

[0011]

A fuel tank device for a construction machine according to the present invention comprises a main fuel tank provided on a frame of a construction machine, and an auxiliary fuel tank provided near the main fuel tank and provided on the frame. To circulate fuel between the fuel tank and the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank,
A fuel distribution pipe is provided for communicating a lower part of the main fuel tank and a lower part of the auxiliary fuel tank.

Then, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem,
A feature of the structure adopted by the invention according to claim 1 is that, between the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank, a communication pipe for communicating an upper part of the main fuel tank and an upper part of the auxiliary fuel tank is provided. The piping is that at least a part of the piping is formed as a transparent piping.

With this configuration, when fuel is supplied to the main fuel tank, fuel flows into the auxiliary fuel tank via the fuel distribution pipe, and the air in the auxiliary fuel tank flows through the communication pipe. It is discharged to the main fuel tank side. Further, when the auxiliary fuel tank is filled, the fuel flows through the communication pipe toward the main fuel tank, so that the rise in the fuel level can be visually confirmed through the transparent communication pipe.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a storage box is provided on the frame in front of the main fuel tank, and the auxiliary fuel tank is disposed in the storage box. Thus, for example, the auxiliary fuel tank can be provided using the space in the existing storage box.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the communication pipe has a structure in which at least a part of the transparent portion is disposed outside a cover forming a storage box. Thus, even when the auxiliary fuel tank is disposed inside the storage box, the liquid level of the fuel can be confirmed by the transparent portion of the communication pipe disposed outside the cover of the storage box.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the communication pipe has a first hose joint attached to the main fuel tank, a second hose joint attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, the first hose joint and the first hose joint. And a transparent hose connecting between the second hose joint.

With this configuration, the transparent hose can be connected to the main fuel tank through the first hose joint, and the transparent hose can be connected to the auxiliary fuel tank through the second hose joint. it can. When the transparent hose becomes dirty, it can be easily replaced with a new transparent hose.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the communication pipe is connected to the first hose joint attached to the main fuel tank, the second hose joint attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, and to the second hose joint. And a transparent hose for connecting the opaque hose and the first hose joint.

With such a structure, the transparent hose can be connected to the main fuel tank through the first hose joint, and the opaque hose can be connected to the auxiliary fuel tank through the second hose joint. it can. When the transparent hose becomes dirty, it can be easily replaced with a new transparent hose. Further, a wear-resistant hose can be used as the opaque hose.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fuel tank device of a hydraulic shovel will be described as an example of a fuel tank device of a construction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a lower traveling body, and 2 denotes an upper revolving body which is mounted on the lower traveling body 1 so as to be capable of turning. The upper revolving unit 2 includes a revolving frame 4 provided with a working device 3 at the center of the front side thereof so as to be able to move up and down, a cab box 5 provided on the left front side of the revolving frame 4 to define a driver's cab, and a revolving frame 4 And a building cover 6 in which a prime mover, a hydraulic pump (both not shown) and the like are housed. A counterweight 7 is provided on the rear side of the building cover 6.

Here, the revolving frame 4 includes a center frame 8 extending in the front-rear direction, and side frames 9, 9 located on both left and right sides of the center frame 8 and extending in the front-rear direction (only one is shown). A plurality of overhanging beams 10 for fixing the side frames 9 to the center frame 8;
(Only two are shown in FIG. 2) and a bottom cover 12 located between the center frame 8 and the side frame 9 and covering the lower surface side. An upper plate 13 is provided on the right front side of the revolving frame 4 so as to face the bottom cover 12, and a front end of the upper plate 13 is fixed to the bottom cover 12 as a front frame 13A.

Numeral 14 denotes a hydraulic oil tank located on the front side of the building cover 6 and mounted on the revolving frame 4. The hydraulic oil tank 14 is driven by a hydraulic pump in the building cover 6, the lower traveling body 1, the working device 3, and the like. The hydraulic oil that is supplied and discharged to the tank is stored.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a main fuel tank mounted on the revolving frame 4 while being supported by the overhanging beams 10, 11.
The main fuel tank 15 has a front part 15A, a rear part 15B,
A left and right side parts 15C, 15C, a bottom part 15D, and a top part 15E are formed in a box shape, and a screw cylinder 15F to which a first hose joint 32 described later is screwed is provided on the upper part of the side part 15C. It is tightly fixed. Also, the upper surface portion 15
A fuel supply port 16 is provided to project upward from E, and a cap 17 is attached to a tip of the fuel supply port 16. Here, the cap 17 is provided with a breathing valve (not shown), which prevents the inside of the main fuel tank 15 from becoming negative pressure or positive pressure.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a fuel outlet fixed to the bottom surface 15D of the main fuel tank 15. The front end of the fuel outlet 18 is provided with water, dust, and the like collected on the bottom surface 15D in the main fuel tank 15. It protrudes upward from the bottom surface 15D so as not to draw in the drain. A fuel supply pipe 19 is connected to the fuel outlet 18, and the fuel supply pipe 19 is connected to a prime mover via a fuel pump (not shown) or the like.

A drain outlet 20 is located near the fuel outlet 18 and fixed to the bottom surface 15D of the main fuel tank 15. The drain outlet 20 is connected to a drain pipe 21. Is provided with a drain cock 22 in the middle.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a storage box provided on the upper plate 13 of the revolving frame 4 at a position in front of the main fuel tank 15. The storage box 23 includes a lower case 24, an upper case 25, and the like, which will be described later. ing.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a lower case provided on the upper plate 13. The lower case 24 includes a front cover 24A, a rear cover 24B, left and right side covers 24C and 24C, a bottom cover 24D, and a top cover 24E. The upper cover 24E is formed in a substantially box shape.
7 is formed in a frame plate shape for accommodating therein.

An upper case 25 is mounted on a lower case 24. The upper case 25 includes a front cover 25A, a rear cover 25B, left and right side covers 25C, 25C,
The bottom cover 25D and the top cover 25E are formed in a substantially box shape, and the top cover 25E has an opening 25F. Also, the upper surface cover 25E of the upper case 25
A lid 26 that opens and closes the opening 25F is attached to the cover. Here, the turning frame 4 is used as the upper case 25.
The existing storage box attached to the upper plate 13 is used.

The storage box 23 accommodates the auxiliary fuel tank 27 and, in a space above the bottom cover 25 D of the upper case 25, includes a fuel pump, a grease gun, and the like used when refueling the main fuel tank 15. It contains a greasing tool, a maintenance tool (not shown), and the like.

Reference numeral 27 denotes an auxiliary fuel tank provided in the storage box 23. The auxiliary fuel tank 27 has a front part 27A and a rear part 2 similar to the main fuel tank 15 described above.
7B, left and right side portions 27C, 27C (only one is shown), a bottom portion 27D, and an upper surface portion 27E are formed in a box shape, and a second hose joint 33 described later is screwed to the upper surface portion 27E. The screw cylinder 27F is fixed in a liquid-tight manner. As shown in FIG. 3, brackets 28, 2 having an L-shaped cross section are provided at intermediate positions in the height direction of the side surfaces 27C.
Reference numeral 8 extends in the front-rear direction and is fixed.

The auxiliary fuel tank 27 is tightened by bolts and nuts 29 with the brackets 28 being sandwiched between the upper cover 24E of the lower case 24 and the bottom cover 25D of the upper case 25. I have. Accordingly, the auxiliary fuel tank 27 is supported at an intermediate position with respect to the storage box 23, so that the strength of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 against vibration generated during traveling and work is increased.

Numeral 30 denotes a fuel distribution pipe provided between the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27. The fuel distribution pipe 30 is provided at a lower portion of the front face 15A of the main fuel tank 15 and at a rear face of the auxiliary fuel tank 27. The lower fuel tank 27B is connected to the lower portion of the fuel tank 27B to flow fuel between the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27.

A communication pipe 31 is provided between the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27.
Is the screw cylinder 1 on the side of the main fuel tank 15 on the side surface 15C.
A first hose joint 32 screwed to 5F, a second hose joint 33 screwed to the screw cylinder 27F of the upper surface 27E on the auxiliary fuel tank 27 side, and the first hose joint 32 and the second hose joint 32 Hose 34 provided between the hose joint 33 and
And is constituted by.

Here, the transparent hose 34 has such a degree of transparency that the fuel can be visually confirmed from the outside when the fuel flows inside. The transparent hose 34 has one end extending horizontally in the storage box 23 through the seal member 35 and connected to the second hose joint 33, and the other end protruding outside the side cover 25C of the upper case 25. After extending in the horizontal direction toward the main fuel tank 15, it rises in an arc and is liquid-tightly connected to the first hose joint 32.

When the fuel flows from the main fuel tank 15 to the auxiliary fuel tank 27 via the fuel distribution pipe 30 at the time of refueling, the communication pipe 31 transfers the air in the auxiliary fuel tank 27 to the main fuel tank 15. It has a function as a breathing pipe that escapes to the side. When the refueling progresses and the inside of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 is filled, the communication pipe 31 is used as a level gauge by visually checking the liquid level 36 of the fuel flowing into the inside through the transparent hose 34. Can be.

The hydraulic shovel according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration. Next, the operation of supplying fuel and the flow of fuel and the like will be described.

First, the cap 17 is removed from the fuel supply port 16 of the main fuel tank 15, and fuel is supplied from the fuel supply port 16 into the main fuel tank 15 using a fuel supply pump in the storage box 23. When the fuel flowing into the main fuel tank 15 reaches the fuel distribution pipe 30, the fuel distribution pipe 3
0 and flows into the auxiliary fuel tank 27. At this time, in the auxiliary fuel tank 27, the same amount of air as the inflowing fuel is discharged to the main fuel tank 15 through the communication pipe 31. Thus, the fuel can be supplied to the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27 only by supplying the fuel to the main fuel tank 15.

Further, when the supply of fuel proceeds and the inside of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 is filled with fuel, the fuel flows into the communication pipe 31 as the fuel in the main fuel tank 15 rises,
Fuel rises in the transparent hose 34. Thus, by visually checking the fuel level 36 of the fuel in the transparent hose 34, the state of refueling of the fuel into the main fuel tank 15 can be confirmed, so that accurate fuel refueling can be performed in a short time. Can do it.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, between the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27, the communication pipe 31 communicating the upper part of the main fuel tank 15 and the upper part of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 is provided. And the communication pipe 31 is constituted by a transparent hose 34 or the like, so that the communication pipe 31 can be used as a breathing pipe for discharging air in the auxiliary fuel tank 27 at the time of refueling. By visually checking the liquid level 36 of the fuel through the hose 34, it can be used as a level gauge.

Accordingly, the construction of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 can be simplified by omitting the filler port, the cap and the like, and the assembling work of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 can be facilitated to improve the productivity and reduce the production cost. Can be planned. In addition, only by supplying fuel to the main fuel tank 15, the auxiliary fuel tank 2
Refueling can also be performed on the 7 side, and the refueling operation can be facilitated.

Further, since the communication pipe 31 can be used as a fuel level gauge at the time of refueling, accurate fuel refueling can be performed in a short time, and the refueling operation time can be reduced. In addition, the existing level gauge can be eliminated to reduce the number of parts, thereby improving the assembling workability and reducing the manufacturing cost.

Further, a bracket 28 is provided at an intermediate position in the height direction of the auxiliary fuel tank 27, and the bracket 28 is supported between the lower case 24 and the upper case 25 of the storage box 23. The strength of the auxiliary fuel tank 27 can be increased with respect to vibration generated during work, and the life can be extended.

Further, since the communication pipe 31 is constituted by the first hose joint 32, the second hose joint 33 and the transparent hose 34, the structure can be simplified and the transparent hose 34 becomes dirty. In this case, the hose can be easily replaced with a new transparent hose 34.

On the other hand, since the communication pipe 31 is arranged on the working device 3 side, it is possible to prevent the communication pipe 31 from being caught and damaged during traveling, working, etc., and to improve the life and reliability. .

Next, FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. The feature of this embodiment is that a communication pipe is connected to a first hose joint attached to a main fuel tank and an auxiliary fuel tank. It is constituted by a second hose joint attached to the tank, an opaque hose connected to the second hose joint, and a transparent hose connecting the opaque hose and the first hose joint. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 41 denotes a communication pipe provided between the main fuel tank 15 and the auxiliary fuel tank 27 according to the present embodiment.
A first hose joint 42 screwed to the screw tube 15F at the upper part of 5C, a second hose joint 43 screwed to the screw tube 27F of the upper surface 27E on the auxiliary fuel tank 27 side, and the second hose The opaque hose 44 is connected to the joint 43, and the transparent hose 45 connects the opaque hose 44 and the first hose joint 42. here,
As the opaque hose 44, for example, a hose having wear resistance is used.

Thus, in the present embodiment configured as described above, substantially the same operation and effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in the present embodiment, the communication pipe 41 Of these, the opaque hose 44 having abrasion resistance can be used in the storage box 23 where the oil supply pump or the like may come into contact.
Damage can be prevented, and reliability and life can be improved.

In each embodiment, the storage box 23 using the existing storage box as the upper case 25 is used.
Although the case where the auxiliary fuel tank 27 is provided inside is described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the auxiliary fuel tank 27 may be provided in a dedicated case.

Further, in each of the embodiments, the communication pipe 31,
41 is connected to the side surface portion 15C of the main fuel tank 15 and the upper surface portion 27E of the auxiliary fuel tank 27, respectively.
The communication pipes 31 and 41 may be connected to 5E or the like, and the communication pipes 31 and 41 may be connected to the rear face 27B and the side face 27C on the auxiliary fuel tank 27 side.

Further, in each of the embodiments, the excavator has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various construction machines such as a hydraulic crane, a wheel loader, and a bulldozer. is there.

[0052]

As described in detail above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a communication pipe communicating between the upper part of the main fuel tank and the upper part of the auxiliary fuel tank is provided between the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank. Provided, the communication pipe, since at least a part of the pipe is formed as a transparent pipe, by supplying fuel to the main fuel tank, fuel can be supplied to the auxiliary fuel tank via the fuel distribution pipe, The air in the auxiliary fuel tank can be discharged to the main fuel tank via the communication pipe.

Thus, it is possible to refuel the auxiliary fuel tank only by refueling the main fuel tank, thereby facilitating the refueling operation, and furthermore, the refueling port and the cap on the auxiliary fuel tank are provided. And the like can be omitted, the assembling work of the auxiliary fuel tank can be facilitated, and the productivity can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, when refueling, the rise in fuel level can be visually checked through the transparent communication pipe, so that the communication pipe can be used as a fuel level gauge, and accurate fuel refueling can be performed in a short time. Can be performed. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced by eliminating the existing level gauge provided on the main fuel tank side.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the storage box is provided on the frame in front of the main fuel tank, and the auxiliary fuel tank is disposed in the storage box. By utilizing the space, the auxiliary fuel tank can be efficiently arranged.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the transparent portion of the communication pipe is disposed outside the cover forming the storage box, so that the auxiliary fuel tank is disposed in the storage box. However, the liquid level of the fuel can be confirmed by the transparent part of the communication pipe arranged outside the cover of the storage box, and the refueling operation can be easily performed.

According to the invention of claim 4, the first hose joint is attached to the main fuel tank, the second hose joint is attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, and the first hose joint and the second hose joint are connected. Since the communication pipe can be formed by connecting a transparent hose therebetween, the communication pipe can have a simple configuration. Moreover, when the transparent hose becomes dirty, it can be easily replaced with a new transparent hose.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first hose joint is attached to the main fuel tank, the second hose joint is attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, and the opaque hose is connected to the second hose joint. By connecting a transparent hose between the opaque hose and the first hose joint, a communication pipe can be formed, so that the communication pipe can have a simple configuration. Moreover, when the transparent hose becomes dirty, it can be easily replaced with a new transparent hose. further,
A wear-resistant hose can be used as the opaque hose, and the reliability and life of the communication pipe can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a hydraulic excavator according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of a main fuel tank, a storage box, an auxiliary fuel tank, and the like.

FIG. 3 shows a connection form of a communication pipe by an arrow III- in FIG.
It is the principal part expanded sectional view seen from the III direction.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a communication pipe according to a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the same position as in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Revolving frame 15 Main fuel tank 23 Storage box 24 Lower case 24A, 25A Front cover 24B, 25B Rear cover 24C, 25C Side cover 24D, 25D Bottom cover 24E, 25E Top cover 25 Upper case 27 Auxiliary fuel tank 30 Fuel distribution pipe 31, 41 Communication pipe 32, 42 First hose joint 33, 43 Second hose joint 34, 45 Transparent hose 36 Liquid level 44 Opaque hose

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Fumio Fukusa Inventor, Tsuchiura Plant, Tsuchiura-machi, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A main fuel tank provided on a frame of a construction machine, an auxiliary fuel tank provided near the main fuel tank and provided on the frame, and an auxiliary fuel tank provided between the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank. In order to circulate the fuel in the fuel tank device of the construction machine having a fuel distribution pipe that communicates the lower part of the main fuel tank and the lower part of the auxiliary fuel tank, between the main fuel tank and the auxiliary fuel tank Is a fuel tank device for a construction machine, wherein a communication pipe is provided for communicating an upper part of the main fuel tank and an upper part of the auxiliary fuel tank, and at least a part of the communication pipe is formed as a transparent pipe. 2. The fuel tank for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein a storage box is provided on the frame in front of the main fuel tank, and the auxiliary fuel tank is disposed in the storage box. apparatus. 3. The fuel tank device for a construction machine according to claim 2, wherein the communication pipe has a configuration in which at least a part of a transparent portion is disposed outside a cover forming the storage box. 4. The communication pipe includes a first hose joint attached to the main fuel tank, a second hose joint attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, and a second hose joint attached to the first fuel joint. The fuel tank device for a construction machine according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the fuel tank device is constituted by a transparent hose connected to a hose joint. 5. The communication pipe is connected to a first hose joint attached to the main fuel tank, a second hose joint attached to the auxiliary fuel tank, and to the second hose joint. The fuel tank device for a construction machine according to claim 1, 2, or 3, comprising an opaque hose and a transparent hose connecting the opaque hose and the first hose joint.