JP2024106438A - Work Machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A work machine that facilitates the routing of piping between a control valve and an optional actuator is provided.
[Solution] The work machine includes a pair of vertical plates, a work implement disposed between the pair of vertical plates, and a connecting pipe bridged between the pair of vertical plates. The connecting pipe has a first joint at one end connected to a first hydraulic pipe extending toward an optional actuator attached to the work implement, and a second joint at the other end connected to a second hydraulic pipe extending from a control valve that controls the flow of oil to the optional actuator.
[Selection] Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to a work machine such as a hydraulic excavator.

One example of hydraulic hose arrangement in a hydraulic excavator is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the hydraulic excavator of Patent Document 1, a pair of vertical plates (right vertical plate, left vertical plate) are erected on a rotating frame, and a notch is provided at the lower end of each of the right and left vertical plates. A hose insertion port is provided above the notch in the right vertical plate, and a hose holding frame is provided near the hose insertion port. Multiple hydraulic hoses extending from a control valve device pass through the notch in the left vertical plate and then the notch in the right vertical plate in order, then pass through the hose insertion port from the outside of the right vertical plate (the opposite side to the left vertical plate) and enter between the pair of vertical plates, then pass through the inside of the hose holding frame and are led to the upper back side of the boom.

JP 2016-75042 A

For example, in an ultra-small hydraulic excavator (ultra-small swing machine), the base end of the working machine (e.g., the boom) is located between a pair of vertical plates erected on the swing frame. Therefore, the boom is positioned to pass between the pair of vertical plates. When arranging piping including a hydraulic hose for a PTO (Power Take-Off) that supplies hydraulic oil to an attachment (optional actuator) such as a breaker in an ultra-small swing machine, if the method of Patent Document 1 is applied, the piping extending from the control valve device (control valve) passes through the notch in the left vertical plate and the notch in the right vertical plate in order, and then passes around the outside of the right vertical plate to enter between the pair of vertical plates, making the arrangement of the piping complicated.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a work machine that can easily arrange the piping between the control valve and the optional actuator.

A work machine according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a pair of vertical plates, a work machine arranged between the pair of vertical plates, and a connecting pipe stretched between the pair of vertical plates, the connecting pipe having a first joint at one end connected to a first hydraulic pipe extending toward an optional actuator attached to the work machine, and a second joint at the other end connected to a second hydraulic pipe extending from a control valve that controls the flow of oil to the optional actuator.

The above configuration makes it easy to arrange the piping between the control valve and the optional actuator.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a hydraulic excavator, which is an example of a work machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hydraulic excavator with the canopy not shown. FIG. 2 is a front view of the hydraulic excavator. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the hydraulic excavator. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lower boom and a boom cylinder of the hydraulic excavator as viewed from the left front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the base end portion of the boom cylinder as viewed from the upper right. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the base end portion of the boom cylinder as viewed from above on the front side. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the base end portion of the boom cylinder, viewed from above the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the base end portion of the boom cylinder as viewed from the left front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration on a revolving frame in a state in which the lower boom and the boom cylinder are not shown. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration shown in FIG. 10 . FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the base end portion of the boom cylinder with a portion of the left vertical plate not shown. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a connection pipe provided in the hydraulic excavator. FIG. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the first joint of the connection pipe. 4 is a perspective view of a fixing portion in a state in which a piping member of the connection piping is clamped. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the fixing portion before the piping member is clamped.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[1. Configuration of the work machine]
First, the configuration of a hydraulic excavator 1, which is an example of a work machine according to this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the hydraulic excavator 1. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hydraulic excavator 1 with the canopy 45 omitted. Fig. 3 is a front view of the hydraulic excavator 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a left side view of the hydraulic excavator 1. For convenience, a boom cylinder cover 31sc (see Fig. 5, etc.) described later is omitted from Figs. 1 to 4. The hydraulic excavator 1 according to this embodiment is a so-called ultra-small swing machine that can be rotated compactly and is particularly suitable for use in narrow areas. This hydraulic excavator 1 includes a lower traveling body 2, a working device 3, and an upper swing body 4. The hydraulic excavator 1 may also be referred to as a "machine body".

For ease of explanation, the directions are defined as follows. The direction in which the operator (operator, driver) seated in the driver's seat 41a inside the control section 41 of the upper rotating body 4 faces forward is defined as the forward direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the rearward direction. Therefore, when the upper rotating body 4 is not rotating relative to the lower traveling body 2 (rotation angle 0°), the front-to-rear direction of the upper rotating body 4 coincides with the direction in which the lower traveling body 2 moves forward and backward. Also, the left side as seen from the operator seated in the driver's seat 41a is defined as "left" and the right side is defined as "right". Furthermore, the direction of gravity perpendicular to the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions is defined as the up-down direction, and the upstream side of the direction of gravity is defined as "up" and the downstream side is defined as "down". In the drawings, the hydraulic excavator 1 is shown in a state in which the upper rotating body 4 is not rotating relative to the lower traveling body 2. Additionally, in the drawings, where necessary, the following symbols are used to indicate forward (F), backward (B), right (R), left (L), upward (U), and downward (D).

The lower traveling body 2 is driven by power from the engine 40 (see FIG. 4) to travel the hydraulic excavator 1. The lower traveling body 2 is equipped with a pair of left and right crawlers 21 and a pair of left and right traveling motors 22 (see FIG. 4). Each traveling motor 22 is a hydraulic motor. The left and right traveling motors 22 drive the left and right crawlers 21, respectively, to move the hydraulic excavator 1 forward and backward. The lower traveling body 2 is provided with a blade 23 for performing ground leveling work and a blade cylinder 23a. The blade cylinder 23a is a hydraulic cylinder that rotates the blade 23 in the up and down direction. The blade cylinder 23a is covered from above by a blade cylinder cover 23b.

The working device 3 is driven by power from the engine 40 and performs excavation work to dig up soil and sand. The working device 3 is mounted on the rotating frame 42 of the upper rotating body 4. The working device 3 includes a boom 31 (working machine), an arm 32, and a bucket 33. Excavation work can be performed by independently driving the boom 31, the arm 32, and the bucket 33.

The boom 31 has a lower boom 31A, an upper boom 31B, and an arm stay 31C. The lower boom 31A is driven by a boom cylinder 31s. The boom cylinder 31s is located forward of the lower boom 31A. One end of the boom cylinder 31s, which is a tip end, is connected to one end of the lower boom 31A, which is a tip end. The other ends of the lower boom 31A and the boom cylinder 31s, which are the base ends, are supported rotatably on the rotating frame 42 of the upper rotating body 4. Details of the support structure of the lower boom 31A and the base ends of the boom cylinder 31s will be described later. The lower boom 31A rotates up and down relative to the rotating frame 42 as the boom cylinder 31s expands and contracts.

The base end of the upper boom 31B is connected to the tip of the lower boom 31A so that it can rotate left and right. The base end of the offset cylinder 31t is connected to the side of the tip of the lower boom 31A. The tip of the offset cylinder 31t is connected to the side of the tip of the upper boom 31B. The arm stay 31C is connected to the tip of the upper boom 31B so that it can rotate left and right. The side of the arm stay 31C and the side of the tip of the lower boom 31A are connected by a link rod 31u. As the offset cylinder 31t expands and contracts, the upper boom 31B rotates left and right relative to the lower boom 31A, and the arm stay 31C moves left and right (offset).

The base end of the arm 32 is connected to the arm stay 31C so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The tip end of the arm cylinder 32a is connected to the base end of the arm 32. The middle part between the tip end and base end of the arm cylinder 32a is connected to the arm stay 31C. The arm cylinder 32a extends and retracts, causing the arm 32 to rotate in the vertical direction relative to the arm stay 31C.

The bucket 33 is rotatably connected to the tip of the arm 32. The bucket 33 is also connected to the arm 32 via a link mechanism 34. The base end of the arm 32 is connected to the base end of the bucket cylinder 33a. The tip of the bucket cylinder 33a is connected to the link mechanism 34. The bucket cylinder 33a extends and retracts, causing the bucket 33 to rotate vertically relative to the arm 32.

The boom cylinder 31s, offset cylinder 31t, arm cylinder 32a, and bucket cylinder 33a are composed of hydraulic cylinders.

The upper rotating body 4 is configured to be rotatable relative to the lower running body 2 via a swivel bearing (not shown). The upper rotating body 4 is provided with a control section 41, a swivel frame 42, a swivel motor 43, an engine room 44, a canopy 45, etc. The control section 41 and the engine room 44 are disposed on the swivel frame 42. The canopy 45 is erected on the floor of the control section 41 and covers the upper part of the control section 41.

The upper rotating body 4 rotates via a rotating bearing driven by a hydraulic motor, the rotating motor 43. Inside the engine room 44, in addition to the engine 40 mentioned above that provides power to each part, multiple hydraulic pumps (not shown) are arranged.

Each hydraulic pump supplies hydraulic oil (pressurized oil) to hydraulic motors (e.g., left and right travel motors 22, swing motor 43) and hydraulic cylinders (e.g., blade cylinder 23a, boom cylinder 31s, offset cylinder 31t, arm cylinder 32a, bucket cylinder 33a). The hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders that are driven by the hydraulic oil supplied from any hydraulic pump are collectively called hydraulic actuators.

The driver's seat 41a is located in the control section 41 where the operator sits. The operation section 41b (see Figure 3) is located around the driver's seat 41a. The operation section 41b is composed of an operation lever, switch, button, etc. for driving the hydraulic actuator. The operator sits in the driver's seat 41a and operates the operation section 41b to drive the hydraulic actuator. This allows the lower traveling body 2 to travel, the blade 23 to perform ground leveling work, the working device 3 to perform excavation work, lifting work, the upper rotating body 4 to rotate, etc.

[2. Piping arrangement structure]
The hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment is of PTO specification. The PTO specification refers to a specification in which an attachment (optional actuator) such as a breaker is attached to the tip of the arm 32 instead of the bucket 33, and the attachment can be driven to perform work. As described above, the arm 32 is rotatably connected to the boom 31, so that it can be said that the attachment is attached to the boom 31 via the arm 32. In the PTO specification, piping including a hydraulic hose for supplying hydraulic oil to the attachment (hereinafter also referred to as PTO piping) is arranged. The PTO piping is connected to the PTO section of a control valve CV (see FIG. 3) located below the operating section 41 in the upper rotating body 4. The control valve CV is a directional changeover valve that controls the flow direction and flow rate of hydraulic oil supplied from the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic actuator. When the attachment is used, the hydraulic hose on the attachment side is connected to the tip (stop valve) of the PTO piping. The attachment can be driven by supplying hydraulic oil to the attachment via the control valve CV and the PTO piping.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower boom 31A and boom cylinder 31s of the hydraulic excavator 1 as viewed from the left front. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3 etc., the control unit 41 is located on the left side of the work device 3. Therefore, in the upper rotating body 4, the control valve CV located below the control unit 41 is also located on the left side of the work device 3. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, the control valve CV is located on the left side of the boom 31 (lower boom 31A) and boom cylinder 31s.

The boom cylinder 31s, which is located forward of the lower boom 31A, is covered and protected by a sliding boom cylinder cover 31sc. A hydraulic hose for the PTO is arranged as the first hydraulic piping 52 described below on the right side of the boom cylinder 31s, i.e., on the opposite side of the boom cylinder 31s from the side where the control valve CV is arranged.

On the other hand, a hydraulic hose 61 for driving the boom cylinder 31s (hereinafter also referred to as the "boom hose") is arranged on the left side of the boom cylinder 31s, i.e., on the side of the boom cylinder 31s where the control valve CV is located.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the base end of the boom cylinder 31s as viewed from the upper right. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the base end of the boom cylinder 31s as viewed from above the front. A pair of vertical plates 71 (see FIG. 7 in particular) are attached by welding to the rotating frame 42. That is, the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a pair of vertical plates 71.

The pair of vertical plates 71 is composed of a right vertical plate 71a and a left vertical plate 71b. The right vertical plate 71a and the left vertical plate 71b are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The right vertical plate 71a is located on the opposite side of the left vertical plate 71b from the side where the control valve CV (see FIG. 5) is arranged. Therefore, the left vertical plate 71b is closer to the control valve CV than the right vertical plate 71a. The left vertical plate 71b is integrated with a rib 72 by welding. The rib 72 extends in a direction intersecting with the left vertical plate 71b (here, the left-right direction). The rib 72 is welded and fixed onto the rotating frame 42. The left vertical plate 71b is reinforced by integrating the left vertical plate 71b with the rib 72 and fixing it onto the rotating frame 42.

The base end of the lower boom 31A is rotatably connected to a boom support pin 73 (see FIG. 10 in particular). The boom support pin 73 extends in the left-right direction, and both ends thereof are supported by a pair of vertical plates 71. Therefore, the base end of the lower boom 31A is located between the pair of vertical plates 71. From this, it can be said that the boom 31 having the lower boom 31A passes between the pair of vertical plates 71. In other words, the hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a boom 31 that is disposed between the pair of vertical plates 71.

The width of the lower boom 31A in the left-right direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of vertical plates 71. Therefore, a space SP-R is created between the right vertical plate 71a and the right side surface 31A-R of the lower boom 31A. Also, a space SP-L is created between the left vertical plate 71b and the left side surface 31A-L of the lower boom 31A. However, the hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment is an ultra-small turning machine, and the above-mentioned spaces SP-R and SP-L are very narrow. Note that near the base end of the lower boom 31A, the width of the lower boom 31A in the left-right direction increases, and therefore the above-mentioned spaces SP-R and SP-L become even narrower.

The base end of the boom cylinder 31s that drives the lower boom 31A is rotatably connected to a cylinder support pin 74 (see FIG. 10). The cylinder support pin 74 extends in the left-right direction, and both ends of the cylinder support pin 74 are supported by a pair of support brackets 75. The pair of support brackets 75 are fixed to the rotating frame 42 by welding. The cylinder support pin 74 is located forward of the boom support pin 73. Therefore, the boom cylinder 31s is located forward of the lower boom 31A.

Figure 8 is an enlarged perspective view from above the front showing the vicinity of the base end of the boom cylinder 31s. Figure 9 is an oblique view of the vicinity of the base end of the boom cylinder 31s as seen from the front left. Figure 10 is an oblique view showing the configuration on the revolving frame 42 with the illustration of the lower boom 31A and the boom cylinder 31s omitted. Figure 11 is an oblique view showing a part of the configuration shown in Figure 10 (the configuration to the right of the left vertical plate 71b). Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the base end of the boom cylinder 31s with the illustration of a part of the left vertical plate 71b (the front member 71b1) omitted.

The hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a first pipe 50. The first pipe 50 is arranged around the boom 31. Two systems of the first pipe 50 are provided corresponding to two hydraulic hoses connected to the hydraulic cylinder on the attachment side. Note that the first pipes 50 of the two systems have the same configuration, so the following description will be given of the configuration of the first pipe 50 of one system as a representative.

The first piping 50 includes a connection piping 51, a first hydraulic piping 52 (see Figures 5 to 7), and a second hydraulic piping 53 (see Figure 14). In other words, the hydraulic excavator 1 includes the connection piping 51, the first hydraulic piping 52, and the second hydraulic piping 53.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the connection pipe 51, Figure 14 is a front view of the connection pipe 51, and Figure 15 is a left side view of a first joint 51a of the connection pipe 51, which will be described later. The connection pipe 51 is bridged between a pair of vertical plates 71. The connection pipe 51 includes a first joint 51a, a pipe member 51b, and a second joint 51c.

The first joint 51a has one end 51a1 and the other end 51a2. The one end 51a1 is formed with an opening that opens toward the left vertical plate 71b. The right end of the piping member 51b is connected to the one end 51a1.

The other end 51a2 constitutes a connection portion to which the first hydraulic pipe 52 is connected. The first hydraulic pipe 52 extends from the first joint 51a (particularly the other end 51a2) toward an optional actuator (e.g., a breaker) that is attached to the boom 31 (via the arm 32). Thus, the connection pipe 51 has, at one end, the first joint 51a that is connected to the first hydraulic pipe 52.

The first hydraulic piping 52 connected to the first joint 51a is routed along the right vertical plate 71a toward the space SP-R (see FIG. 7) and through the space SP-R. The end of the first hydraulic piping 52 opposite the first joint 51a is connected to a stop valve (not shown). When the attachment is in use (attached), the hydraulic hose on the attachment side is connected to the stop valve and communicates with the first hydraulic piping 52.

The other end 51a2 of the first joint 51a is formed as a protrusion that protrudes in a predetermined direction. The above-mentioned predetermined direction is a direction facing the middle angle of the vertical motion range (rotation range) of the boom 31, and in this embodiment, it is a direction diagonally upward toward the front of the machine body. Therefore, the fluid (hydraulic oil (hereinafter also simply referred to as "oil")) that flows into the inside of the first joint 51a from one end 51a1 is discharged from the other end 51a2, changing the flow direction of the fluid. From the above, it can be said that the connection part (other end 51a2) with the first hydraulic pipe 52 in the first joint 51a is arranged facing the front and diagonally upward of the machine body. In this case, the first hydraulic pipe 52 is not forcibly pulled throughout the entire rotation range when the boom 31 rotates in the vertical direction.

The first joint 51a is fixed to the flat plate member 54 by welding or the like. The flat plate member 54 is fixed to the inner side surface of the right vertical plate 71a (the surface facing the left vertical plate 71b) by bolting. Therefore, it can be said that the first joint 51a is held (fixed) to one of the pair of vertical plates 71. The first joint 51a is located between the boom support pin 73 (see FIG. 11) and the cylinder support pin 74 in the front-rear direction.

In the hydraulic excavator 1, which is an ultra-small turning machine, there is a narrow space (for example, space SP-R shown in FIG. 7) between one of the vertical plates 71 and the side of the boom 31 (lower boom 31A). In this embodiment, the first joint 51a is held by one of the vertical plates 71 (right vertical plate 71a), which makes it easy to route the first hydraulic piping 52 through the space, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. It also makes it easy to stably switch the route direction of the first piping 50 (for example, from horizontal to vertical) between the pair of vertical plates 71.

The piping member 51b is, for example, a metal pipe. The piping member 51b extends horizontally (left-right direction). The right end of the piping member 51b is connected to one end 51a1 of the first joint 51a. That is, the piping member 51b is connected horizontally to the first joint 51a. The piping member 51b passes through an insertion portion 76 (see FIG. 9) provided in the other vertical plate 71 (left vertical plate 71b). Therefore, the left end of the piping member 51b is located to the left of the insertion portion 76 (the control valve CV side).

The second joint 51c is connected to the left end of the piping member 51b. The second hydraulic piping 53 is connected to the second joint 51c. The second hydraulic piping 53 extends from the control valve CV that controls the flow of oil to the optional actuator and is connected to the second joint 51c. In this way, the connection piping 51 has the second joint 51c at the other end (opposite the first joint 51a) that is connected to the second hydraulic piping 53.

In this embodiment, the connection pipe 51 that is bridged between the pair of vertical plates 71 has at one end the first joint 51a to which the first hydraulic pipe 52 is connected, and at the other end the second joint 51c to which the second hydraulic pipe 53 is connected, so that the PTO pipe (first pipe 50) that supplies oil to the optional actuator can be routed from one side of the pair of vertical plates 71 (for example, the left vertical plate 71b side) through the space between the pair of vertical plates 71. In other words, there is no need to route the pipe (detour) between the pair of vertical plates 71, with one end going out to the outside of the pair of vertical plates 71 and then returning to the inside. As a result, it is possible to easily route the PTO pipe between the control valve CV and the optional actuator.

In this embodiment, as described above, the boom cylinder 31s (see Figures 5 to 7), which is a hydraulic cylinder, is supported by the support bracket 75 via the cylinder support pin 74. The support bracket 75 is located between a pair of vertical plates 71 (see Figure 7). As shown in Figure 15, the cylinder support pin 74 is located forward of the connection pipe 51. From this, it can be said that the hydraulic excavator 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a boom cylinder 31s that is supported by the support bracket 75 (support portion) between a pair of vertical plates 71 and in front of the connection pipe 51, and that rotates the boom 31 as a working machine up and down. The effect of this embodiment, which can facilitate the arrangement of the PTO pipes, is particularly effective in a configuration in which the boom cylinder 31s is supported in front of the connection pipe 51, that is, a configuration in which the PTO pipes are arranged behind the boom cylinder 31s.

As shown in FIG. 15, the connection pipe 51 is disposed above the rear of the support bracket 75. More specifically, the upper surface 75a of the support bracket 75 is inclined obliquely downward from the front to the rear, and has a downwardly convex shape that inclines upward near the rear end. The connection pipe 51 is disposed above the lowermost portion 75a1 located at the rear of the upper surface 75a of the support bracket 75.

For example, when routing the PTO piping through the space below the support bracket 75 (the space formed below and in front of the support bracket 75 in FIG. 15), the piping has to make a large detour, and it is necessary to lengthen the piping. In order to enable the piping to be routed over a short path, it is desirable for the connection piping 51 to be located above the support bracket 75. In particular, in a configuration in which the cylinder support pin 74 located at the base end of the boom cylinder 31s is located forward of the connection piping 51, as in this embodiment, it is desirable for the connection piping 51 to be located above the rear of the support bracket 75.

From the viewpoint of arranging the first hydraulic pipe 52 connected to the first joint 51a so as to reliably pass through the narrow space SP-R between one of the pair of vertical plates 71 (e.g., the right vertical plate 71a) and the work machine (boom 31), it is desirable to position the first joint 51a between the pair of vertical plates 71.

In this embodiment, as described above, the left end of the piping member 51b is located to the left of the insertion portion 76 of the left vertical plate 71b (toward the control valve CV), and the second joint 51c is connected to the left end of the piping member 51b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the second joint 51c is located to the left of the left vertical plate 71b. In other words, the second joint 51c is disposed on the opposite side of the right vertical plate 71a with respect to the left vertical plate 71b. From the viewpoint of shortening the length of the second hydraulic piping 53 connecting the second joint 51c and the control valve CV and facilitating the arrangement of the second hydraulic piping 53, it is desirable to dispose the second joint 51c on the opposite side of the right vertical plate 71a with respect to the other left vertical plate 71b different from the right vertical plate 71a (wherein the first joint 51a is held).

In particular, from the viewpoint of connecting the second hydraulic piping 53 straight to the second joint 51c and further facilitating the layout of the second hydraulic piping, it is desirable that the second joint 51c faces left, that is, toward the side of the aircraft where the control valve CV is located, as shown in FIG. 14.

[3. Regarding the left vertical plate with the insertion part]
The left vertical plate 71b having the insertion portion 76 through which the piping member 51b passes will now be described in more detail. As shown in Fig. 9, the left vertical plate 71b is configured by connecting a front member 71b1 and a rear member 71b2 in the front-to-rear direction of the aircraft. In particular, the front member 71b1 is located in front of the rear member 71b2. The front member 71b1 and the rear member 71b2 are connected by welding, for example, but may also be connected by bolts. Furthermore, the front member 71b1 and the rear member 71b2 may be configured as a single integral plate.

The front member 71b1 and the rear member 71b2 may have different plate thicknesses. For example, the front member 71b1 may have a thinner plate thickness than the rear member 71b2. The front member 71b1 and the rear member 71b2 may also have different heights. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the front member 71b1 may have a lower height than the rear member 71b2.

The upper rear corner of the front member 71b1 is cut out. As a result, the front member 71b1 faces the rear member 71b2 with a gap in between, except for the connection portion with the rear member 71b2. The above-mentioned gap between the front member 71b1 and the rear member 71b2 forms an insertion portion 76. Note that the insertion portion 76 may be a hole with a closed perimeter. The insertion portion 76 is located between the boom support pin 73 and the cylinder support pin 74 (see FIG. 10) in the fore-aft direction of the machine body.

[4. Regarding the fixing part]
The piping member 51b arranged to pass through the insertion portion 76 is fixed to the rear member 71b2 of the left vertical plate 71b by a fixing portion 80 shown in Fig. 9. The fixing portion 80 will be described in detail below.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the fixing part 80 when the piping member 51b of the first piping 50 is clamped. Figure 17 is a perspective view of the fixing part 80 before the piping member 51b is clamped. The fixing part 80 has a mounting seat 81, a clamping member 82, and a pressing bolt 83.

The mounting base 81 is a plate-shaped member and has holes 81a. For example, two holes 81a are formed side by side in the vertical direction, but the number of holes 81a is not particularly limited. A thread groove is cut into the inner surface of the hole 81a to engage with the threads of the fastening bolt B1 shown in FIG. 9. The fastening bolt B1 is inserted from the left side through a through hole (not shown) in the left vertical plate 71b, fitted into the hole 81a of the mounting base 81, and rotated, thereby fixing the mounting base 81 to the left vertical plate 71b.

The clamp member 82 clamps the (two) piping members 51b between itself and the mounting seat 81. The pressing bolt 83 penetrates the clamp member 82 in the fore-and-aft direction of the aircraft and fits into a hole 81b provided on the front surface 81F of the mounting seat 81. A thread groove that engages with the thread of the pressing bolt 83 is cut into the inner peripheral surface of the hole 81b.

As shown in FIG. 16, with the piping member 51b passing between the clamp member 82 and the front surface 81F of the mounting seat 81, the clamp member 82 is pressed toward the front surface 81F of the mounting seat 81 by turning the pressing bolt 83 in the forward direction, and the piping member 51b is sandwiched between the clamp member 82 and the mounting seat 81. As a result, the piping member 51b is fixed to the left vertical plate 71b to which the mounting seat 81 is fixed. On the other hand, by turning the pressing bolt 83 in the reverse direction, the clamp member 82 is released from the pressure, and the piping member 51b is released from the left vertical plate 71b.

From the viewpoint of stably routing the piping member 51b, it is desirable for the hydraulic excavator 1 to be provided with the fixing portion 80 described above.

[5. About the inclined plate]
As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the hydraulic excavator 1 includes an inclined plate 90. The inclined plate 90 is disposed below the boom 31 (lower boom 31A) between a pair of vertical plates 71 (right vertical plate 71a, left vertical plate 71b). The inclined plate 90 is provided with a downward inclination toward the front. The first piping 50 is routed through the front side of the inclined plate 90.

For example, after excavating soil with the bucket 33, when the boom 31 is rotated to move the bucket 33 upward, some of the soil in the bucket 33 may fall near the base end of the boom 31 (particularly the lower boom 31A). Even in this case, the soil falling from above is guided forward by the inclination of the inclined plate 90 and discharged to the outside.

As in this embodiment, when the piping member 51b of the first piping 50 is positioned in front of the inclined plate 90, there is a risk that the soil discharged along the inclined plate 90 may hit the piping member 51b. However, since the piping member 51b is connected to the first joint 51a and the first joint 51a is held by one of the vertical plates 71 (the right vertical plate 71a), even if the soil discharged along the inclined plate 90 hits the piping member 51b, the arrangement of the first piping 50 does not become unstable. Therefore, the configuration of this embodiment in which the first joint 51a is held by one of the vertical plates 71 is very effective in a configuration in which the first piping 50 is arranged to pass through the front side of the inclined plate 90.

[6. Boom cylinder piping arrangement]
Next, the arrangement of the piping for the boom cylinder 31s will be described. As shown in Fig. 8, the hydraulic excavator 1 includes the above-mentioned boom cylinder 31s and the second piping 60. The boom cylinder 31s is a drive unit that drives the boom 31 (particularly the lower boom 31A) as a working machine. The second piping 60 is a piping that is connected to the boom cylinder 31s, and is provided in two systems similar to the first piping 50. Note that the two systems of second piping 60 have the same configuration, and therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the second piping 60 of one system will be described as a representative.

The second piping 60 includes a boom hose 61 (see Figures 5 to 7) and a connecting member 62 (see Figure 11, etc.). The boom hose 61 is a hydraulic hose that connects the connecting member 62 to the boom cylinder 31s. The connecting member 62 is fixed to the inner side surface of the left vertical plate 71b (the surface facing the right vertical plate 71a) by, for example, bolting. Therefore, it can be said that the second piping 60, which has at least the connecting member 62, is held (fixed) to the other vertical plate 71 (left vertical plate 71b) of the pair of vertical plates 71.

The connecting member 62 is an L-shaped (elbow-shaped) mounting part, and has one end 62a (see FIG. 9) and the other end 62b (see FIG. 11). The one end 62a is formed as a protruding part protruding toward the left. The one end 62a is inserted from the right side into an insertion hole 71P (see FIG. 9) provided in the front member 71b1 of the left vertical plate 71b, and protrudes to the left. In addition, in the left vertical plate 71b, the insertion hole 71P is located near (below) the position (fulcrum) of the cylinder support pin 74 (see FIG. 10). The one end 62a is connected to the control valve CV via a hydraulic hose (not shown). The other end 62b is formed as a protruding part protruding upward. The boom hose 61 is connected to the other end 62b.

Therefore, the fluid (hydraulic oil) that flows from the control valve CV through the hydraulic hose into one end 62a of the connecting member 62 from the left side is discharged upward from the other end 62b and supplied to the boom cylinder 31s through the boom hose 61. In other words, the flow direction of the hydraulic oil flowing inside the connecting member 62 changes.

From the viewpoint of avoiding interference with the first pipe 50 held by the right vertical plate 71a, which is one of the vertical plates 71, it is desirable for the second pipe 60 (particularly the connection member 62) to be held by the left vertical plate 71b, which is the other vertical plate 71, as in this embodiment.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a third pipe insertion section 91 is provided on the inclined plate 90 of the hydraulic excavator 1. The third pipe insertion section 91 has an insertion hole through which the third pipe can be inserted. The third pipe may be, for example, a pipe including a hydraulic hose that supplies hydraulic oil to the arm cylinder 32a and bucket cylinder 33a of the work device 3. The end of the third pipe opposite the side connected to the arm cylinder 32a, etc. is connected to the control valve CV.

The third pipe passes from the control valve CV side through an opening 71Q (see FIG. 9) provided in the left vertical plate 71b, then passes from above through the insertion hole of the third pipe insertion part 91, passes under the inclined plate 90, goes around to the back side of the boom 31 (lower boom 31A), and is led to the arm cylinder 32a, etc.

In this way, by providing the third piping insertion section 91 on the inclined plate 90, it is possible to arrange the third piping from the control valve CV through the third piping insertion section 91 and around to the back side of the boom 31.

[7. Supplementary Information]
In this embodiment, a hydraulic excavator 1 in which the control unit 41 is located on the left side of the work device 3 has been described. However, the piping arrangement described in this embodiment can also be applied to a hydraulic excavator 1 in which the control unit 41 is located on the right side of the work device 3 by reversing the left-right positional relationship from this embodiment.

The hydraulic excavator 1 may be configured to use an electric motor instead of the engine 40 as a power source.

[8. Notes]
The hydraulic excavator 1 described in this embodiment can also be expressed as a work machine as described in the following supplementary notes.

The work machine of appendix (1) is
A pair of vertical boards,
A working machine disposed between the pair of vertical plates;
A connection pipe is provided between the pair of vertical plates,
The connecting pipe is
a first joint at one end thereof for connection to a first hydraulic pipe extending toward an optional actuator attached to the work machine;
At the other end, it has a second fitting that connects with a second hydraulic line extending from a control valve that controls the flow of oil to the optional actuator.

The working machine according to claim 2 is the working machine according to claim 1,
A hydraulic cylinder is supported by a support portion between the pair of vertical plates and in front of the connecting pipe, and rotates the working machine up and down.

The working machine of supplementary note (3) is the working machine according to supplementary note (2),
The connection pipe is disposed above and rearward of the support portion.

A working machine according to supplementary note (4) is a working machine according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (3),
The first joint is disposed between the pair of vertical plates.

A working machine according to supplementary note (5) is a working machine according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (4),
A connection portion of the first joint with the first hydraulic pipe is disposed facing forward and diagonally upward of the aircraft body.

A working machine according to supplementary note (6) is a working machine according to any one of supplementary notes (1) to (5),
The first joint is held by one of the pair of vertical plates.

The working machine of supplementary note (7) is the working machine according to supplementary note (6),
The second joint is disposed on the opposite side of the other vertical plate from the one vertical plate.

The working machine of supplementary note (8) is the working machine according to supplementary note (7),
The second joint faces the side of the aircraft on which the control valve is disposed.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be expanded or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The present invention can be used in work machines, such as construction machines.

1. Hydraulic excavator (working machine)
31 Boom (working machine)
31s Boom cylinder (hydraulic cylinder)
51 Connection pipe 51a First joint 51a2 Other end (connection part)
51c Second joint 52 First hydraulic pipe 53 Second hydraulic pipe 71 Vertical plate 71a Right vertical plate 71b Left vertical plate 75 Support bracket (support portion)
CV Control Valve

Claims (8)

A pair of vertical boards,
A working machine disposed between the pair of vertical plates;
A connection pipe is provided between the pair of vertical plates,
The connecting pipe is
a first joint at one end thereof for connection to a first hydraulic pipe extending toward an optional actuator attached to the work machine;
the work machine having at the other end a second coupling connected to a second hydraulic line extending from a control valve that controls the flow of oil to the optional actuator. The work machine according to claim 1, further comprising a hydraulic cylinder supported by a support part between the pair of vertical plates and in front of the connection pipe, for rotating the work machine up and down. The work machine according to claim 2, wherein the connection pipe is disposed above and rearward of the support part. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the first joint is disposed between the pair of vertical plates. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion of the first joint with the first hydraulic pipe is disposed toward the front and diagonally upward of the machine body. The work machine according to claim 1, wherein the first joint is held by one of the pair of vertical plates. The work machine according to claim 6, wherein the second joint is disposed on the opposite side of the pair of vertical plates from the other vertical plate. The work machine according to claim 7, wherein the second joint faces the side of the machine on which the control valve is located.