Patent Application
20120145471
The present disclosure generally relates to frame assemblies of vehicles used in earth moving, construction and mining applications and, more particularly, relates to the Non Engine End Frame (NEEF) of such vehicles.
The frames of vehicles used for earth moving, construction, material handling and mining are often subject to extremely high loads from multiple sources, especially side forces. For example, when a wheel loader is pushing or digging into a pile of material, forces are exerted against the digging/pushing implement and travel through the lift arms and boom to the NEEF. The side forces generated can be quite severe and may cause torquing of the sidewalls of the frame of the vehicle. This often results in cracking within the NEEF structure as well as cracking in the joint between the NEEF and the axle housing.
Similarly, when a vehicle, such as a wheel loader, is lifting a load or traveling with a load, the combined weight of the lift arms, the boom and the load causes substantial force to travel down the lift arms and torque the frame of the vehicle. The high lateral stress on the sidewalls due to the torquing of the frame can also result in cracking within the NEEF structure as well as in the joint between the NEEF and the axle housing.
In addition, debris from loads or rough terrain often accumulates on top of the axle housing in earth moving, construction, material handling and mining vehicles. Over time, the accumulated debris interferes with the steering and handling of the vehicle. Because of the industrial applications of such vehicles, it is often not feasible for an operator to stop his vehicle to remove such accumulated debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,870 granted Aug. 8, 2000 (the '870 Patent) is an example of prior art in the area of frame assemblies for construction vehicles.
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a frame assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The frame assembly comprises first and second spaced apart tower walls separated by a middle portion and a foot joined to the first tower wall. The foot and the first tower wall may define a cavity having a mouth. The foot may comprise a slanted front member, a rear member disposed opposite to the front member, and a side member. The side member may include a substantially vertical tab and an inclined body portion. The tab may be disposed above the inclined body portion and may be joined onto the first tower wall. The side member may be disposed between the front and rear members and may be oriented to form an angle α with the first tower wall.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a frame assembly is disclosed for a vehicle having an axle. The frame assembly may comprise first and second spaced apart tower walls separated by a middle portion, and a hollow foot joined to the first tower wall. The foot may have a tast factor in the range of about 1.26 to about 4.74. The foot may comprise a slanted front member, a rear member disposed opposite to the front member, and a side member having an inclined body portion. The side member may be disposed between the front and rear members and may be oriented to form an angle α with the first tower wall.
In accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure, a method of manufacturing a frame assembly for a vehicle is disclosed. The method may comprise forming a foot comprising a slanted front member fixedly joined to a side member having an inclined body portion, providing a tower assembly that include first and second spaced apart tower walls separated by a middle portion, positioning the foot against the first tower wall to define a cavity between the tower wall and the foot, and fixedly securing the foot to the first tower wall so that the inclined body portion substantially forms an angle α in the range of about 15° to about 45° and the slanted front member generally follows the contour of a sloped leading front edge of the first tower wall.
Referring now to the drawings, and with specific reference to
Turning now to
The frame assembly 100 may be mounted directly or indirectly on a base 110. The base may be an axle housing 111 of a vehicle 200. In one embodiment where the frame assembly 100 is mounted on top of the axle housing 111, each foot 106, specifically the mouth 108 of each foot 106, may be disposed on an axle pad 112 on the top of the axle housing 111. In other embodiments, a fender 114 or other foundation member may be the base 110 and may be disposed between each foot 106 and the axle housing 111 or axle housing pad 112. The axle housing 111 is part of the axle housing assembly 214 seen in
Each tower wall 102, 103 may be generally planar in shape and may have a bottom edge 116 and a leading edge 118. The bottom edge 116 is proximal to the axle housing 111. The leading edge 118 is proximal to the middle portion 104 and generally faces in a direction toward the implement 220. In an embodiment, a foot 106 may be disposed on each tower wall 102, 103 above the axle housing 111 such that each foot 106 is proximal to the bottom edge 116 and proximal to the leading edge 118 of each tower wall 102, 103. In yet other embodiments, more than one foot 106 may be joined to each tower wall 102, 103 and each additional foot 106 on each tower wall 102, 103 may be positioned proximal to the bottom edge 116 of each tower wall 102, 103.
The front member 120 of the foot 106 may be generally slanted and, in some embodiments, generally planar in shape. The front member 120 of the foot may be disposed on the tower wall such that it is oriented to generally follow the orientation of the leading edge 118 of the tower wall 102, 103 as it tapers or slopes from the bottom of the tower wall 102, 103 to the top of the tower wall 102, 103. The front member 120 may be disposed on the tower wall 102, 103 so that it substantially forms an angle β with an axis Y in a vertical plane. In an embodiment, the angle β may be in a range of about 30° to about 65°, plus or minus 10% deviation. In another embodiment, the deviation may be plus or minus 20%, or about 24° to about 78°. In yet another embodiment, the deviation may be plus or minus 30%.
The rear member 122 of the foot 106 may be generally slanted or perpendicular to the base 110, and in some embodiments, generally planar in shape.
The side member 124 may be disposed between the front and rear members 120, 122 and includes a generally inclined body portion 128. The side member 124 may also include a tab 126. The tab 126 may be disposed near the top of the foot 106 above the inclined body portion 128 and may be vertical and generally planar in shape. The tab 126 may be joined onto the tower wall 102, 103. If the side member 124 does not include a tab 126, part of the inclined body portion 128 may be joined onto the tower wall 102, 103 to help affix the foot 106 to the tower wall 102, 103. The inclined body portion 128 may be generally curved or generally planar in shape.
While in some embodiments, the inclined body portion 128 may extend from the tab 126 to the base 110, in other embodiments, the side member 124 may include a bottom wall 130 between the inclined body portion 128 and the base 110. The bottom wall 130 may be attached to and disposed below the inclined body portion 128.
As illustrated in
It has been determined that a frame assembly 100 including a foot 106 structure having a tast factor in the range of about 1.26 to about 4.74 demonstrates increased structural strength under severe side loads along with superior shedding throughput of debris. In testing, the ability to withstand such side loads increased by about 30-50% for foot structures with a tast factor in the above range. In addition, shedding throughput, the flow of material debris away from the axle assembly to the ground, was also maximized for foot structures with a tast factor in the above range. The tast factor is represented by the following formula:
tast=Y/X+tan α
A method of manufacturing a frame assembly 100 for a vehicle 200 is also disclosed. The method may comprise forming a foot 106 comprising a slanted front member 120 fixedly joined to a side member 124 having an inclined body portion 128, providing a tower assembly 101 that include first and second spaced apart tower walls 102, 103 separated by a middle portion 104, positioning the foot 106 against the first tower wall 102 to define a cavity 108 between the tower wall 102 and the foot 106, and fixedly securing the foot 106 to the first tower wall 102 so that the inclined body portion 128 substantially forms an angle α in the range of about 15° to about 45° and the slanted front member 120 generally follows the contour of a sloped leading front edge 118 of the first tower wall 102.
In general, the present disclosure may find applicability in reinforcing and improving the structural integrity of many machines, particularly earth moving vehicles. The frame assembly may comprise first and second spaced apart tower walls separated by a middle portion and a foot joined to the first tower wall. The foot may comprise a slanted front member, a rear member disposed opposite to the front member, and a side member. The side member may be disposed between the front and rear members and may be oriented to form an angle α with the first tower wall.
The frame assembly disclosed herein increases the ability of a vehicle to withstand side and other stress forces, inhibits the buildup of material and debris around the axle housing and increases the ability of the vehicle to shed material and debris from the area around the axle housing.
These features may be particularly beneficial to wheel loaders and other earth moving, construction, mining or material handling vehicles that experience large side forces and accumulation of debris during operation.
