JPH024770B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a cooling system incorporating a combination of a raised radiator and an oil cooler. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved cooling system for skid steer loaders comprising two sets of air-to-liquid heat exchangers, one set being heat exchangers for the engine cooling medium and the other set being heat exchangers for the engine cooling medium. are for hydraulic working fluids, which are mounted and positioned for pivoting movement above the engine and spaced apart for ease of cleaning, maintenance, etc.

(Prior Art) A skid steer loader, also known as a skid turn loader, is a simple vehicle with extremely excellent maneuverability. The wheels of the vehicle are therefore driven individually and independently, and the steering action is achieved by steering the wheels of the vehicle at different speeds and in different directions. Hydraulic transmissions are usually used for the driving and steering functions. The driver sits in front of the engine between a pair of hydraulically operated operating arms. This operating arm can carry a bucket, hook fork, auger, or other attachments. The driver's cab is equipped with appropriate control elements for operating the vehicle and load actuating arms, as well as any power equipment mounted on the loader. In order to perform skid steering efficiently, such vehicles need to have relatively short distances between the front and rear wheel axles and a relatively short distance between the left and right wheel axles. Furthermore, by suitably selecting the weight ratio on the front wheel axle and the rear wheel axle in the loaded and unloaded conditions, the maneuverability is further improved. Therefore, the skid steer loader must be designed simply to facilitate the handling of the load as well as the turning maneuverability, and the weight ratio of the front and rear axles must be within the desired range.

When the loader is empty or unloaded, most of the weight is placed on the rear wheel axle, and when loaded, the load is placed on both wheel axles so that the load is properly balanced. It is desirable to distribute the weight between them.

This ultimately means that the engine and its associated accessories, which account for the bulk of the weight, are located at the rear and relatively close to the rear wheel axle. Furthermore, it is desirable that these equipment members be placed as low as possible in order to keep the center of gravity low and improve the stability of the vehicle. Some skid steer loaders have air-cooled engines, but most have liquid-cooled engines, and this type of cooling system is naturally a consideration in their design.

In the past, the general philosophy for skid steer loader cooling systems has been to stack them in longitudinally aligned positions behind the engine. That is, the fan, radiator, and oil cooler were stacked and aligned at the rear of the engine. However, this mounting arrangement is relatively bulky, detracting from the overall simplicity of the vehicle, and furthermore, it is difficult to access the engine for operation, maintenance, and other purposes.

Therefore, for skid steer loaders,
Cooling devices of much simpler design have been developed. However, this does not mean that these developed products are without defects. For example, the Hydra-Mac skid steer loader has a radiator mounted on the door of the rear body. The radiator of the skid steer loader disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,952 is located above the engine and has a pair of fans located between the radiator and the grill in the rear body. More recent U.S. patent no.
No. 4,117,902 discloses a cooling system for skid steer loaders in which air is drawn through the rear grille by a fan located forward of the engine and then connected to an oil cooler mounted above the engine compartment. It passes through the radiator and is discharged to the outside. Although this last-mentioned arrangement of the two devices has the advantage of simplicity due to the longitudinal arrangement even more than that of the axial cooling device arrangement belonging to the prior art, it is not convenient for the operation of the engine and the associated fittings. They are often not located for easy access or designed to facilitate cleaning of the engine radiator or oil cooler. This means that cleaning is time consuming and expensive. It must also be borne in mind that skid steer loaders are generally operated under adverse conditions, ie often under severe operating and maintenance conditions. Conventional cooling systems severely restricted access to the engine and related accessories, and required at least partial disassembly to clean or access the radiator or oil cooler. As a result, it was time consuming and expensive.

Thus, a need arises for an improved skid steer loader cooling system that avoids the deficiencies caused by conventional axial array arrangements. In addition to its simplicity of construction, the improved device of the present invention allows easy access to the engine and oil cooler and radiator without disassembly or disassembly of the components.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention relates to an assembly constituted by a raised radiator and an oil cooler for a skid steer loader, which assembly overcomes the difficulties arising from the prior art described above. .

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,902 and provides a cooling assembly particularly adapted for skid steer loaders. The cooling assembly is comprised of a pair of air-to-liquid heat exchangers, one heat exchanger being a hydraulically operated liquid cooling radiator and the other heat exchanger being an engine coolant cooling radiator.
These are provided in a stacked arrangement above and slightly in front of the engine. These heat exchangers are supported on respective shelves that are independently mounted within one of the uprights for rotation about a generally longitudinal axis between a raised upper position and a lowered lower position. It is pivoted. Preferably, the lower shelf containing the oil cooler is supported at its free end in a lower position by a bracket provided within the opposite upright member opposite said upright member. Also preferably, the upper shelf containing the engine radiator is provided with a latch arranged on top of said lower shelf in the lower position and with which said upper shelf can be lowered positively into the lower position. The handle portion of the latch is also configured to hold the upper shelf in a raised position or, if releasably coupled, both shelves. Each shelf is independently pivoted to allow easy cleaning of both sides of either internal radiator, as well as its engine and associated accessories, including fans and shields mounted below. You can get close to equipment parts. Please refer to the attached drawings below.
The present invention will be more clearly understood from the description of the embodiments provided in the following section.

(Embodiments) Now, referring to the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Specifically shown in FIG. 1 is a general view of a skid steer loader 10 having an improved cooling system incorporating the present invention. This loader 10 has a pair of left and right front wheels 12 and a pair of rear wheels 14, one of which is shown in the figure. These wheels have short distances between the front and rear axles and narrow tread dimensions to facilitate maneuverability. The driver's cabin consists of a roll cage 18 and a seat 20, which are protected by a metal mesh, and a pair of lifting arms 2.
It is located between 2. The inner end of the lifting arm 22 is connected to an upright member 2 erected at the rear of the vehicle frame 28.
It is connected to the pivot joint 24 on 6. A work implement 30, such as a bucket, is connected to the lifting arm 22 at a pivot point 32 (only one point shown) at the outer end of the lifting arm 22. The raising and lowering of the lifting arms 22 is accomplished by a pair of double-acting cylinders 34, one of which is connected between a pivot 36 on each lifting arm and a pivot 38 on the upright 26. be done. A single double-acting cylinder 40 is used for tilting the bucket 30.
The cylinder 40 is connected between the bucket 30 and a cross member (not shown) extending between the lifting arms. Appropriate control members are provided in the driver's cabin 16 to control the loader 10, the lifting arm 22, and the bucket 30. The engine 42 is located behind the driver's cabin 16 and between the uprights 26 on either side. rear door 4
4 is mounted to provide access to the engine 42 and related parts. As will be detailed later, skid steer loaders are equipped with a cooling system characterized by a swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly, which facilitates operation and maintenance. Located so that it is easily accessible for cleaning and other purposes.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 5. An engine 42 is housed in an engine compartment 46 in the figure. The engine 42 may be of a liquid cooled type, and the internal combustion engine may be either a gas combustion type or a diesel type. The rear-mounted engine 42 is a variable displacement pump adapted to drive a conventional tandem pump system (not shown) that independently drives each pair of wheels 12 and 14. It is connected to the hydraulic drive motor of each hydraulic transmission provided for this purpose. The cooling system 48 of the loader 10 has a fan 50 driven by the engine. The fan 50 is disposed within a cover wall 52 extending upwardly between the engine 42 and a fire extinguishing wall or cross beam member 54 extending between the upright members 26 . A fuel tank (not shown) is provided deep inside the seat 20 between the backrest and the cross beam member 54. Covering wall 5
2 is formed with an air inlet 56 and an air outlet 58. Outside air is drawn in through the armored window 59 in the door 44, passes over the engine 42, and is drawn into the inlet 56. The induced air is seat 20 by fan 50.
flows under the inlet 56 and then through the fan 5.
0 flows upward inside the covering wall 52,
Through outlet 58 it passes through a raised radiator and oil cooler assembly 60 according to the present invention. As will be explained in more detail below, the swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly 60 allows independent pivoting of the two radiators to facilitate operation, maintenance and cleaning thereof. This is done without loosening the attachment or disassembling the assembly members.

Now, referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the raised radiator and oil cooler 60 are arranged above the engine 42 and substantially in front of the engine in a vertically overlapping positional relationship.

The assembly 60 includes a lower shelf 62 having a generally rectangular frame structure for retaining the oil cooler 64 therein. The periphery of the lower shelf 62 is generally L-shaped in cross section to allow air to flow through the oil cooler while retaining the cooler therein. Oil cooler 64 comprises a conventional air-to-liquid heat exchanger of heavy duty construction, which is connected to wheels 12 and 1 of loader 10.
4 and for cooling the hydraulic fluid used to operate the lifting arm 22. The oil cooler 64 is of conventional construction and has a pair of headers 65 on each side, one of which is better shown in FIG. Mounting hardware 66 and 68 are coupled to the header. Mounting bracket 66
and 67 are connected to hoses 70 and 72, respectively, so that the oil cooler is positioned directly above the outlet 58 of the fan shroud 52 when the lower shelf 62 is in the lower position.

The lower shelf 62 is pivotable between a lower position and an upper position, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Specifically, a pair of side legs or extensions 74 are formed on one side of the lower shelf 62 to permit pivoting movement about a generally longitudinal axis 78 (FIG. 2). is combined with As shown, one extended leg portion 74 and its pivot portion 76 are attached to the cross beam member 54.
The other extended leg portion and its pivot portion are mounted on a bracket 80 formed to support a muffler 82. The bracket 80 is secured within one of the upright members 26 and adjacent to the rear side of the cross member 54.
Another bracket 84 is mounted on the opposite upright member 26 and supports the free end of the lower shelf 62 in its lower position. The swing-out radiator and oil cooler assembly 60 also includes a second air-to-liquid heat exchanger 88. The upper shelf is similarly made of a substantially rectangular frame structure, and has a peripheral member with an L-shaped cross section around its periphery to allow air to pass therethrough. Specifically, this second heat exchanger 88 is for circulating a cooling liquid medium through the engine 42. Second heat exchanger 88
is of conventional construction including a pair of headers 90 and 92. These headers 90 and 92 have mounting fittings coupled to opposite ends to which hoses 94 and 96 are connected, respectively. A removable lid 98 is formed on the header 90 and is utilized for cooling medium replacement. Lower shelf 6
2, upper shelf 86 is formed with a pair of side legs or extensions 100 and connected by pivot joints 102 to permit pivotal movement about a generally longitudinal axis 104. One extension leg 100 and its pivot joint are mounted on the cross beam member 54, and the other extension leg and its pivot joint are mounted on the bracket 80. Upper shelf 62 and upper shelf 86 are therefore stacked and capable of independent pivoting movement about spaced apart generally longitudinal axes 78 and 104, which axes are vertically as well as transversely. It is clear that they are also formed offset from each other in the directions.

A latch mechanism is provided on the upper shelf 86. This is primarily for lowering and removably securing the upper shelf towards the lower shelf 62 to the lower position and for retaining the upper shelf in the upper position.
The latching mechanism is formed from a generally L-shaped rod 106 having an elongated rod-like portion that is fitted through an opening provided in the free end of the upper shelf 86 and secured by a washer and wedge stopper 108. .
A tab 110 is formed at the end of the elongated portion of rod 106 and is engaged in a notched groove 112 formed in the inner surface of adjacent upright member 26, as best seen in FIG. A hook 114 is formed on the end portion of the rod 106 that is formed relatively long in the horizontal direction, and the hook 114 is hooked into the engagement hole 116 of the longest extension 100 toward the rear of the upper shelf 86. Fastening or adjacent upright members 2
It is used to hang or engage with the opening 118 of 6. End 114 of rod 106
When the knob piece 110 is hung in the opening 118
is engaged with the notch 112, and the radiator and oil cooler assembly 60 is positioned and fixed in a lower position directly above the outlet 58 of the fan cover wall 52. This causes air to flow past the oil cooler 64;
It is then directed upwardly through a radiator 88 toward a grille (not shown) and out of the engine compartment. Also, when it is desired to raise the upper shelf 66, the lateral portions of the rods 106 are bent outwardly so that their ends 114 are removed from the openings 116 so as to stand up. This allows the upper shelf 86 to be raised to the raised position shown in FIG. 4 by removing the tab 110. The end 114 of the rod 106 is then inserted into the opening 11 on the upright member 26.
8 to hold the upper shelf 66 in the raised position. A handle portion 120 is preferably formed on the upper shelf 86 to facilitate the lifting action.

Thus, the radiator and oil cooler assembly 60 described above is comprised of two separate spaced air and air coolers disposed in a stack above the engine compartment 46.
Consisting of liquid heat exchangers or radiators 64 and 88, each independently
It will be appreciated that it may be pivotably supported about the. The radiators 64 and 88 are supported within respective shelves 62 and 86 of a generally rectangular frame and may be arranged in a stacked relationship in a normal, lowered position. In that case, the lower shelf will rest on the bracket 84, and the upper shelf will be placed on top of the bracket 84 and fixed in the normal position by the latch 110. Upper radiator 88 is connected to rod 106
and can be fixed in an openable manner in an upper position through the opening 118. When the upper radiator is lifted into the upper position, the lower radiator can also be lifted further, and if necessary, the handle 120
Alternatively, it can be releasably fixed in the upper position by using hooks 122 that can be engaged with other appropriate parts of the upper shelf 86. As shown, the latch 122 is pivotally mounted on the lower shelf and is provided for movement to and from a handle 120 on the upper shelf 86.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an improved cooling system characterized by a unique swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly which has various advantages over the prior art. Dew.
The invention disclosed herein is particularly suitable for vehicles having a configuration such as a skid steer loader. The engine compartment is subject to the compact and cramped design typical of such vehicles. The present invention includes two spaced apart radiators that are independently pivoted between an upper position and a lower position, thereby providing easy access to either side of each radiator or to each radiator. It also provides easy access to the engine and its related accessories for operation, maintenance, cleaning, and the like. The above-mentioned swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly and its connecting hoses are constructed so that they cannot be disassembled at all. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Although certain embodiments of the invention have been described in the detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the invention is not limited to the foregoing disclosed embodiments, and may include other embodiments and equivalents. It goes without saying that modifications and arrangements of various components can be designed within the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a skid steer loader incorporating the improved cooling system of the present invention, which is comprised of a raised radiator and oil cooler assembly. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged top plan view of the engine compartment with the upper grill removed for simplicity, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged views of the rear front view of the engine compartment. The raised radiator and oil cooler assembly is shown in its lowered and raised positions. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken approximately along lines 5-5 and 6-6 shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows, respectively, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 3. FIG. 10... skid steer loader, 22...
Lifting arm, 26... upright member, 42... engine,
44...Rear door, 48...Cooling device, 50...
Fan, 52...Covering wall, 54...Horizontal beam member, 60
...Swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly, 62
... lower shelf, 64 ... oil cooler, 80 ... bracket, 86 ... upper shelf, 88 ... heat exchanger, 9
0,92... Header, 106... L-shaped rod, 11
0... Hanging bar, 114... Hanging claw, 118...
...opening, 120...handle, 122...hanging claw.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. Cooling system for a hydraulically driven skid steer loader with a ventilated engine compartment surrounding the engine located behind the driver's compartment and between the uprights on both sides. The device includes: a fan disposed between the engine and the driver's cabin; a covering wall enclosing the fan and extending substantially upward from the air inlet to the air outlet; and between the upright members on both sides. upper and lower radiators stacked above the outlet of the shroud; means for pivotally supporting the upper radiator for movement between the upper and lower positions; and means for pivotally supporting the lower radiator for movement between the upper and lower positions. and means for releasably securing at least said upper radiator in at least a downward position. Cooling system. 2. In the cooling device according to claim 1, the means for pivotally supporting the upper radiator includes: a substantially rectangular frame having opposite ends; and a position spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at one end of the frame. a pair of lateral extension leg members mounted in relationship; and means for pivotally coupling the extension leg member to one of the opposing upright members for pivotal movement about a generally longitudinal axis; Cooling device for hydraulically driven skid steer loader. 3. In the cooling device according to claim 1, the means for pivotally supporting the lower radiator comprises: a substantially rectangular frame having opposing ends; a pair of laterally extending leg members mounted in a fixed positional relationship; and means for pivotally coupling the extending leg member to one of the upright members for pivotal movement about a generally longitudinal axis; A cooling device for a hydraulically driven skid steer loader, comprising: a protruding member coupled to another opposite upright member for supporting the frame in a downward position; 4. A cooling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for releasably mounting at least said upper radiator in at least a lower position comprises a latch mounted on a pivotal support member for said upper radiator. , the latch being selectively engageable in a notch formed in one of the upright members and further having an actuating rod coupled to the latch, the actuating rod opening in the pivot support member relative to the upper radiator. a hydraulically actuated skid having a bent end engageable between a position inserted into the upper radiator and a position extending into an aperture provided in one of the upright members for holding the upper radiator in the upper position; Cooling device for Tsudostaya loader. 5. A cooling device according to claim 1, including a latch member for selectively interconnecting said upper and lower pivot support members. Cooling system. 6. In the cooling device according to claim 1, a pair of first hoses are coupled to the upper radiator to circulate the engine cooling medium, and a pair of second hoses are coupled to the lower radiator. A cooling device for a hydraulically driven skid steer loader that circulates hydraulic working fluid. 7 A swing-up radiator assembly for use in the engine compartment of a skid steer loader having a pair of upright members includes a laterally extending shelf having a generally rectangular frame structure, and one end of the shelf positioned at an upper position and a lower side. coupling means for pivotal movement about a generally longitudinal axis between positions; a protruding member attached to the other upright member for supporting the shelf in a lower position; a radiator retained within the shelf; a pivotable latch mounted on said shelf for movement into and out of engagement with a notch formed in an opposite upright; and an actuating rod coupled to said latch, said actuating rod being connected to said shelf. and a bent end engageable between an opening formed in the upright member and an opening formed in the one upright member for holding the shelf in the upper position. Swing type radiator assembly. 8. The radiator assembly according to claim 7, further comprising: a second horizontal shelf extending below the first shelf and having a substantially rectangular frame structure; means for pivotally coupling one end of the shelf to one upright member for pivotal movement about an axis; and a projecting member coupled to the other upright member for supporting said second shelf in a downward position. A swing-up radiator comprising: a second air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed on the second shelf; and a latch member releasably coupling the second shelf to the first shelf in an upper position. 9. The swing-up type radiator according to claim 7, further comprising a handle provided on the first shelf. 10 A swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly to be installed between a pair of upright members in the engine compartment of a skid steer loader has a horizontal upper shelf and a horizontal upper shelf each formed by a substantially rectangular frame structure. The lower shelves are arranged in stacked relationship and include means coupled to one end of the upper shelf for pivotal movement about a generally longitudinal first axis between an upper position and a lower position, and an oil cooler is mounted on the lower shelf. a protrusion is formed on the opposite upright to support the lower shelf in a downward position, and a latch is provided on the upper shelf to permit movement into and out of engagement with a notch formed on another upright. an actuation rod is coupled to the latch, the actuation rod being movable between a closed position for engaging an opening in the top shelf and a position for engaging an opening in the upright member to retain the top shelf in the upright position; A swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly with bent ends. 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein a handle is attached to the upper shelf and a latch member is formed for holding the upper shelf and the lower shelf in releasably interconnected relationship in an upper position. A swing-up radiator and oil cooler assembly.