Engine enclosure for construction vehicles

• US 6,655,486 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Oshikawa, Yushi, Uno, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/892,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20020017408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.1, 180/68.2, 180/68.4, 180/69.2, 123/41.56, 165/149
• US Class Current: 180/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/08 Air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor radiator or grille guards B60R19/52
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/10 Bonnets or lids , e.g. for trucks, tractors, busses, work vehicles for truck beds B60J7/1607; for boats B63B19/12; doors arranged at the vehicle rear B60J5/10; inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05; for protecting non-occupants of a vehicle B60R21/38
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/10 Guiding or ducting cooling-air, to, or from, liquid-to-air heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2001/005 Cooling engine rooms

Abstract

An engine enclosure for a construction vehicle which is simply constructed and small-sized, while improving the cooling efficiency and lowering the noise. The engine enclosure including: an engine hood 15 having an ambient air inlet port 24; and engine side covers 16 having ambient air inlet ports 38. The engine enclosure is constructed to include an ambient air screening wall around a muffler 5 so that the cooling ambient air taken from the ambient air inlet ports 24 and 38 may flow to a fan without contacting with the muffler 5. With this construction, the air around the muffler and especially at a high temperature in the engine room and the cooling ambient air taken from the engine hood and the engine side covers can be screened from each other so that the temperature rise in the cooling ambient air to be fed to a heat exchanger such as a radiator can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency.

Claims

1. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle, in which cooling ambient air taken into an engine room from ambient air inlet port formed in an engine hood enclosing the engine and in two engine side covers in forced by a fan toward a heat exchanger in front of the engine, comprising:

an ambient air screening wall surrounding a muffler, the ambient air screening wall being arranged above the engine in the engine room formed by the engine hood and the two engine side covers, the ambient air screening wall having a three-dimensional duct structure and directing flow of the cooling ambient air into the engine room and toward the fan without any contact with the muffler and engine.

2. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle in which cooling ambient air taken into an engine room from ambient air inlet ports formed in an engine hood enclosing the engine and in two engine side covers is formed by a fan toward a heat exchanger in front of the engine, comprising:

an ambient air screening wall surrounding a muffler, which is disposed in an over-engine space defined in the engine room by the engine hood and the two engine side covers, so that the taken cooling ambient air may flow to the fan without any contact with the muffler;

the ambient air screening wall around the muffler including;

a first muffler screening partition disposed in the engine hood so that the ambient air taken from the ambient air inlet port formed in the engine hood may flow without contacting with the upper face or front face sides of the muffler; and

second muffler screening partitions disposed in the two engine side covers so that the ambient air taken from the ambient air inlet ports formed in the two engine side covers may flow without contacting with the two sides of the muffler.

3. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the first muffler screening partition disposed in said engine hood is constructed of an ambient air passing duct to the fan, as attached to the inner side of said engine hood in a manner to confront the ambient air inlet port of the engine hood.

4. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle according to claim 2,

wherein the second muffler screening partitions disposed in said two engine side covers are constructed of ambient air screening plates to the muffler, as attached at a spacing from the side covers to the inner sides of said side covers in a manner to confront the ambient air inlet ports of said two engine side covers.

5. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle according to claim 3,

wherein said ambient air passing duct to the fan, as attached to said engine hood, has an ambient air guide portion inclined from said engine hood toward the fan while covering the upper side and the front side of said muffler.

6. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle according to claim 4,

wherein said ambient air screening plates to the muffler, as attached to the inner sides of said two side covers, have guide portions for guiding the ambient air flow toward said fan.

7. An engine enclosure for cooling an engine of a construction vehicle, in which cooling ambient air taken into an engine room from ambient air inlet ports formed in an engine hood enclosing the engine and in two engine side covers is forced by a fan toward a heat exchanger in front of the engine, comprising:

an ambient air screening wall surrounding a muffler, the ambient air screening wall being arranged above the engine in the engine room formed by the engine hood and the two engine side covers, the ambient air screening wall having a three-dimensional duct structure and directing flow of the cooling ambient air into the engine room and toward the fan without any contact with the muffler.