SE2230117A1 - Arrangement of hydraulic lines in a crane boom - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the invention is the routing of hydraulic lines for use in protecting hydraulic lines in the boom of a loader and/or forestry crane. The boom is comprised of one or more boom frames (1) capable of being nested, having a top (1a), a bottom (1b) and sides (1c). The boom frame (1) has one or more passages (1d) for one or more hydraulic lines (2), which passage (1d) is arranged inside the boom frame (1) such that the passage (1d) is limited by the sides (1b, 1c) of the boom and a partition wall (1e) inside the boom frame (1), the ends of the passage (1d) being open, and the passage (1d) being an integral part of the boom frame (1).

Description

ARRANGEMENT OF HYDRAULIC LINES IN A CRANE BOOM Field of the invention The object of this invention is the routing of hydraulic lines in a crane boom.

Background of the invention Nowadays, hydraulic lines are protected in crane booms using separate protectorsattached with a screw fastening to the surface of the crane boom, outside the craneboom, whereby the hydraulic lines are protected from outside damage under thesedetachable and attachable protectors.

A disadvantage of the current detachable protectors is that separate protectors arethin in thickness, and thus the protection provided by them is quite poor, for exam-ple, if the crane boom is moved against something fixed, the current thin protectorscollapse and the hydraulic lines in the crane boom are broken. A further disad-vantage is that the current detachable protectors require setting up fasteners, mak-ing the structure complicated and thus expensive to manufacture. The fasteners in-clude, among others, screw threads on the crane boom and clamps with holes inthem welded for the screws on the separate protectors. Further, the protectors areoften made of short pieces, slowing down their installation and adding to the manu-facturing and installation costs of the protectors. Detachable protectors must be de-tached each time the hydraulic lines are changed.

Summary of the invention The objective of the invention is to provide a solution for protecting hydraulic lines in a crane boom.

The above objectives are achieved with the routing of hydraulic lines in a craneboom according to the invention, characterized by that which is defined in the char-acterizing part of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are presented inthe dependent claims.

One of the advantages of the invention is that hydraulic lines can be protected in acrane boom without the use of separate parts. Another advantage of the inventionis that the structure provided is simple. A further advantage of the invention is thatthe hydraulic lines are protected from outside impacts, abrasion and sunlight. An-other further advantage of the invention is that it is easy and quick to change thehydraulic lines when necessary -the hydraulic lines are simply pushed into the pas-sage in the frame of the boom. Additionally, the invention enables savings in thecosts of protecting hydraulic lines.

Brief description of the drawings Next, the invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying draw-ings, in which FIGURE 1 shows a cross-section view of a crane boom according to an embodi-ment of the invention viewed from the end of the crane boom,FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section view of the crane boom shown in figure 1 viewed from the side.

Detailed description of the invention Figures 1 and 2 show the routing of hydraulic lines in a crane boom according to anembodiment of the invention. The embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2 is suitablefor use in protecting hydraulic lines, for example, in the boom of a loader and/or forestry crane.

A crane boom herein refers also to a boom system with multiple boom frames. Hy-draulic lines herein refer to hydraulic hoses and lines with which e.g. hydraulic oil issupplied to enable the hydraulic functions of a crane boom or boom system.

Figure 1 shows a cross-section view of a crane boom according to an embodiment of the invention viewed perpendicularly from the end of the crane boom. In the embodiment shown in figure 1, the boom frame 1 is shown as a tube with a rectan-gular shape. The shape of the boom frame 1 may also have a cross-section differentfrom a rectangle. The cross-section of the boom frame 1 may have a square shape, for example. The boom frame may be manufactured from metal, for example steel, high-strength steel or aluminium.

In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the crane boom comprises threenested rectangular boom frames 1. The dimensions of the cross-sections of boomframes 1 vary such that the smallest boom frame cross-section is in the innermostboom frame and the largest boom frame cross-section is in the outermost boomframe. Between these, there is a middle boom frame, the cross-section of which isbetween the cross-section of the outermost and innermost boom frame cross-sec-tions. The nested boom frames are arranged at a distance from one another in thecrane boom in the direction of the normal of the longitudinal axis of the crane boom.

Each boom frame 1 has a top 1a, a bottom 1b and opposite sides 1c, wherein thetop 1a, bottom 1b and sides 1c define a rectangular open space inside the boomframe 1. The outermost boom frame, i.e. the boom frame 1 with the largest cross-section, has in its lower part, inside the outermost boom frame 1, a passage 1d ex-tending between the opposite sides 1c of the boom frame and between the ends ofthe boom frame, and limited by the bottom 1b of the boom frame. The passage 1dis enclosed on all sides and the opposite ends thereof are open. Four hydraulic lines2 are arranged in the passage 1d. The hydraulic lines 2 may be known hydrauliclines, hydraulic hoses and/or hydraulic tubes. The hydraulic lines 2 are arrangedside by side at a distance from each other in the passage. The hydraulic lines 2 maybe attached at the ends thereof with fasteners 3. The fastener 3 may be a hydraulicpart, onto which the hydraulic lines 2 can be attached, using threads and/or seals,for example. Each hydraulic line 2 may have its own passage 1d or portion of thepassage 1d in the boom frame. The hydraulic lines 2 may be arranged into the pas-sage 1d and through the passage through the open ends.

The passage 1d is separated from the rest of the interior space inside the boomframe 1 by one or more partition walls 1e inside the boom frame 1, the partition wall extending between the opposite sides lc of the boom frame l. The partitionwall le is an integral part of the boom frame l. The partition wall le is preferablywelded to the inside of the boom frame l, for example to the opposite sides lc. Thewelding may be intermittent or continuous depending on the inner dimensions of the boom frame l. The partition wall le is preferably as long as the boom frame l.

In figure l, the passage ld is located in the lower part of the outermost boomframe. The passage ld may be located correspondingly in any of the nested boomframes, in the outermost, middle or innermost boom frame. Each boom frame mayhave passages. The passage ld may be also in the upper part of the boom frame lor in the side of the boom frame l. The location of the passage ld in the boomframe may depend on, for example, the structure and purpose of use of the craneboom system.

In the embodiment shown in figure l, there are overlapping passages ld arrangedsuch that a first passage ld is arranged in the lower part of the outermost boomframe l in a space separated from the rest of the space within the outermost boomframe by a partition wall le, and a second passage, on top of the first passage ld,is arranged on the opposite side of the partition wall le in the outermost boomframe, in a further space in the boom frame facing the bottom of the middle boomframe, being located between the bottom of the middle boom frame and the parti-tion wall le in the outermost boom frame. Further, the innermost boom frame has apassage arranged in the upper part of the innermost boom frame, inside the inner-most boom frame.

The cross-sectional diameter of the boom frame l may vary such that it decreasestowards the lifting head of the boom, rendering the boom light in structure. Thewidth and height of the passage ld inside the boom frame l may vary correspond-ingly according to the variation of the cross-sectional diameter. If the length of thepassage ld extends between the ends of the boom frame l in the longitudinal di-rection of the boom frame l, from one end of the boom frame to its other end, itmay in such case be as long as the length of the boom frame l. The passage ldmay be arranged such that it extends in the direction of the boom frame, in the lon-gitudinal direction of the boom frame along the entire length of the boom frame, as shown in figure 2. In figure 2, the passage ld extends to the bending point of thehydraulic lines 2 (shown as hydraulic hoses in the figure), at which point the hy-draulic lines exit the passage ld. The passage ld may also be arranged in the boomframe such that it extends along only a certain portion of the length of the boomframe, in the direction of the boom frame. The extension may be limited such that itends in the point at which the hydraulic lines are meant to exit the passage ld. Thelength of the passage Id may extend, for example, to the point at which one ormore hydraulic lines 2 separate from the boom frame 1.

As the length of the boom frame changes, the length of the passage ld may changecorrespondingly. The nested boom frames 1 may have passages of varying lengths.The passage ld may have one or more inlets and one or more outlets. The numberof inlets and outlets is typically dependent on how many hydraulic lines are ar-ranged in the passage. Typically, only hydraulic lines 2 are arranged in the passageld. However, other lines or cables for using the crane boom may also be arrangedinto the passage ld.

It should be understood that the above description and the drawings related theretoare intended only to illustrate the present invention. Thus, the invention is not lim-ited to the embodiment presented above or defined in the claims, but it is obviousto a person skilled in the art that the invention may be modified in many wayswithin the scope of the inventive idea presented in the accompanying claims.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that with further development of technol-ogy, the inventive concept may be implemented in many ways. It is further obviousto a person skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. l. Routing of hydraulic lines for use in protecting hydraulic lines in the boom of aloader and/or forestry crane, which boom is comprised of one or more boom frames(l) capable of being nested, having a top (la), a bottom (lb) and sides (lc),characterized in that the boom frame (l) has one or more passages (ld) for oneor more hydraulic lines (2), which passage (ld) is arranged inside the boom frame(l) such that the passage (ld) is limited to the sides (lb, lc) of the boom and apartition wall (le) inside the boom frame (l), the ends of the passage (ld) beingopen, and the passage (ld) being an integral part of the boom frame (l).

2. The routing of hydraulic lines according to claim l, characterized in that thepassage (ld) contains only hydraulic lines (2).

3. The routing of hydraulic lines according to claim l, characterized in that thelength of the passage (ld) is equal to the length of the boom frame (l).

4. The routing of hydraulic lines according to claim l, characterized in that thelength of the passage (ld) extends to the point at which one or more hydraulic lines(2) separate from the boom frame (l).

5. The routing of hydraulic lines in a crane boom according to claim l, character-ized in that the passage (ld) has one or more outlets in the longitudinal directionof the passage (ld) for one or more hydraulic lines (2).