JP7708652B2 - Dust collection mechanism for construction machinery and construction machinery equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dust collection mechanism for a construction machine and a construction machine equipped with the same.

Conventionally, construction machines equipped with a machine room and a dust collection mechanism are known. The machine room is located at the rear of the upper rotating body of the construction machine, and houses an engine, a cooler and a cooling fan for cooling the engine. The cooling fan generates cooling air that flows from an air intake toward the cooler. The cooler cools the engine by exchanging heat between the cooling air passing through the cooler and a refrigerant (e.g., cooling water) flowing through the cooler. The dust collection mechanism is located upstream of the cooler, and collects foreign matter such as dust contained in the cooling air flowing toward the cooler.

Patent Document 1 discloses a dust collection mechanism including an air introduction side panel member and a guide panel member. The air introduction side panel member is disposed on one of the vehicle body side portions of the upper rotating body, and has a plurality of air introduction ports. The guide panel member is disposed opposite the air introduction side panel member, and has a plurality of air outlet ports. Air is taken in between the air introduction side panel member and the guide panel member from the plurality of air introduction ports. While the air passes between the air introduction side panel member and the guide panel member, the flow direction of the air reverses twice. Specifically, the air flow introduced from one vehicle body side portion and heading in the opposite direction to the one vehicle body side portion reverses approximately 180° toward the one vehicle body side portion, and then further reverses approximately 180° in the opposite direction to the one vehicle body side portion. While the air flows between the air introduction side panel member and the guide panel member while reversing multiple times in this way, foreign matter mixed in the air collides with the peripheral surface between the two members and adheres to the peripheral surface, or falls. The air from which foreign matter has been removed in this manner is introduced into the engine compartment through the air outlet of the guide panel member.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-112273

In the dust collection mechanism described in Patent Document 1, the air flow reverses by approximately 180 degrees multiple times between the air intake panel member and the guide panel member, resulting in a large pressure loss of the air. This reduces the flow rate of air that passes through the dust collection mechanism and is supplied to the cooler, which may prevent sufficient cooling of the engine compartment.

The present invention aims to provide a dust collection mechanism for a construction machine that can remove foreign matter contained in the air while ensuring a sufficient flow rate of cooling air, and a construction machine equipped with the same.

The dust collection mechanism provided for a construction machine includes a cooler installed in a machine room having an air intake, and a cooling fan that forms a forward air flow from the air intake to the cooler in the machine room. The dust collection mechanism includes a plurality of panel members each having a panel surface that form a plurality of air passages that allow air to flow from the air intake to the cooler. The plurality of panel members are arranged in an arrangement direction that intersects with the forward direction, and each of the plurality of air passages is formed between the panel surfaces that are adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction. Each of the plurality of air passages has a shape in which the direction of air flowing through the air passage at any point includes a vector component of the forward direction. Each of the plurality of panel members includes a panel body including a turning section that bends to change the direction of the air flowing through the air passage, and a space defining section that defines a dust collection space between the panel body downstream of the turning section to capture foreign matter separated from the air at the turning section.

The dust collection mechanism can effectively remove foreign matter contained in the air while ensuring a sufficient flow rate of cooling air taken into the machine room through the intake port. Specifically, some or all of the foreign matter contained in the air is separated from the air by utilizing the difference in inertia between the air and the foreign matter in the redirection section, and is captured in the dust collection space downstream. Moreover, since the dust collection space is formed in each of the multiple air passages defined by the multiple panel members, the foreign matter is efficiently collected by these dust collection spaces. Meanwhile, since each of the multiple air passages has a shape in which the direction of air flowing through the air passage at any point includes a vector component in the forward direction, the pressure loss is smaller than that of a conventional air passage in which air flows in the opposite direction to the forward direction, i.e., backward. This effectively suppresses the reduction in the flow rate of air passing through the dust collection mechanism to the cooler, thereby making it possible to supply air with a sufficient volume to the cooler.

Specifically, the panel body may include an upstream portion located upstream of the deflection portion in the forward direction and inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction, or may include a downstream portion located downstream of the deflection portion in the forward direction and inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction.

More specifically, the panel body includes an intermediate portion extending along the forward direction, an upstream portion that is inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction on the upstream side of the intermediate portion to form the redirection portion between the intermediate portion and the upstream portion, and a downstream portion that is inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction on the downstream side of the intermediate portion, and the space defining portion preferably extends from the downstream portion to the upstream side in the forward direction to cover a part of the intermediate portion and at least a part of the downstream portion. The space defining portion cooperates with the downstream portion to efficiently capture foreign matter separated from the air at the redirection portion in the dust collection space.

In this case, it is preferable that the space defining portion includes a downstream blocking portion that is connected to the downstream end of the downstream portion and blocks the downstream end of the dust collection space, a downstream covering portion that extends from the downstream blocking portion along the downstream portion and covers the entire downstream portion, and an upstream covering portion that extends from the downstream covering portion upstream along the intermediate portion and covers a part of the intermediate portion. Such a space defining portion defines a dust collection space that is curved at a position corresponding to the boundary between the intermediate portion and the downstream portion, thereby preventing foreign matter captured on the downstream side of the dust collection space from flowing back and escaping from the dust collection space. This makes it possible to increase the dust collection efficiency.

In an embodiment in which the panel body includes the intermediate portion, the upstream portion, and the downstream portion, the space defining portion preferably includes an upstream edge portion that faces the upstream portion along the forward direction, and the upstream edge portion preferably has a shape in which the width of an inlet opening formed between the upstream edge portion and the upstream portion as viewed from inside the air passage changes depending on the position in the panel extension direction of the panel body. The panel extension direction is perpendicular to both the forward direction and the arrangement direction. The smaller the width of the inlet opening, the higher the flow rate of the air flowing into the dust collection space through the inlet opening, making it possible to capture foreign matter of smaller diameter. Therefore, the change in the width of the inlet opening depending on the position in the panel extension direction expands the range of particle sizes of foreign matter that can be captured.

The plurality of panel members are preferably arranged so that the panel surfaces are aligned in the vertical direction. This allows foreign matter collected in the dust collection space to fall along the panel surfaces due to its own weight, thereby facilitating the discharge or collection of the foreign matter.

In this case, it is preferable that each of the panel members extends continuously from the upper end to the lower end of the panel members, and that the dust collection mechanism further includes an upper blocking member that contacts the upper ends of the panel members so as to block the upper ends of each of the dust collection spaces. By blocking the upper ends of each of the dust collection spaces, the upper blocking member forms a downward airflow in the dust collection space, thereby facilitating the downward discharge of the foreign matter.

When the panel surface is aligned in the vertical direction, the dust collection mechanism further includes a storage section that receives and stores foreign matter that falls through the dust collection space, making it possible to efficiently collect foreign matter removed from the air in the storage section.

The storage section preferably has, for example, a storage container that defines a storage space that is open upward toward the dust collection space. This allows foreign matter that has descended through the dust collection space to be efficiently stored in the storage space.

The storage container is preferably movable between a storage position where foreign objects descending through the dust collection space can enter the storage space and a recovery position away from the storage position where foreign objects stored in the storage space can be recovered. This allows workers to easily recover foreign objects stored in the storage space at the storage position at the recovery position.

The storage section may include a lower blocking member that is movable between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the lower blocking member collectively blocks the lower ends of the dust collection spaces formed by the panel members, allowing foreign matter descending through the dust collection spaces to accumulate on the lower blocking member, and in the open position, opens each of the dust collection spaces, allowing the foreign matter to be discharged to the outside of the dust collection spaces. This makes it possible to accumulate the foreign matter on the lower blocking member while the lower blocking member is in the closed position, and then to discharge the accumulated foreign matter to the outside by moving the blocking member to the open position at an appropriate time.

It is preferable that the direction in which the lower blocking member moves from the blocking position to the open position is along the horizontal direction. This eliminates the need to secure a large space in the vertical direction to move the lower blocking member.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the movement direction is parallel to the arrangement direction. This allows the lower blocking member to open the dust collection space in sequence during the movement process, releasing the foreign matter little by little, thereby preventing a large amount of foreign matter from being released at once due to the movement of the lower blocking member.

It is preferable that the storage section further includes a biasing member that biases the lower blocking member upward toward the lower ends of the panel members so that the lower blocking member in the blocking position is kept in contact with the lower ends of the panel members. The biasing member can effectively prevent foreign matter accumulated on the lower blocking member from leaking out from between the blocking member and the lower ends of the panel members.

It is preferable that the storage section further includes a locking section, and the locking section is switchable between a locked state that prevents the lower blocking member from moving from the closed position to the open position and an unlocked state that releases the prevention of the movement. The locking section can prevent the lower blocking member from accidentally moving from the closed position to the open position and erroneously releasing the foreign object.

When the space defining portion of each of the plurality of panel members has a downstream blocking portion that blocks a part of the air passage at the downstream end of the panel body in the forward direction, it is preferable that the downstream blocking portion is provided with a confirmation window that allows the foreign matter accumulated on the lower blocking member to be visually confirmed from the downstream side in the forward direction. The confirmation window makes it possible to grasp the accumulation status of the foreign matter regardless of the presence of the downstream blocking portion.

The storage section is preferably located below the lower end of the intake port. The storage section positioned in this manner is capable of receiving foreign matter without significantly affecting the intake performance through the intake port.

It is preferable that the dust collection mechanism further includes a deflection angle adjustment mechanism that changes the deflection angle of the deflection section of at least one of the panel members. Changing the deflection angle makes it possible to change the balance between the flow rate of air supplied to the cooler and the amount of foreign matter collected in the dust collection space.

The dust collection mechanism may further include a spacing adjustment mechanism that changes the panel spacing, which is the spacing between adjacent panel members in the arrangement direction. By adjusting the panel spacing, it is also possible to change the balance between the flow rate of air supplied to the cooler and the amount of foreign matter collected in the dust collection space.

Also provided is a construction machine, the construction machine comprising a cooler provided in a machine room having an air intake, a cooling fan provided in the machine room and forming a forward air flow from the air intake to the cooler, and a dust collection mechanism configured as described above that removes foreign matter contained in the air upstream of the cooler.

The construction machine is preferably equipped with a machine room body that defines the machine room and a door opening leading to the machine room, and a door that is connected to the machine room body so as to be movable between a closed position that closes the door opening and an open position that opens the door opening, the door having the air intake formed therein, the multiple panel members attached to the door so as to move integrally with the door, and the open position of the door being a position that opens the multiple panel members to the outside of the machine room. The multiple panel members attached to the door in this manner are opened to the outside by the door moving to the open position, thereby making it possible for an operator to easily perform maintenance of the multiple panel members, etc.

As described above, a dust collection mechanism for construction machinery that can remove foreign matter contained in the air while ensuring a sufficient flow rate of cooling air, and a construction machinery equipped with the same are provided.

1 is a side view showing a construction machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the air intake chamber of the construction machine shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the air intake chamber door is in a closed position. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of the intake chamber with the intake chamber door in an open position; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collection mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a side view showing a cross section taken along line VV in FIG. 2. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view of a portion of the dust collection mechanism shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a dust collecting mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a plan view of a portion of the dust collection mechanism shown in FIG. 7. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection mechanism shown in FIG. 7, seen from the downstream end side of the dust collection mechanism, showing a state in which a closing member of the dust collection mechanism is in a closed position. FIG. 10 is a partially sectional side view showing the state shown in FIG. 9 . 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dust collection mechanism shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the downstream end side of the dust collection mechanism, illustrating a state in which a closing member of the dust collection mechanism sequentially opens a dust collection space. FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the state shown in FIG. 11 . 8 is a side view showing an inner opening formed between an upstream side portion of a panel member and an upstream edge portion of a space defining portion in the dust collecting mechanism shown in FIG. 7 . 14 is a side view showing a modified example of the space defining portion shown in FIG. 13. 11 is a plan view showing an example in which a direction-changing angle adjustment mechanism is provided to the dust collection mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 shows a construction machine 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the construction machine 10 is, for example, a hydraulic excavator, and includes a lower traveling body 11, an upper rotating body 12, and an attachment 13. The lower traveling body 11 includes a pair of left and right crawlers and can travel on the ground. The upper rotating body 12 is mounted on the lower traveling body 11 so as to be freely rotatable. The upper rotating body 12 includes an upper frame 20, a cab 14, a machine room cover 16, and a counterweight 22. The cab 14, the machine room 15, and the counterweight 22 are installed on the upper frame 20. The attachment 13 is connected to the front end of the upper frame 20 so as to be able to rise and fall, and performs a predetermined work operation, for example, an excavation operation. The cab 14 is adjacent to the attachment 13 to define a driver's cab. The counterweight 22 is mounted to the rear of the upper frame 20 and has a shape that follows the outer periphery of the rear end of the upper frame 20.

The machine room cover 16 is installed at the rear of the upper rotating body 12 and constitutes the machine room main body together with the counterweight 22. The machine room main body defines the machine room 15. The machine room cover 16 is positioned to cover the machine room 15 from above.

A partition wall 17 shown in FIG. 2 is arranged in the machine room 15. The partition wall 17 divides the machine room 15 into an engine room 15a and an intake room 15b. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the partition wall 17 extends in the front-rear direction of the upper rotating body 12, and the engine room 15a and the intake room 15b are aligned in the left-right direction of the upper rotating body 12. The partition wall 17 has an opening that penetrates the partition wall 17, thereby allowing the cooling air taken into the intake room 15b to flow in a forward direction Dn from the intake room 15b through the opening to the engine room 15a. In this embodiment, the forward direction Dn is the direction from the intake room 15b to the engine room 15a as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, and is the left-right direction in the upper rotating body 12 shown in FIG. 2.

The engine room 15a houses an engine 31, a hydraulic pump 32, a cooling fan 33, a fan shroud 34, and a cooler 35, which are arranged in the forward direction Dn from the upstream side in the order of the cooler 35, the fan shroud 34, the cooling fan 33, the engine 31, and the hydraulic pump 32. An exhaust port 16a is formed in the machine room cover 16, and the exhaust port 16a is located at the downstream end of the forward direction Dn. The exhaust port 16a allows air sent into the engine room 15a to be exhausted to the outside of the engine room 15a through the exhaust port 16a.

The engine 31 is a power source for driving the hydraulic pump 32. The engine 31 has a drive shaft extending horizontally. The drive shaft has two ends, which respectively constitute an input end and an output end. The hydraulic pump 32 converts the power generated in the engine 31 into hydraulic pressure. Specifically, the hydraulic pump 32 is connected to the input end (the right end in FIG. 2) of the drive shaft of the engine 31, and is driven by the rotation of the drive shaft to discharge hydraulic oil.

The cooler 35 exchanges heat between the air passing through the cooler 35 and a coolant for cooling the engine 31, such as engine cooling water, thereby cooling the coolant and thus the engine 31. The cooler 35 is composed of a heat exchanger, such as a radiator. The cooler 35 has a core surface and is arranged so that the core surface faces the forward direction Dn.

The cooling fan 33 generates an air flow from the outside of the construction machine 10 through the intake chamber 15b toward the engine room 15a. Specifically, the intake chamber 15b is formed with an intake port 44, which will be described later, and the cooling fan 33 generates an air flow in the forward direction Dn. The forward direction Dn is the direction from the intake port 44 to the cooler 35, and the air that has passed through the cooler 35 reaches the engine 31. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the cooling fan 33 is located downstream of the cooler 35 and upstream of the engine 31. The cooling fan 33 is connected to the output end (left end in FIG. 2) of the drive shaft of the engine 31, and is driven by the rotation of the drive shaft to generate an air flow in the forward direction Dn. The fan shroud 34 is arranged to surround the cooling fan 33, and guides the air that has passed through the cooler 35 to the engine 31.

The intake chamber 15b is located upstream of the engine chamber 15a in the forward direction Dn. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the intake chamber 15b is defined by a part of the machine chamber body, specifically, a part of the machine chamber cover 16 and a part of the counterweight 22.

The machine room body is formed with a door opening 40 as shown in FIG. 3, and an intake chamber door 41 is connected to it. The intake chamber door 41 is a door for opening and closing the door opening 40. The door opening 40 is formed to connect the inside and outside of the intake chamber 15b in the horizontal direction (in this embodiment, the left and right direction of the upper rotating body 12). The intake chamber door 41 is connected to the machine room body (machine room cover 16) via a vertical hinge 42 so as to be rotatable between the closed position shown in FIG. 2 and the open position shown in FIG. 3. The intake chamber door 41 closes the door opening 40 in the closed position, and opens the door opening 40 in the open position. The intake chamber door 41 can reach the open position by rotating from the closed position toward the outside of the intake chamber 15b around a vertical axis.

In this construction machine 10, the intake port 44 is formed in the intake chamber door 41. When the intake chamber door 41 is in the closed position, the intake port 44 connects the inside and outside of the intake chamber 15b in a direction parallel to the forward direction Dn, thereby allowing the outside air, i.e., outside air, to be taken into the intake chamber 15b through the intake port 44 along the forward direction Dn.

The intake chamber 15b houses an intake duct 36. The intake duct 36 surrounds the space upstream of the cooler 35 in the forward direction Dn and guides the air taken into the intake chamber 15b to the cooler 35 in the forward direction Dn.

The construction machine 10 further includes a dust collection mechanism 50 shown in Figures 2 and 3. The dust collection mechanism 50 is disposed in the air intake chamber 15b, and while allowing the air taken in through the air intake port 44 into the air intake chamber 15b to flow along the forward direction Dn, it captures and collects foreign matter 52 (Figure 6) in the air upstream of the cooler 35. In this way, the air after the foreign matter 52 has been collected is sent through the air intake duct 36 to the cooler 35, thereby suppressing clogging in the cooler 35 and other equipment.

2 and 3, the dust collection mechanism 50 is attached to the intake chamber door 41 so as to move integrally with the intake chamber door 41. Therefore, when the intake chamber door 41 is in the closed position, the dust collection mechanism 50 is located in the intake chamber 15b as shown in FIG. 2, and can capture the foreign matter 52 at a position between the intake port 44 and the cooler 35, i.e., at a position upstream of the cooler 35. On the other hand, when the intake chamber door 41 is in the open position, the dust collection mechanism 50 is open to the outside of the intake chamber 15b as shown in FIG. 3. This makes it easier for an operator to perform maintenance on the dust collection mechanism 50.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the dust collection mechanism 50 includes a plurality of panel members 60, an upper blocking member 80, and a storage section 70.

The panel members 60 are arranged at intervals in the arrangement direction Da. The arrangement direction Da is a direction intersecting the forward direction Dn, and in this embodiment, is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction Dn, i.e., a direction parallel to the front-rear direction of the upper rotating body 12. The panel members 60 form a plurality of air passages 54, and each of the air passages 54 allows air to flow from the air intake 44 toward the air intake duct 36 along the forward direction Dn. The air passages 54 are each formed between adjacent panel members 60 in the arrangement direction Da.

Each of the panel members 60 has a panel body, and the panel body has panel surfaces 60a and 60b. The panel bodies are plate materials having a thickness direction parallel to the arrangement direction Da, and have the same shape as each other. The panel surfaces 60a and 60b are both side surfaces in the thickness direction of the panel body, i.e., the front and back surfaces, and in this embodiment, the panel members 60 are arranged so that the panel surfaces 60a and 60b are aligned in the up-down direction, i.e., vertical surfaces. Each of the air passages 54 is formed between the panel surface 60a of one panel member 60 and the panel surface 60b of the other panel member 60 among the panel members 60 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction Da.

The panel body of each of the plurality of panel members 60 according to the first embodiment includes an upstream portion 61, an intermediate portion 62, and a downstream portion 63, which are arranged in order from the upstream side of the forward direction Dn and are continuous with each other. The intermediate portion 62 extends along the forward direction Dn, preferably parallel to the forward direction Dn. The upstream portion 61 is located upstream of the intermediate portion 62 with respect to the forward direction Dn, and is inclined by a first angle θ1 toward the inside of the air passage 54 (the lower side in FIG. 6) along the arrangement direction Da with respect to the forward direction Dn. The downstream portion 63 is inclined by a second angle θ2 toward the inside of the air passage 54 (i.e., to the same side as the upstream portion 61) along the arrangement direction Da with respect to the forward direction Dn. The first and second angles θ1 and θ2 are both acute angles (<90°). In other words, the angles formed between the intermediate portion 62 and the upstream portion 61 and the downstream portion 63 are all obtuse angles. Therefore, the direction in which the air is guided in the air passage 54 includes a vector component of the forward direction Dn throughout the entire air passage 54. In other words, the direction in which the air flows does not include a component that causes the air to flow backward in the direction opposite to the forward direction Dn.

In this way, between the intermediate portion 62 of the panel member 60 according to the first embodiment and the upstream portion 61 and the downstream portion 63 on both sides of the intermediate portion 62, there are formed portions bent at the first and second angles θ1 and θ2, respectively. And between the intermediate portion 62 and the upstream portion 61, there is formed a turning portion 64 for dust collection. The turning portion 64 changes the flow of the air at the first angle θ1. However, since the foreign matter 52 contained in the air has a larger inertia than the air, it does not bend completely at the turning portion 64 and collides with the downstream portion of the turning portion 64 (the intermediate portion 62 in this embodiment). This allows the foreign matter 52 to be separated from the air. Therefore, the upstream portion 61 is a portion upstream of the turning portion 64 in the forward direction Dn, and the downstream portion 63 is included in a portion downstream of the turning portion 64 in the forward direction Dn.

The deflection angle in the deflection section 64, the first angle θ1 in this embodiment, can be set arbitrarily, but is generally preferably set in the range of 30° to 60°. The deflection angle may be different between the air passages.

Each of the plurality of panel members 60 further includes a space defining portion 66. The space defining portion 66 is plate-shaped like the main body of the panel member 60 (the upstream portion 61, the middle portion 62, and the downstream portion 63) and extends over the entire area in the vertical direction, and is arranged so as to cover a specific portion of the panel main body downstream of the redirection portion 64. As a result, the space defining portion 66 defines a dust collection space 68 between itself and the specific portion, and foreign matter 52 separated from the air by the redirection portion 64 is captured in the dust collection space 68.

The space defining portion 66 in this embodiment has both ends in the forward direction Dn, i.e., a downstream end and an opposite upstream end, and extends continuously along the forward direction Dn between the two ends. The downstream end is connected to the middle part of the downstream side portion 63, thereby blocking the downstream end of the dust collection space 68 and cutting off the path of the foreign matter 52 in the dust collection space 68. The upstream end is spaced from the middle part 62 toward the inside of the air passage 54 along the arrangement direction Da, thereby opening the dust collection space 68 to the upstream side and allowing the foreign matter 52 to enter the dust collection space 68.

The upper blocking member 80 is arranged so as to contact the upper ends of the panel members 60, respectively, thereby blocking the upper ends of the dust collection spaces 68 defined by the panel members 60. This prevents air that has entered the dust collection spaces 68 from escaping upward, thereby forming a downward airflow in the dust collection spaces 68 and encouraging the foreign matter 52 to be discharged downward. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the upper blocking member 80 is a horizontal flat plate, but the specific shape is not limited. The upper blocking member 80 may be formed from a part of the intake chamber door 41 or a part of the machine chamber body (the intake chamber body in this embodiment).

The storage section 70 is a section for storing foreign objects 52 that are captured and fall in the dust collection space 68 in each of the multiple air passages 54. As described above, since the panel surfaces 60a, 60b of the multiple panel members 60 in this embodiment are arranged along the vertical direction, the foreign objects 52 captured in the dust collection space 68 fall along the dust collection space 68 at least by their own weight (in this embodiment, combined with the downward airflow formed by the upper blocking member 80). The storage section 70 is arranged to be located below each of the multiple air passages 54 (i.e., below each dust collection space 68), and is capable of receiving and storing the falling foreign objects 52 as described above.

4 and 5, the storage unit 70 according to this embodiment includes a storage container 71 and a container lid 72. The storage container 71 defines a storage space 74 that opens upward, and is capable of receiving the descending foreign matter 52 within the storage space 74. The container lid 72 is disposed so as to close the opening of the storage container 71. The container lid 72 is formed with a plurality of openings 73 corresponding to each of the dust collection spaces 68, and allows the foreign matter 52 to descend into the storage container 71 through the plurality of openings 73. The storage unit 70 is preferably disposed so that the upper surface of the container lid 72 contacts the lower ends of each of the plurality of panel members 60.

The storage section 70 in this embodiment is attached to the intake chamber door 41 so as to be movable between a storage position and a collection position. The storage position is a position below each of the multiple air passages 54, where the foreign matter 52 descending through the dust collection space 68 can enter the storage space 74. The collection position is a position away from the storage position, where an operator can collect the foreign matter stored in the storage space 74. In this embodiment, the collection position is set to a position away from the storage position in the horizontal direction, specifically, the arrangement direction Da, and the storage section 70 is attached to the intake chamber door 41 so as to be movable, i.e., slidable, in a direction parallel to the arrangement direction Da between the storage position and the collection position.

The panel members 60 and the storage section 70 are supported by the intake chamber door 41 via a frame body (not shown). Alternatively, the panel members 60 and the storage section 70 may be supported directly by the intake chamber door 41 without the frame body. For example, the panel members 60 may be directly joined to the inner surface of the intake chamber door 41, or the storage section 70 may be slidably connected to the intake chamber door 41 via a predetermined guide mechanism. In addition, when the intake chamber door 41 is not present, the panel members 60 and the storage section 70 may be attached to the machine chamber body (the intake chamber body in this embodiment).

As shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface of the storage section 70 (the upper surface of the container lid 72 in this embodiment) is located below the lower end of the intake port 44. In other words, the panel members 60 face the intake port 44 in a direction parallel to the forward direction Dn, while the storage section 70 is located below the intake port 44. This makes it possible to secure a large area through which air flows through the multiple air passages 54, and also prevents the storage section 70 from disrupting the air flow. In other words, the storage section 70 makes it possible to store foreign matter 52 without significantly affecting the intake performance through the intake port 44.

Next, the operation of the dust collection mechanism 50 will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the intake chamber door 41 is in the closed position and the door opening 40 is closed, the dust collection mechanism 50 is located in the intake chamber 15b. When the cooling fan 33 is driven in this state, a flow of air is formed that flows from the outside of the construction machine 10 into the intake chamber 15b through the intake opening 44 of the intake chamber door 41. The air taken in in this way can flow in the forward direction Dn through the multiple air passages 54 and the intake duct 36 formed by the multiple panel members 60 in the dust collection mechanism 50 and pass through the cooler 35.

In the dust collection mechanism 50, the direction of the air flowing through each of the multiple air passages 54 is changed in the redirection section 64 of each of the multiple panel members 60, while the flow direction of the foreign matter 52 contained in the air cannot be changed completely, and the foreign matter 52 enters the dust collection space 68 along the intermediate section 62 on the downstream side of the redirection section 64 and is captured there. Since the upper end and downstream end of the dust collection space 68 are blocked by the upper blocking member 80 and the downstream end of the space defining section 68, respectively, the foreign matter 52 flowing into the dust collection space 68 descends together with a portion of the air also flowing into the dust collection space 68 and is stored in the storage section 70 arranged below each of the multiple air passages 54. In detail, the foreign matter 52 passes through each of the multiple openings 73 formed in the container lid 72 in the storage section 70 and is received in the storage space 74 in the storage container 71.

In this way, the foreign matter 52 in the air is separated from the air at the redirection section 64 by utilizing its large inertia, and is captured in the dust collection space 68 defined downstream of the redirection section 64. This effectively prevents clogging in the cooler 35 and other equipment located downstream of the dust collection mechanism 50. Moreover, the dust collection space 68 is defined by each of the multiple panel members 60, that is, is provided for each of the multiple air passages 54, so that a sufficient amount of dust can be captured overall.

On the other hand, each of the multiple air passages 54 has a shape in which the air flow direction at any position in the air passage 54 includes a vector component of the forward direction Dn, and the multiple air passages 54 are arranged in the arrangement direction Da perpendicular to the forward direction Dn, so that a large air flow area is secured overall, making it possible to effectively suppress air pressure loss in the dust collection mechanism 50. This makes it possible to capture foreign matter 52 contained in the air upstream of the cooler 35 while avoiding poor cooling of the engine 31 due to insufficient air flow rate reaching the cooler 35.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the foreign matter 52 captured in each of the dust collection spaces 68 can be stored in a common storage section 70, which allows the worker to easily collect the foreign matter 52. Specifically, the worker can easily collect the foreign matter 52 in the storage space 74 in the storage section 70 at the collection position by moving the intake chamber door 41 from the closed position to the open position and moving the storage section 70 from the previous storage position to the collection position. The effect of the storage section 70 can also be obtained when the dust collection mechanism 50 is attached to the intake chamber body instead of the intake chamber door 41, for example, when the storage section 70 is attached to the intake chamber body so as to be movable between the storage position and the collection position.

The container lid 72 of the storage section 70 is an optional element. That is, the container lid 72 may be omitted and the opening of the storage container 71 may always be open toward the multiple air passages 54. On the other hand, the container lid 72 having openings 73 corresponding to each of the dust collection spaces 68 as described above enables the foreign matter 52 captured in the dust collection space 68 to be stored in the storage space 74 while suppressing turbulence of the air flow in the multiple air passages 54.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figures 7 to 12 show a dust collection mechanism 50A according to the second embodiment. The dust collection mechanism 50A is mounted on the construction machine 10 shown in Figure 1, like the dust collection mechanism 50 according to the first embodiment, and has the following in common with the dust collection mechanism 50. That is, the dust collection mechanism 50A includes a plurality of panel members 60A and a storage section 90, and is attached to the inner surface of the intake chamber door 41 as shown in Figures 10 and 12, and rotates integrally with the intake chamber door 41. The plurality of panel members 60A are arranged at intervals in an arrangement direction Da to form a plurality of air passages 54, and the arrangement direction Da is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction Dn. Each of the plurality of panel members 60A has a panel body and a space defining section 66A. The panel body has a pair of front and back panel surfaces 60a, 60b, and the air passage 54 is formed between one panel surface 60a and the other panel surface 60b of the panel members 60A adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction Da. The panel body includes an upstream portion 61, an intermediate portion 62, and a downstream portion 63 similar to the upstream portion 61, the intermediate portion 62, and the downstream portion 63 according to the first embodiment, and a deflection portion 64 that changes the air flow is formed between the intermediate portion 62 and the upstream portion 64.

On the other hand, the dust collection mechanism 50A differs from the dust collection mechanism 50 in the following respects:

In the first embodiment, the space defining portion 66 extends from the middle of the downstream portion 63 toward the upstream side substantially parallel to the middle portion 62 to define a straight dust collection space 68, whereas the space defining portion 66A in the second embodiment extends from the downstream end of the downstream portion 63 to define a dust collection space 68A that is bent midway.

Specifically, the space defining portion 66A includes a downstream blocking wall 66a, a downstream covering wall 66b, and an upstream covering wall 66c. The downstream blocking wall 66a extends from the downstream end of the downstream portion 63 to the inside of the air passage 54 (to the right in FIG. 7, and to the left in FIG. 9 and FIG. 11) along the arrangement direction Da, thereby blocking the downstream end of the dust collection space 68A. The downstream covering wall 66b extends from the inner end of the downstream blocking wall 66a to the upstream side (to the near side in FIG. 7, and to the left in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12) approximately parallel to the downstream portion 63 (i.e., in a direction inclined with respect to the forward direction Dn) to cover the downstream portion 63 from the inside of the air passage 54. The upstream covering wall 66c extends from the upstream end of the downstream covering wall 66b in a direction substantially parallel to the intermediate portion 62 (i.e., in a direction substantially parallel to the forward direction Dn) to the upstream side (i.e., in a direction opposite to the forward direction Dn) to cover the downstream portion of the intermediate portion 62. Therefore, the space defining portion 66A defines a dust collection space 68A between a part of the intermediate portion 62 and the entire downstream portion 63 on the downstream side of the turning portion 64, and the dust collection space 68A has a bent shape at a position corresponding to the boundary portion between the intermediate portion 62 and the downstream portion 63. This prevents the foreign matter 52 captured at the downstream end of the dust collection space 68A from flowing back and escaping from the dust collection space 68A, thereby enabling the efficiency of capturing the foreign matter 52 to be increased.

The storage section 90 includes a lower blocking member 92, a slide support section 94, and a lock section 96, instead of the storage container 71 and the container lid 72 of the first embodiment.

The lower blocking member 92 is, for example, a horizontal plate, and has an area that allows it to come into contact with the lower ends of each of the panel members 60A. By arranging the lower blocking member 92 in this contacting state, it is possible to block the lower ends of the multiple air passages 54 and the dust collection space 68, and it is possible to deposit foreign matter 52 descending within the dust collection space 68 on the lower blocking member 92.

The slide support portion 94 supports the lower blocking member 92 at a predetermined height. The height is a position where the upper surface of the lower blocking member 92 contacts the lower ends of each of the panel members 60A, and is preferably at a height position where the upper surface is equal to or lower than the lower end of the air intake 44 formed in the air intake chamber door 41 as shown in Figures 9 and 11.

The slide support portion 94 supports the lower blocking member 92 in this manner, while also allowing the lower blocking member 92 to slide between a closed position and an open position. The closed position is a position in which the lower blocking member 92 blocks all of the lower ends of the multiple air passages 54 as shown in FIG. 9, and conversely, the open position is a position in which the lower blocking member 92 deviates from the open position in a horizontal sliding direction so as to open all of the lower ends of the multiple air passages 54. In this embodiment, the sliding direction is a direction parallel to the arrangement direction Da as shown in FIG. 11.

Specifically, the slide support portion 94 includes a frame body 97 and a plurality of biasing members 98. The frame body 97 supports the lower blocking member 92 so that it can slide in the slide direction while being fixed to the inside of the intake chamber door 41. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 12, the frame body 97 has a bottom wall 97a, a pair of side walls 97b, and a pair of restraining walls 97c integrally. The bottom wall 97a extends in the arrangement direction Da below the plurality of panel members 60A, and supports the lower blocking member 92 on the bottom wall 97a via the plurality of biasing members 98. An exhaust port 97d is formed in the center of the width direction of the bottom wall 97a (in this embodiment, the direction parallel to the forward direction Dn) that penetrates the bottom wall 97a in the vertical direction, and the descent of the foreign object 52 is permitted through the exhaust port 97d. The pair of side walls 97b rise from both edges of the bottom wall 97a in the width direction by a predetermined height. The pair of restraining walls 97c extend inward in the width direction from the upper ends of the pair of side walls 97b to restrain the lower blocking member 92 from above. The restraining area by the pair of restraining walls 97c is set in the outer areas of both of the panel members 60A in the width direction as shown in Figures 10 and 12.

The multiple biasing members 98 are positioned away from the discharge port 97d and bias the lower blocking member 92 upward to maintain contact between the lower blocking member 92 and the lower ends of the multiple panel members 60A. Each of the multiple biasing members 98 is made of a member that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction, such as a leaf spring, and is interposed between the upper surface of the bottom wall 97a and the lower surface of the lower blocking member 92 in a vertically compressed and deformed state, thereby utilizing the elastic force of the biasing member 98 to bias the lower blocking member 92 upward toward the lower end of the panel member 60A.

The locking portion 96 can be switched between a locked state and an unlocked state. The locked state is a state in which the locking portion 96 prevents the lower blocking member 92 from moving from the blocking position, and the unlocked state is a state in which the locking portion 96 releases the prevention of movement. Specifically, the locking portion 96 in this embodiment includes a restrained portion 96a and a restraining bolt 96b.

The restrained portion 96a extends upward from one end of the lower blocking member 92 in the sliding direction (in this embodiment, a direction parallel to the arrangement direction Da). Specifically, this end is the front end (the right end in Figures 9 and 11) of the lower blocking member 92 in the direction from the blocking position toward the open position. A bolt insertion hole that allows the insertion of the restraining bolt 96b is formed in the restrained portion 96a.

On the other hand, a screw hole 60s is formed in a specific panel member 60A among the multiple panel members 60A. The specific panel member 60A is a panel member 60A that can come into contact with the restrained portion 96a when the lower blocking member 92 is in the blocking position, and the screw hole 60s is formed at a position that coincides with the bolt insertion hole.

In this manner, with the specific panel member 60A and the restrained portion 96a in contact with each other, the restraining bolt 96b is inserted from the outside into the bolt insertion hole and screwed into the screw hole 60s, thereby locking the lower blocking member 92 in the blocking position (locked state). Conversely, the lock is released by removing the restraining bolt 96b from the screw hole 60s (unlocked state).

Meanwhile, each of the plurality of panel members 60A further includes an upstream blocking wall 67. The upstream blocking wall 67 is arranged so as to block only the lower end portion of the upstream opening formed between the panel surface 60a of each of the plurality of panel members 60A and the space defining portion 66A. The upstream blocking wall 67 arranged in this manner prevents the foreign matter 52 accumulated on the lower blocking member 92 in the dust collection space 68 from leaking upstream, and promotes the retention of the foreign matter 52.

In addition, a confirmation window 65 shown in Figs. 9 and 11 is formed at the lower end of the downstream blocking wall 66a of each of the plurality of panel members 60A. The confirmation window 65 allows an operator to grasp the degree of accumulation of foreign matter 52 through the confirmation window 65 from a position in front of the downstream blocking wall 66a with the intake chamber door 41 open. Therefore, it is preferable that the confirmation window 65 is covered with a sheet material made of a material with a relatively high transparency.

Next, we will explain the operation of the dust collection mechanism 50A in this second embodiment.

During operation of a construction machine (e.g., the construction machine 10 shown in FIG. 1) on which the dust collection mechanism 50A is mounted, the lower blocking member 92 of the storage section 90 is set to the blocking position, blocking the openings at the lower ends of the multiple air passages 54 and the dust collection space 68. At this time, the locking section 96 is switched to the locked state to lock the lower blocking member 92 in the blocking position, thereby preventing the lower blocking member 92 from being inadvertently displaced from the blocking position toward the open position due to vibrations of the construction machine 10, etc.

In this state, air is allowed to flow smoothly into the intake chamber 15b from the intake port 44 of the intake chamber door 41 through the multiple air passages 54, as in the first embodiment, and foreign matter 52 contained in the air is separated from the air by the deflection section 64, as in the first embodiment, and captured in the dust collection space 68A downstream of the deflection section 64. The foreign matter 52 descends through the dust collection space 68A and accumulates on the lower blocking member 92. Here, the multiple biasing members 98 bias the lower blocking member 92 upward to maintain contact between the lower blocking member 92 and the lower ends of the multiple panel members 60A, thereby preventing the foreign matter 52 from leaking out of the gap between the lower blocking member 92 and the lower ends of the multiple panel members 60A. In addition, the upstream blocking wall 67 prevents the foreign matter 52 accumulated on the lower blocking member 92 from escaping from the dust collection space 68A.

For example, by periodically opening the intake chamber door 41, an operator can check the accumulation status of the foreign matter 52 in the dust collection space 68 through the confirmation window 65. Then, when a certain amount of the foreign matter 52 has accumulated, the locking portion 96 can be switched to the unlocked state (in this embodiment, the restraining bolt 96b is removed) and the lower blocking member 92 can be slid from the blocking position to the open position, thereby discharging the foreign matter 52 that had accumulated on the lower blocking member 92 downward. The foreign matter 52 can be dropped to the ground as it is, or can be received and collected by an appropriate cleaning tool 100, for example, as shown in FIG. 11.

The sliding direction can be set arbitrarily, but is preferably parallel to the arrangement direction Da as shown in Figures 9 and 11. This allows the dust collection spaces 68 to be opened one by one in sequence as the lower blocking member 92 slides from the blocking position to the open position. This allows the foreign objects 52 to be efficiently discharged or collected in sequence while avoiding a large amount of foreign objects 52 being discharged at once.

The storage section 90 utilizes the lower end portions of each of the multiple air passages 54 as storage spaces, making it possible to store and collect foreign matter 52 with a simple and lightweight structure that does not require the storage container 71 of the first embodiment, for example. Therefore, even when the storage section 90 is attached to the intake chamber door 41, it is possible to collect dust while preventing a significant increase in the total weight of the intake chamber door 41 (weight including the dust collection mechanism).

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The present invention includes, for example, the following aspects:

(A) Regarding Panel Members There are no limitations on the specific shape of each of the plurality of panel members.

The deflection section may be any section that changes the air flow direction to an extent that allows the capture of foreign matter, and is not limited to a section where the panel member is sharply bent, such as deflection section 64. The deflection section may be, for example, a curved section whose tangent direction changes continuously.

The arrangement direction may be any direction intersecting with the forward direction, and is not limited to a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward direction. The arrangement direction may be, for example, a horizontal direction. That is, the panel members may be arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, that is, with the panel surfaces approximately horizontal. However, the horizontal arrangement of the panel members with the panel surfaces aligned in the vertical direction allows foreign matter captured in each dust collection space to fall at least by its own weight and be easily discharged or collected.

The space defining portion may be any portion capable of defining a dust collection space between the panel body and the space defining portion, and the shape of the portion may be freely set. For example, the size of the opening width WO of the inlet opening 69 shown in FIG. 13 does not matter. The inlet opening 69 is an opening (the inlet of the dust collection space 68) formed between the upstream edge 66e of the space defining portion 66 and the imaginary inlet line 66f when the panel surface 60a of the panel body and the space defining portion 66 are viewed from inside the air passage 54 along the arrangement direction Da. The opening width WO is the dimension of the inlet opening 69 along the forward direction Dn, and the imaginary inlet line 66f is a straight line projecting the upstream edge 66e onto the upstream portion 61 in the opposite direction to the forward direction Dn (i.e., toward the upstream side). The smaller the opening width WO, the higher the speed of the air flowing into the dust collection space 68, and the smaller the diameter of the foreign matter 52 that can be captured.

Therefore, by setting the shape of the upstream edge 66e so that the opening width WO varies depending on the position in the panel extension direction, it is possible to expand the range of diameters of the foreign matter 52 that can be captured in the dust collection space 68. Here, the panel extension direction is a direction perpendicular to the forward direction Dn and the arrangement direction Da, and is the vertical direction in the first embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the straight upstream edge 66e can be inclined with respect to the vertical direction to linearly change the opening width WO from the minimum width WOmin to the maximum width WOmax, or the upstream edge 66e can be formed in a curved or broken line shape, thereby changing the opening width WO depending on the vertical position.

In addition, if the space defining portion 66 is arranged so that it can be tilted in a direction parallel to the forward direction Dn, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, it is possible to change the degree of change in the opening width WO by changing the angle of inclination. This effect is also the same for the panel member 60A according to the second embodiment.

The deflection angle (first angle θ1 in the first embodiment) may be variable. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the intermediate portion 62 and the upstream portion 61 of each (or part) of the plurality of panel members 60 may be connected to each other via a hinge 102 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction, and the deflection angle may be changed by the rotation. Making the deflection angle variable makes it possible to change the balance between the flow rate of air supplied to the cooler 35 and the amount of foreign matter collected in the dust collection space 68. Specifically, by reducing the deflection angle, the pressure loss in each air passage 54 can be suppressed and the flow rate of air supplied to the cooler 35 can be increased. On the other hand, by increasing the deflection angle, the separation performance of the foreign matter 52 in the deflection portion 64 can be improved, and the amount of the foreign matter 52 collected can be increased.

Furthermore, the dust collection mechanism according to the present invention may be provided with a deflection angle adjustment mechanism for actively changing the deflection angle. FIG. 15 shows an example of such a deflection angle adjustment mechanism 110. The deflection angle adjustment mechanism 110 changes the deflection angle at each deflection section 64 by moving the upstream section 61 of each of the panel members 60 in a direction parallel to the arrangement direction Da. Specifically, the deflection angle adjustment mechanism 110 includes a connecting member 112 and a driving device 114. The connecting member 112 is connected to the upstream end of each of the upstream sections 61 via a joint section 118 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the vertical direction and to be relatively displaceable in a direction along the upstream section 61 within a limited range. The driving device 114 is, for example, a cylinder device having a rod 116 that is extendable in the arrangement direction Da, and the connecting member 112 is connected to the end of the rod 116. The drive device 114 can change the deflection angle by moving the connecting members 112 along the arrangement direction Da, thereby rotating each of the upstream portions 61 connected to each of the connecting members 112 relative to the intermediate portion 62.

The dust collection mechanism according to the present invention may further include a spacing adjustment mechanism that changes the panel spacing, which is the spacing between adjacent panel members in the arrangement direction. By adjusting the panel spacing, it is possible to change the balance between the flow rate of air supplied to the cooler and the amount of foreign matter collected in the dust collection space. Such adjustment of the panel spacing can be achieved, for example, by combining the multiple panel members being slidably arranged in the arrangement direction with a drive mechanism that moves each of the multiple panel members at different speeds.

(B) Regarding the storage section The storage section may be omitted as appropriate. For example, the storage sections 70 and 90 may be omitted in the first or second embodiment. That is, foreign objects descending through the dust collection space may be discharged directly onto the ground. In addition, the storage container 71 or the lower blocking member 92 may be fixed so as not to move.

(C) Regarding other elements constituting the construction machine: The specific arrangement of other elements in the construction machine equipped with the dust collection mechanism according to the present invention is not limited. For example, the position of the cooling fan is not limited to the position in the first and second embodiments. The cooling fan may be located upstream of the cooler along the forward direction.

10 Construction machine 15 Machine room 16 Machine room cover (machine room body)
22 Counterweight (machine room body)
33 Cooling fan 35 Cooler 40 Door opening 41 Air intake chamber door 44 Air intake port 50, 50A Dust collection mechanism 52 Foreign matter 54 Air passage 60, 60A Panel member 60a, 60b Panel surface 61 Upstream portion 62 Middle portion 63 Downstream portion 64 Direction change portion 65 Check window 66, 66A Space defining portion 66a Downstream blocking wall (blocking portion)
66b: downstream cover portion 66c: upstream cover portion 68, 68A: dust collection space 70, 90: storage portion 71: storage container 74: storage space 80: upper blocking member 92: lower blocking member 94: slide support portion 96: lock portion 98: biasing member 110: deflection angle adjustment mechanism

Claims (19)

A dust collection mechanism is provided in a construction machine including a cooler provided in a machine room having an air intake, and a cooling fan that forms a forward air flow from the air intake to the cooler within the machine room, the dust collection mechanism removing foreign matter in the air upstream of the cooler,
a plurality of panel members each having a panel surface, each of which forms a plurality of air passages that allow air to flow from the air intake port to the cooler;
the plurality of panel members are arranged in an arrangement direction intersecting the forward direction, and the plurality of air passages are formed between the panel surfaces adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction, and each of the plurality of air passages has a shape in which a direction of air flowing through the air passage at an arbitrary point includes a vector component of the forward direction,
Each of the plurality of panel members includes a panel main body including a turning portion that bends to change the direction of air flowing through the air passage, and a space defining portion that defines a dust collection space between the panel main body and the turning portion downstream of the turning portion for capturing foreign matter separated from the air ,
a downstream portion inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction on the upstream side of the intermediate portion to form the turning portion between the intermediate portion and the upstream portion, and a downstream portion inclined toward the inside of the air passage with respect to the forward direction on the downstream side of the intermediate portion, and the space defining portion extends from the downstream portion to the upstream side in the forward direction to cover a portion of the intermediate portion and at least a portion of the downstream portion . The dust collection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the space defining portion has a downstream end portion that connects to the panel body to block the downstream side of the dust collection space, and an upstream end portion that is spaced from the panel body toward the inside of the air passage to open the dust collection space to the upstream side. 3. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the space defining portion includes a downstream blocking portion that is connected to the downstream end of the downstream portion and blocks the downstream end of the dust collection space, a downstream covering portion that extends from the downstream blocking portion along the downstream portion and covers the entire downstream portion, and an upstream covering portion that extends from the downstream covering portion upstream along the intermediate portion and covers a portion of the intermediate portion. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the space defining portion includes an upstream edge portion that faces the upstream side portion along the forward direction, and the upstream edge portion has a shape such that an opening width of an inlet opening formed between the upstream edge portion and the upstream side portion when viewed from inside the air passage changes depending on the position of the panel body in the panel extension direction. 5. A dust collecting mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of panel members are arranged such that the panel surfaces are aligned in a vertical direction. 6. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of panel members extends continuously from the upper ends to the lower ends of the plurality of panel members, and the dust collection mechanism further includes an upper blocking member that contacts the upper ends of the plurality of panel members so as to block the upper ends of each of the plurality of dust collection spaces. 7. The dust collection mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 5 or 6 , further comprising a storage section that receives and stores foreign matter that falls through the dust collection space. 8. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 7 , wherein the storage portion has a storage container that defines a storage space that is open upwardly toward the dust collection space. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in claim 8 , wherein the storage container is movable between a storage position where foreign matter descending through the dust collection space can enter the storage space and a recovery position away from the storage position where foreign matter stored in the storage space can be recovered. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in claim 7 , wherein the storage section includes a lower blocking member that is movable between a closed position and an open position, and the lower blocking member collectively blocks the lower ends of the dust collection spaces formed by each of the plurality of panel members when in the closed position, and opens each of the dust collection spaces when in the open position. 11. The dust collection mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 10 , wherein the direction in which the lower blocking member moves from the blocking position to the open position is along a horizontal direction. 12. The dust collection mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 11 , wherein the movement direction is parallel to the arrangement direction. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine described in any one of claims 10 to 12 , wherein the storage section further includes a biasing member that biases the lower blocking member upward toward the lower ends of the multiple panel members so as to maintain the lower blocking member in the blocked position in contact with the lower ends of the multiple panel members. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine described in any one of claims 10 to 13 , wherein the storage section further includes a locking section, and the locking section is switchable between a locked state that prevents movement of the lower blocking member from the blocked position to the open position, and an unlocked state that releases the prevention of movement. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in any one of claims 10 to 14 , wherein the space defining portion of each of the plurality of panel members has a downstream blocking portion that blocks a part of the air passage at the downstream end of the panel body in the forward direction, and the downstream blocking portion is provided with an inspection window that allows the foreign matter accumulated on the lower blocking member to be visually confirmed from the downstream side in the forward direction. 16. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion is located below a lower end of the intake port. A dust collection mechanism for a construction machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 16 , further comprising a turning angle adjustment mechanism that changes the turning angle of the turning portion of at least one of the plurality of panel members. A construction machine,
A cooler provided in a machine room having an air intake;
a cooling fan provided in the machine room to form a forward air flow from the intake port toward the cooler;
A construction machine comprising: a dust collection mechanism for removing foreign matter contained in the air upstream of the cooler, the dust collection mechanism for a construction machine being as recited in any one of claims 1 to 17 . 19. A construction machine according to claim 18 , comprising: a machine room main body defining the machine room and a door opening leading to the machine room; and a door connected to the machine room main body so as to be movable between a closed position that closes the door opening and an open position that opens the door opening, wherein the air intake is formed in the door, the plurality of panel members are attached to the door so as to move integrally with the door, and the open position of the door is a position that opens the plurality of panel members to the outside of the machine room.