Air-conditioner of construction machinery

• US 6,938,677 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Japan Limited (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tasaki, Kazushige, Akahane, Eiji, Yamakawa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US10/485,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 622/44, 165/42, 165/43, 237/12.3
• US Class Current: 165/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00207 characterised by the position of the HVAC devices with respect to the passenger compartment B60H1/00021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00378 for tractor or load vehicle cabins
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0055 the housing or parts thereof being integrated in other devices, e.g. dashboard
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/323 characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices

Abstract

The invention provides an air-conditioning apparatus that maximizes the space in an operator'"'"'s cab and provides a comfortable working environment for the operator of a construction machine. The body unit of the air-conditioning apparatus is disposed under the floor surface of the cab, cold air and hot air ducts are connected to the body unit, and routed under the floor of the cab to be passed through the floor surface and taken out into the inside of the cab using cold air and hot air outlets disposed at both left and right sides at the front part of the cab. Also, by providing two evaporators, air of different temperatures can be blown through the left and right outlets.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning apparatus for a construction machine, comprising:

a body unit of the air-conditioning apparatus;

heat exchangers for cold air and hot air incorporated in the body unit, the body unit mounted under the floor of an operator'"'"'s cab;

ducts which become outlets of air-conditioned air produced by the body unit are routed under the floor of the operator'"'"'s cab and are passed through the floor into the inside of the operator'"'"'s cab; and

an opening is provided in the floor surface of the operator'"'"'s cab, with a part of the body unit protruding into the operator'"'"'s cab through the opening.

2. The air-conditioning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outlets of cold air and/or hot air ducts are disposed at both left and right sides at the front part of the operator'"'"'s cab.

3. The air-conditioning apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein, although first and second cold air heat exchangers are incorporated into the body unit, cold air from the respective cold air heat exchangers is separately mixed with hot air from a hot air heat exchanger, whereby air of different temperatures is blown out from left and right outlets.

4. A vehicle, comprising:

an operator cab with a floor plate; and

an air conditioning unit beneath the floor plate and mounted to a lower surface of the floor plate, the air conditioning unit comprising;

a blower unit;

a motor powering the blower unit;

a body unit; and

a duct system extending from the body unit beneath the floor plate substantially along both sides of the operator cab and opening into the operator cab at a front thereof, wherein the floor plate of the operator cab has an opening that receives the motor such that the motor is housed within the operator cabin.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the body unit has therein:

a pair of evaporators;

a heater element; and

a guide damper associated with each evaporator to direct air flow emerging from the associated evaporator.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the duct system comprises:

a cold air duct extending from an associated evaporator along a respective side of the operator cabin;

a hot air duct extending from the body unit toward a front of the operator cabin along each side of and substantially parallel to a center line or longitudinal axis of the operator cabin; and

a hot air exhaust duct and a cold air exhaust duct extending into the operator cabin at respective front corners of the operator cabin, wherein the floor plate has duct openings to allow the cold air ducts and hot air ducts to connect with the respective cold air exhaust ducts and hot air exhaust ducts.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5 wherein the duct system comprises:

a cold air duct extending from an associated evaporator along a respective side of the operator cabin;

a hot air duct extending from the body unit toward a front of the operator cabin along each side of and substantially parallel to a center line or longitudinal axis of the operator cabin; and

a hot air exhaust duct and a cold air exhaust duct extending into the operator cabin at respective front corners of the operator cabin, wherein the floor plate has duct openings to allow the cold air ducts and hot air ducts to connect with the respective cold air exhaust ducts and hot air exhaust ducts.

8. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the body unit further comprises a damper at each duct of the duct system extending from the body unit.

9. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the body unit further comprises a damper at each duct of the duct system extending from the body unit.

10. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the body unit further comprises a damper at each duct of the duct system extending from the body unit.

11. The vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a controller that controls the opening of each damper.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a controller that controls the opening of each damper.

13. The vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a controller that controls the opening of each damper.

14. An air-conditioner used in a vehicle having a floor plate, the air-conditioner unit comprising:

a blower unit;

a motor powering the blower unit;

a body unit; and

a duct system extending from the body unit beneath the floor plate substantially along both sides of the operator cab and opening into the operator cab at a front thereof, wherein the floor plate of the operator cab has an opening that receives the motor such that the motor is housed within the operator cabin.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the body unit has therein:

a pair of evaporators;

a heater element; and

a guide damper associated with each evaporator to direct air flow emerging from the associated evaporator.

16. The air-conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the duct system comprises:

a cold air duct extending from an associated evaporator along a respective side of the operator cabin;

a hot air duct extending from the body unit toward a front of the operator cabin along each side of and substantially parallel to a center line or longitudinal axis of the operator cabin; and

a hot air exhaust duct and a cold air exhaust duct extending into the operator cabin at respective front corners of the operator cabin, wherein the floor plate has duct openings to allow the cold air ducts and hot air ducts to connect with the respective cold air exhaust ducts and hot air exhaust ducts.

17. The air-conditioner according to claim 16, wherein the body unit further comprises a damper at each duct of the duct system extending from the body unit.

18. The air-conditioner according to claim 17, further comprising a controller that controls the opening of each damper.