Work vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907589-B2
Application number	US-201916693383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A work vehicle includes an engine, a particulate filter, and an oil separator. The particulate filter is connected to the engine to collect particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine. The particulate filter is provided to overlap with the engine when viewed in a height direction along a height of the work vehicle. The oil separator is connected to the engine via a blow-by-gas discharge pipe to catch a liquid component in blow-by-gas from the engine. The oil separator is provided between the engine and the particulate filter to overlap with the particulate filter when viewed in the height direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a particulate filter connected to the engine to collect particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine, the particulate filter being provided to overlap with the engine when viewed in a height direction along a height of the work vehicle, the particulate filter having a substantially tubular shape having a center axis along an axial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the height direction;
an oil separator connected to the engine via a blow-by-gas discharge pipe to catch a liquid component in blow-by-gas from the engine, the oil separator being provided between the engine and the particulate filter to overlap with the particulate filter when viewed in the height direction; and
a fuel tank disposed above the engine and adjacent to the particulate filter in a lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the height direction and the axial direction, the oil separator being provided to overlap with the fuel tank when viewed in the lateral direction.

2. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the axial direction matches an anteroposterior direction of the work vehicle.

3. The work vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the engine includes:
a crank shaft extending substantially perpendicularly to the height direction;
a cylinder block accommodating the crank shaft;
a cylinder head provided above the cylinder block in the height direction; and
a cylinder head cover provided above the cylinder head in the height direction and having an outlet port provided in an outer surface opposite to the cylinder head in the height direction, the blow-by-gas being configured to be discharged via the outlet port, and
the work vehicle further comprises the blow-by-gas discharge pipe connecting the cylinder head cover and the oil separator.

4. The work vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the oil separator is positioned above the cylinder head cover in the height direction.

5. The work vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the crank shaft extends substantially in parallel with the axial direction.

6. The work vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the particulate filter is provided to overlap with the cylinder head cover when viewed in the height direction, and
the oil separator is provided to overlap with the particulate filter when viewed in the height direction.

7. The work vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the axial direction matches an anteroposterior direction of the work vehicle.

8. The work vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the cylinder head is positioned between a center of the oil separator and the fuel tank when viewed in the height direction.

9. A work vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a particulate filter connected to the engine to collect particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine, the particulate filter being provided to overlap with the engine when viewed in a height direction along a height of the work vehicle; and
an oil separator connected to the engine via a blow-by-gas discharge pipe to catch a liquid component in blow-by-gas from the engine, the oil separator being provided between the engine and the particulate filter to overlap with the particulate filter when viewed in the height direction,
wherein the engine includes:
a crank shaft extending substantially perpendicularly to the height direction;
a cylinder block accommodating the crank shaft;
a cylinder head provided above the cylinder block in the height direction; and
a cylinder head cover provided above the cylinder head in the height direction and having an outlet port provided in an outer surface opposite to the cylinder head in the height direction, the blow-by-gas being configured to be discharged via the outlet port, and
the work vehicle further comprises the blow-by-gas discharge pipe connecting the cylinder head cover and the oil separator, and

wherein the blow-by-gas discharge pipe includes:
an upright part connected to the cylinder head cover and extending in the height direction;
a first bent part connected to the upright part and bent toward the oil separator;
a linear part connected to the first bent part and extending diagonally upward; and
a second bent part connected to the linear part and bent toward the oil separator to be connected to the oil separator.

10. The work vehicle according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a heater provided at the linear part.

11. A work vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a particulate filter connected to the engine to collect particulate matters contained in exhaust gas from the engine, the particulate filter being provided to overlap with the engine when viewed in a height direction along a height of the work vehicle;
an oil separator connected to the engine via a blow-by-gas discharge pipe to catch a liquid component in blow-by-gas from the engine, the oil separator being provided between the engine and the particulate filter to overlap with the particulate filter when viewed in the height direction;
an air cleaner;
an inlet pipe connected to the air cleaner and extending toward the engine; and
an additional blow-by-gas discharge pipe connecting the oil separator and the inlet pipe, the blow-by-gas processed by the oil separator being configured to be sent to the inlet pipe via the additional blow-by-gas discharge pipe.

12. The work vehicle according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a turbocharger connecting the inlet pipe and the engine; and
an exhaust pipe connecting the turbocharger and the particulate filter, the additional blow-by-gas discharge pipe being connected to the inlet pipe between the air cleaner and the turbocharger.

13. The work vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein
the engine further includes an oil pan provided below the cylinder block in the height direction, and
the work vehicle further comprises an oil drain pipe connecting a lower end of the oil separator in the height direction and the oil pan.

14. The work vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein no heater is provided on the additional blow-by-gas discharge pipe and the oil drain pipe.

15. The work vehicle according to claim 14 ,
wherein the particulate filter has a substantially tubular shape having a center axis along an axial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the height direction, and
wherein the particulate filter includes:
a first end attached to the exhaust pipe;
a second end opposite to the first end in the axial direction;
a first flange provided at the second end and radially extending with respect to the center axis; and
a second flange provided substantially in a middle between the first end and the second end and extending radially with respect to the center axis, and

the oil separator is positioned between the first flange and the second flange in the axial direction.

16. The work vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a first bracket fixing the oil separator to the engine, wherein
the first bracket includes:
an oil separator attachment part attached to the oil separator;
an engine connecting part connected to the engine;
an exhaust pipe connecting part connected to the exhaust pipe,
a first beam extending upward in the height direction from the engine connecting part to the oil separator attachment part, and
a second beam extending substantially in the axial direction from the oil separator attachment part to the exhaust pipe connecting part while bypassing the oil separator.

17. The work vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a second brac

Assignees

• Kubota Kk

Inventors

• Sakuma Tetsushi
• Ono Akiyoshi
• Sawai Megumi
• Inaba Daisuke
• Kato Shinji

Classifications

• B01D50/20

  Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00 · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01N2340/04

  Arrangement of the exhaust system relative to a vehicle or parts thereof · CPC title

• B60K13/04

  concerning exhaust · CPC title

• B60K15/03

  Fuel tanks · CPC title