Work vehicle

• US 9,739,035 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
• Inventors: Naito, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US14/903,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20160168821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/00 Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units heating the interior space B60H; cooling internal combustion engines per se F01P
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/28 characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/114 Super-capacities
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/283 with a single arm pivoted directly on the chassis linkage mechanism for it E02F3/3405
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0808 Improving mounting or assembling, e.g. frame elements, disposition of all the components on the superstructures for disposition of specific components, E02F9/0858
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0841 Articulated frame, i.e. having at least one pivot point between two travelling gear units tractor-trailer combinations B62D53/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0858 Arrangement of component parts installed on superstructures not otherwise provided for, e.g. electric components, fenders, air-conditioning units E02F9/16, E02F9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0866 Engine compartment, e.g. heat exchangers, exhaust filters, cooling devices, silencers, mufflers, position of hydraulic pumps in the engine compartment
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 2/04 specially adapted for mounting on a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A work vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, an outer cover, an engine compartment, a cooling compartment, a partition wall, an inverter, and a capacitor. The engine compartment contains an engine. The cooling compartment contains a cooling device. The partition wall separates the cooling compartment from the engine compartment. The inverter and the capacitor are disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device. The inverter is positioned above the capacitor. A length of the capacitor in the vehicle width direction is greater than a length of the inverter in the vehicle width direction. At least one of a first side surface of the outer cover positioned leftwards of the left side surface of the inverter and a second side surface of the outer cover positioned rightwards of a right side surface of the inverter is separated from the inverter by a gap.

Claims

1. A hybrid work vehicle in which a driving force is generated by an engine and by an electric motor, comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

an outer cover;

an engine compartment internally housing the engine;

a cooling compartment internally housing a cooling device, the cooling device including a radiator for cooling the engine;

a partition wall separating the cooling compartment from the engine compartment;

an inverter disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device; and

a capacitor disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device;

the capacitor being supported upon the vehicle body frame;

the inverter being positioned above the capacitor;

a length of the inverter in a vehicle width direction being shorter than a length of the capacitor in the vehicle width direction; and

at least one of a first side surface of the outer cover positioned leftwards from a left side surface of the inverter and a second side surface of the outer cover positioned rightwards from a right side surface of the inverter being separated from the inverter by a gap.

2. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

a first distance in the vehicle width direction between a left side surface of the outer cover and the left side surface of the inverter is greater than or equal to a second distance in the vehicle width direction between the left side surface of the outer cover and a left side surface of the capacitor;

and

a third distance in the vehicle width direction between a right side surface of the outer cover and the right side surface of the inverter is greater than or equal to a fourth distance in the vehicle width direction between the right side surface of the outer cover and a right side surface of the capacitor.

3. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

a fifth distance in the vehicle width direction between a left side surface of the vehicle body frame and the left side surface of the inverter is greater than or equal to a sixth distance in the vehicle width direction between the left side surface of the vehicle body frame and the left side surface of the capacitor;

and

a seventh distance in the vehicle width direction between a right side surface of the vehicle body frame and the right side surface of the inverter is greater than or equal to an eighth distance in the vehicle width direction between the right side surface of the vehicle body frame and the right side surface of the capacitor.

4. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface includes an opening portion for taking in external air;

the opening portion and the inverter are overlapped in a side view; and

the opening portion and the inverter are separated by a first gap.

5. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein

the longest side of the capacitor extends along the vehicle width direction;

and

the shortest side of the inverter extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

6. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

the longest side of the inverter extends in a vertical direction.

7. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 6, wherein

the capacitor is elastically supported by a capacitor support portion provided to the vehicle body frame.

8. The hybrid work vehicle according to any one of claim 7, wherein

the cooling device further includes an oil cooler, and an electric motor cooling device;

and

the radiator, the oil cooler, and the motor cooling device are arranged in a row along the vehicle width direction.

9. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 8, wherein

the cooling device further includes a hybrid cooler for cooling the capacitor and the inverter;

the hybrid cooler is disposed in front of the radiator, the oil cooler, and the motor cooling device, and behind the inverter; and

the inverter is spaced away by a gap from the hybrid cooler along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 9, wherein

the inverter is separated from the capacitor in the vertical direction by a second gap.

11. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface includes an opening portion for taking in external air;

the opening portion and the inverter are overlapped in a side view; and

the opening portion and the inverter are separated by a gap.

12. Previously Presented) The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the inverter is separated from the capacitor in a vertical direction by a gap.

13. A hybrid work vehicle in which a driving force is generated by an engine and by an electric motor, comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

an outer cover;

an engine compartment internally housing the engine;

a cooling compartment internally housing a cooling device;

a partition wall separating the cooling compartment from the engine compartment;

an inverter disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device; and

a capacitor disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device,

the capacitor being supported upon the vehicle body frame such that a longest side of the capacitor extends along a vehicle width direction,

the inverter being positioned above the capacitor, a shortest side of the inverter extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a length of the inverter in the vehicle width direction being shorter than the longest side of the capacitor, and

at least one of a first side surface of the outer cover positioned leftwards from a left side surface of the inverter and a second side surface of the outer cover positioned rightwards from a right side surface of the inverter being separated from the inverter by a gap.

14. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the longest side of the inverter extends in a vertical direction.

15. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 13, wherein

the capacitor is elastically supported by a capacitor support portion provided to the vehicle body frame.

16. A hybrid work vehicle in which a driving force is generated by an engine and by an electric motor, comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

an outer cover;

an engine compartment internally housing the engine;

a cooling compartment internally housing a cooling device;

a partition wall separating the cooling compartment from the engine compartment;

an inverter disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device; and

a capacitor disposed between the partition wall and the cooling device;

the capacitor being supported upon the vehicle body frame,

the inverter being positioned above the capacitor, a length of the inverter in a vehicle width direction being shorter than a length of the capacitor in the vehicle width direction; and

at least one of a first side surface of the outer cover positioned leftwards from a left side surface of the inverter and a second side surface of the outer cover positioned rightwards from a right side surface of the inverter being separated from the inverter by a gap,

the cooling device including a radiator, an oil cooler, and an electric motor cooling device, the radiator, the oil cooler, and the motor cooling device being arranged in a row along the vehicle width direction.

17. The hybrid work vehicle according to claim 16, wherein.

the cooling device further includes a hybrid cooler for cooling the capacitor and the inverter;

the hybrid cooler is disposed in front of the radiator, the oil cooler, and the motor cooling device, and behind the inverter; and

the inverter is spaced away by a gap from the hybrid cooler along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.