This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to German patent application number DE 20 2012 003 669.6, filed Apr. 12, 2012, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a driver roof for a control platform of a road making machine, which road making machine can in particular be a road finishing machine or a charger for a road making machine.
Road making machines are employed independent of current weather conditions. Therefore, the operators of these road making machines are always exposed to the weathering conditions. The use of driver-protecting roofs or driver roofs, however, largely offers protection for the operators located on the driver's cabin of the road making machine.
It is an object of the disclosure to provide a driver roof that is improved in view of the efficiency of its manufacture.
The driver roof according to the disclosure comprises a first roof module and a second roof module. These can be connected to each other either permanently or detachably to form a common roof. While at first sight this seems to be more complicated than the conventional manufacture of an integral driver roof, the disclosure indeed offers advantages for the efficiency of the manufacture. As will be illustrated more in detail below, for example differently designed driver roofs for various types of road making machines can be easily produced from equal roof modules. This facilitates warehousing, because separate, complete drivers roofs no longer need to be stored for all types of road making machines. Moreover, the individual roof modules are smaller than a complete driver roof which further facilitates warehousing.
For the manufacture, it is particularly efficient for the two roof modules to be laterally reversed (i.e., mirror images) with respect to each other because similar tools and conditions for the manufacture of the two roof modules can then be employed.
Suitably, each roof module comprises a roof section and at least one, preferably three lateral sections angled with respect to the roof section. The lateral sections can project, for example, downwards from the roof section and offer additional protection against sunshine and rain.
The use of the driver roof can become more flexible if a roof module comprises at least one extension part that is movable between a retracted and an extended position. This extension part (also referred to as awning) can preferably be lockable in at least one position, for example in the refracted position. For locking, conventional locking systems can be used, such as a snap-on fastening or a rear trunk lock.
The efficiency of the manufacture of driver roofs for various types of road making machines can be considerably facilitated if an intermediate part is inserted between the two roof modules. This intermediate part can be inserted between the two roof modules either permanently or detachably.
The efficiency of the manufacture of differently designed driver roofs is even further improved if several exchangeable intermediate parts are available that can be inserted between the two roof modules and are of different configurations or widths. Depending on the width of the road making machine to be provided with the driver roof, a suited intermediate part can be used.
It is furthermore advantageous to have a cover that can be attached to a roof module. This is advantageous mainly if a roof module can be fixed to the road making machine separately and independent of the other roof module. The cover can then offer protection against sunshine or rain with the side otherwise covered by the other roof module.
Preferably, at least one lamp is provided at one roof module by means of which the driver's cabin and/or the working region of the road making machine can be illuminated. These lamps can be halogen, xenon or LED lights or other suited lamps.
As the material for the driver roof, plastics, in particular glass-fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP), composite materials or metal have proven to be particularly advantageous.
For a permanent connection of the two roof modules with each other, threaded joints, welded joints or riveted joints are particularly suited. A more variable employment of the driver roof results from a hinged connection between the two roof modules by which, for example, a first roof module can be pivoted onto the other roof module to reduce the size of the driver roof
The disclosure furthermore relates to a road making machine, in particular a road finishing machine or a charger for a road finishing machine, which are equipped with a driver roof of the above-described type.
Moreover, the disclosure also relates to a modular system for manufacturing a driver roof for the control platform of a road making machine. This modular system that improves the efficiency of the manufacture of the driver roof comprises a first and second roof modules and at least one intermediate part which can be inserted between the two roof modules. From this modular system, either the two roof modules can be optionally connected with each other directly, or they can be connected with each other by insertion of the at least on intermediate part.
The manufacture of different driver roofs becomes particularly versatile if the modular system comprises different intermediate parts each having different widths.
Below, advantageous embodiments of the disclosure will be illustrated in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.
The driver roof 1 comprises a first roof module 2 and a second roof module 3 which are laterally reversed in the present embodiment. Each roof module 2, 3 has a roof section 4 from which lateral parts 5 angled with respect to a roof section 4 project downwards on three sides. These lateral sections 5 offer additional protection against rain and sunshine.
Along a central line M extending in the direction of motion F, the two roof modules 2, 3 are connected to each other permanently or, as an alternative, detachably via connecting elements 6. The connecting elements 6 can be detachable locking mechanisms, a welded joint, a riveted joint or hinges. In case of a hinge connection 6, it would be conceivable that the one roof module 2 can be pivoted about the central axis M onto the second roof module 3.
On the front side and at the sides of the driver roof 1, lamps 7 are provided which can be LED headlights. A cable harness (not represented) supplies the lamps 7 with power.
In each embodiment, either one of the two roof modules 2, 3 can be embodied independent of the other roof module 2, 3 with or without an extension part 8. So, it is conceivable that the driver roof 1 has an extension part or awning 8 on only one side or on both sides, or that it has no extension part 8 on any side. If a roof module 2, 3 does not include any extension part 8, its side oriented in parallel to the direction of motion F is suitably provided with a lateral section 5 which is drawn down to the same extent as the other sides in order to shield the operators from weathering influences, such as rain, snow or sunshine, in particular on this side.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20 2012 003 669.6 | Apr 2012 | DE | national |