U.S. patent application number 15/388536 was filed with the patent office on 2018-06-28 for work vehicle having oil equipment.
This patent application is currently assigned to KUBOTA CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is KUBOTA CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Hideki AOKI, David SPITZ.
Application Number | 20180179925 15/388536 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62625567 |
Filed Date | 2018-06-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180179925 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SPITZ; David ; et
al. |
June 28, 2018 |
WORK VEHICLE HAVING OIL EQUIPMENT
Abstract
A work vehicle includes a vehicle body frame supported on a
ground surface by wheels, a reinforcing plate provided in the
vehicle body frame, an oil equipment using oil, and a drain pan
configured to receive and discharge the oil discharged from the oil
equipment. The reinforcing plate defines a drain hole extending
vertically therethrough. A tilted face is provided in a face of the
reinforcing plate. The tilted face extends with a downward
inclination from a dropping point on the reinforcing plate for the
oil discharged from the drain pan to the drain hole.
Inventors: |
SPITZ; David; (Atlanta,
GA) ; AOKI; Hideki; (Osaka, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KUBOTA CORPORATION |
Osaka |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
KUBOTA CORPORATION
Osaka
JP
|
Family ID: |
62625567 |
Appl. No.: |
15/388536 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60Y 2200/223 20130101;
B60K 2025/026 20130101; A01D 34/003 20130101; F01M 2011/0033
20130101; F01M 11/0004 20130101; B60K 17/105 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01M 11/00 20060101
F01M011/00; A01D 69/12 20060101 A01D069/12 |
Claims
1. A work vehicle comprising: a vehicle body frame supported on a
ground surface by wheels; an engine mounted on the vehicle body
frame; an oil equipment using oil; a drain pan configured to
receive and discharge the oil discharged from the oil equipment; a
reinforcing plate provided in and reinforcing the vehicle body
frame and being configured to face the ground surface under the
drain pan, the reinforcing plate defining a drain hole extending
vertically therethrough; and a tilted face provided in a face of
the reinforcing plate, the tilted face extending with a downward
inclination from a dropping point on the reinforcing plate for the
oil discharged from the drain pan to the drain hole.
2. The work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the tilted face
comprises a bottom face of a groove formed directly in the surface
of the reinforcing plate.
3. The work vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a sub
drain pan configured to receive oil from the drain pan; and the sub
drain pan forming the tilted face and also an outlet for causing
the oil running on the tilted face to flow into the drain hole.
4. The work vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the sub drain pan
acts as a reinforcing member for compensating for shortage of
strength of the reinforcing plate due to formation of the drain
hole therein.
5. The work vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the sub drain pan
includes ribs formed vertically along a circumference of the tilted
face, the ribs guiding the oil and increasing the strength of the
sub drain pan.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a work vehicle having an
oil equipment using oil and a drain pan configured to receive and
discharge oil discharged from the oil equipment.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A work vehicle mounts an engine, a speed changer device,
etc. for driving a utility implement and a traveling device. Thus,
in a circuit of e.g. lubricant oil, there is incorporated an oil
equipment such as an oil filter. From such oil equipment, oil is
discharged at the time of operation or maintenance inspection. From
U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,881, there is known a grass mower machine
configured such that oil is discharged to an outside of a blade
housing by means of an expandable/contractible (telescopic) oil
drain device that extends from an oil sump of an engine. This oil
drain device consists of an outer tube fixed to the blade housing
and an inner tube which moves like a piston within the outer tube.
When oil is to be discharged, the inner tube will be drawn out of
the outer tube until its leading end is exposed sideways from the
blade housing. When not used, the inner tube will be fixedly
threaded to the outer tube by a lock nut.
[0003] An oil drain device according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,427
comprises an oil drain valve formed integral with an engine mount
flange attached to a top wall of a mower deck. An inlet of the oil
drain valve is communicated to an oil sump formed in the engine
mount flange. Oil exiting an outlet of this oil drain valve is
discharged to the inside of the mower deck via a through hole
defined n the mower deck.
SUMMARY
[0004] The oil drain device according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,881
has a drawback of it requiring large installment space and being
structurally complicated. The oil drain arrangement according to
U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,427 requires high manufacture costs as it is
formed integral with an engine mount flange.
[0005] In view of the above, there is a need for a work vehicle
having an oil drain arrangement which is more simple.
[0006] A work vehicle according to the present invention
comprises:
[0007] a vehicle body frame supported on a ground surface by
wheels;
[0008] an engine mounted on the vehicle body frame;
[0009] an oil equipment using oil;
[0010] a drain pan configured to receive and discharge the oil
discharged from the oil equipment;
[0011] a reinforcing plate provided in the vehicle body frame to
face the ground surface under the drain pan, the reinforcing plate
defining a drain hole extending vertically therethrough; and
[0012] a tilted face provided in a face of the reinforcing plate,
the tilted face extending with a downward inclination from a
dropping point on the reinforcing plate for the oil discharged from
the drain pan to the drain hole.
[0013] With the oil drain arrangement of this work vehicle, oil
discharged from the oil equipment flows in the drain pan and drops
onto the tilted face formed in the reinforcing plate. This dropped
oil will then flow along the tilted face and drop onto the ground
via the drain hole formed in the reinforcing plate. This
arrangement makes it possible to avoid outflow of oil over the
entire reinforcing plate. In this, if there is employed an
arrangement that this tilted face comprises a bottom face of a
groove formed directly in the surface of the reinforcing plate, a
lateral wall face of the groove will function as a guide face for
the oil, thus ensuring entrance of the oil into the drain hole.
[0014] Further, according to a further embodiment, the tilted face
for causing oil dropped from the drain pan to enter the drain hole
can be formed by a sub drain pan as a separate component. This sub
drain pan forms the tilted face and also an outlet for causing the
oil running on the tilted face to flow into the drain hole. This
sub drain pan comprises, as it were, a simple "rain gutter", which
is mounted on the reinforcing plate so as to cause the dropped oil
to flow into the drain hole. By forming the tilted face in a
separate component to be mounted on the reinforcing plate, shaping
work of the tilted face can be facilitated.
[0015] The drain hole for dropping oil onto the ground surface is
formed in the reinforcing plate. If this drain hole can provide
substantively adverse effect on the strength of the reinforcing
plate, resultant shortage of reinforcing plate strength can be
compensated for by the sub drain pan. For instance, if a bottom
face of the sub drain pan is fixed by e.g. welding to an edge
region of the drain hole of the reinforcing plate, then, the sub
drain pan can function as a reinforcing member. Further,
preferably, ribs are formed for increase of strength of the sub
drain pan per se acting as such reinforcing member. In this, if the
ribs are formed vertically along the circumference of the tilted
face, these ribs will then act as a guide for guiding the oil
running along the tilted face. Thus, an additional advantage can be
obtained.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a riding mower as one
embodiment of a work vehicle,
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plane view of the riding mower,
[0018] FIG. 3 is a rear view showing an engine and an oil
filter,
[0019] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an
oil drain arrangement of the oil filter,
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a further embodiment of
an oil drain arrangement of the oil filter, and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a sub drain pan.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a riding mower as an example of work
vehicle. This riding mower includes a vehicle body frame 1 which is
supported by a pair of left and right front wheels 3a and a pair of
left and right rear wheels 3b, with the respective rear wheels 3b
being forward/reverse speed controllable independently of each
other. Such riding mower is called a "zero-turn mower".
[0023] Principal constituting components of the vehicle body frame
1 are a pair of left and right front frame rails 10 formed of
square pipe members and a rear frame 11 having a U-shape in its
plane view. Between the pair of left and right front wheels 3a and
the pair of left and right rear wheels 3b, a mower unit 14 is
suspended via a lift mechanism from the front frame rails 10 to be
liftable up/down.
[0024] On the front frame rails 10, a floor 55 formed of a metal
plate is mounted in such a manner to cover them substantially
entirely. At a front end of the floor 55, there is installed a
footrest 64 formed of a thin plate. At a rear portion of the floor
55, a driving section 5 is formed at a position one-step raised
from the floor 55. At the center of the driving section 5, a
driver's seat 50 is mounted. On left and right opposed sides of the
driver's seat 50, fenders 53 and steering levers 51 are disposed
respectively. Incidentally, on the upper faces of the fenders 53,
various operational levers, operational buttons, etc. are disposed.
Rearwardly of the driver's seat 50, an arch-shaped ROPS 15 is
mounted vertically. This ROPS 15 is formed of square pipe members.
A driving section 2 is disposed in a region rearwardly of the ROPS
15 in a vehicle body front-rear direction. The driving section 2
includes an engine 20 which is an internal combustion engine and
various engine auxiliary units.
[0025] To the U-shaped rear frame 11, there is installed a
reinforcing plate 6 for reinforcing the rear frame 11. Further, the
surface of the reinforcing plate 6 forms a substantially horizontal
mounting face for mounting the engine 20. At the vicinity of the
center of the reinforcing plate 6, the engine 20 is mounted under a
posture with its output shaft protruding downwardly therefrom.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, in a region on the right side of the
engine 20, a fuel tank 40 is disposed. In a region on the left side
of the engine 20, a muffler 22 is disposed. Upwardly of the engine
20, an air cleaner 23 is disposed. Rearwardly of the engine 20, an
oil filter 7 is disposed as one oil equipment.
[0027] As shown schematically in FIG. 3, there is provided a
transmission 13 configured to speed-change power from the engine 20
and to transmit the speed-changed power to the pair of left and
right rear wheels 3b. The transmission 13 includes HSTs
(hydrostatic transmissions) and a gear transmission mechanism. The
respective HSTs are operated for speed change based on pivotal
operations in the front-rear direction of the steering levers 51
provided on the left and right sides immediately forwardly of the
driver's seat 50. When the left/right steering lever 51 is
pivotally operated in the front-rear direction, the HST
corresponding thereto can be operated for speed change, so that the
left and right rear wheels 3b can be driven at various speeds
independently of each other.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the oil filter 7 is disposed
rearwardly of the engine 20 and upwardly of the reinforcing plate
6. In a lower outer circumference of the oil filter 7, there is
provided a drain pan 70 formed like a flange. This drain pan 70
receives oil discharged from the oil filter 7. A vertical wall 71
is provided in an outer circumference of the drain pan 70, except a
part thereof. And, the part where the vertical wall 71 is not
provided functions as a discharge outlet 72 for discharging oil
accumulated in the drain pan 70 downwards. Discharged oil will drop
onto the surface of the reinforcing plate 6.
[0029] At a portion of the reinforcing plate 6, in particular, at a
position downwardly of the oil filter 7 in this example, there is
formed a drain hole 6a which vertically extends the reinforcing
plate 6 therethrough. Further, the reinforcing plate 6 defines a
groove 60 which extends from a dropping point on the reinforcing
plate 6 for oil discharged from the discharge outlet 72 of the
drain pan 70 to the drain hole 6a. A bottom face 61 of this groove
60 is provided as a downwardly tilted face SS that extends from the
dropping point to the drain hole 6a. In operation, oil dropped from
the drain pan 70 into the groove 60 will be guided by the tilting
of the bottom face 61 and opposed lateral faces 62 of the groove 60
to flow into the drain hole 6a smoothly. Namely, the drain pan 70,
the groove 60 (the tilted face SS) and the drain hole 6a together
form a simple and effective oil drain arrangement for the oil
filter 7.
[0030] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show an oil drain arrangement for the oil
filter 7 according to a further embodiment. Here, instead of the
groove 60, a sub drain pan 80 is provided. This sub drain pan 80
comprises a box-like body having a length extending from the
dropping point on the reinforcing plate 6 for oil discharged from
the discharge outlet 72 of the drain pan 70 to the drain hole 6a
and includes a bottom plate 81 acting as the tilted face SS and
lateral plates 82 acting as guide walls for oil. The sub drain pan
80 is fixed to the reinforcing plate 6 by e.g. welding in such a
manner that the bottom plate 81 is placed in abutment against the
reinforcing plate 6. At the position where the bottom plate 81
faces the drain hole 6a, the lateral plates 82 are absent, thus
forming an outlet of the sub drain pan 80. The face of the bottom
plate 81 forming the tilted face SS is tilted downwards from one
end to the other end thereof. With this arrangement of the sub
drain pan 80, oil dropped from the discharge outlet 72 will be
received by one end of the bottom plate 81 and this received oil
will then flow along the bottom plate 81, i.e. the tilted face SS
and will then flow from the other end of the bottom plate 81 into
the drain hole 6a.
[0031] The lateral plates 82 of the side drain pan 80 act also as
"ribs", which increase the strength of the side drain pan 80. With
utilization of the strength of this sub drain pan 80, the
dimensions and layout of the sub drain pan 90 can be determined so
as to compensate for reduction of the strength of the reinforcing
plate 6 due to the formation of the drain hole 6a therein.
[0032] Instead of the box-like sub drain pan 80, a plate-like sub
drain pan 80 may be employed. In this case, in the sub drain pan
80, a groove similar to the above-described groove 60 will be
formed.
[0033] In the foregoing embodiment, as an example of oil equipment,
the oil filter 7 was cited. However, as an oil equipment to which
the present invention is applicable, any oil equipment can be used
from which oil is discharged at the time of use or maintenance.
* * * * *