Hydraulic oil cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020095750-A1
Application number	US-201816138431-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 26, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydraulic cooling system for a heavy-equipment machine, with the heavy-equipment machine including a frame supported on the ground by a ground-drive assembly, a cab extending upward from the frame, and an attachment tool for performing work. The hydraulic cooling system comprises a main housing and a cooling assembly housed at least partly within the main housing, with the cooling assembly being configured to reduce a temperature of hydraulic oil flowing through the hydraulic cooling system. The hydraulic cooling system further comprises an attachment assembly for attaching the main housing to the cab of the heavy-equipment machine. The main housing is configured to extend rearward from the cab.

First claim

1 . A hydraulic cooling system for a heavy-equipment machine, with the heavy-equipment machine including a frame supported on the ground by a ground-drive assembly, a cab extending upward from the frame, and an attachment tool for performing work, wherein the hydraulic cooling system comprises:
a main housing; a cooling assembly housed at least partly within said main housing, wherein said cooling assembly is configured to reduce a temperature of hydraulic oil flowing through said hydraulic cooling system; and an attachment assembly for attaching said main housing to the cab of the heavy-equipment machine, wherein said main housing is configured to extend rearward from the cab of the heavy-equipment machine.

2 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein said hydraulic cooling system is configured such that said main housing does not extend more than five inches above a maximum height of the cab.

3 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein said cooling assembly comprises a cooling element through which the hydraulic oil is configured to flow and one or more fans for directing air flow across the cooling element.

4 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 3 , wherein said cooling element is positioned above said one or more fans.

5 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 3 , wherein said cooling element comprises a radiator.

6 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 3 , wherein said cooling element is associated with a bypass valve, wherein if the pressure of the hydraulic oil flowing through the cooling element exceeds a standard operating pressure by more than a maximum pressure threshold, the hydraulic cooling system is configured to direct the hydraulic oil through a bypass channel.

7 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 3 , further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the hydraulic cooling system is configured to activate said one or more fans when the temperature sensor determines that a temperature of the hydraulic oil exceeds a maximum temperature.

8 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein said main housing is rotatably connected to said attachment assembly.

9 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 8 , wherein said hydraulic cooling system is shiftable from a normal operating configuration, in which the main housing extends rearward from the cab, to a maintenance configuration, in which the main housing extends upward from the cab.

10 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein said attachment assembly comprises a pair of longitudinally-extending support arms configured to be secured to the cab and a laterally-extending base element extending between said support arms.

11 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the heavy-equipment machine is a tracked skid-steer loader.

12 . The hydraulic cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the attachment tool is selected from a rotary cutter and a mulcher.

13 . A skid-steer loader comprising:
frame; a ground-drive assembly configured to support said frame on the ground; a cab extending upward from said frame; a loader attachment for performing work; and a hydraulic cooling system including—
a main housing,
a cooling assembly housed at least partly within said main housing, wherein said cooling assembly is configured to reduce a temperature of hydraulic oil flowing through said hydraulic cooling system,
an attachment assembly for attaching said main housing to said cab of said skid-steer loader,
wherein said main housing is configured to extend rearward from said cab.

14 . The skid-steer loader of claim 13 , wherein no portion of said hydraulic cooling system extend more than five inches above a maximum height of said cab.

15 . The skid-steer loader of claim 13 , wherein said cooling assembly comprises a radiator through which the hydraulic oil is configured to flow and one or more fans for directing air flow across said radiator.

16 . The skid-steer loader of claim 13 , wherein said main housing is rotatably connected to said attachment assembly.

17 . The skid-steer loader of claim 13 , wherein said attachment assembly comprises a pair of longitudinally-extending support arms secured to said cab and a laterally-extending base element extending between said support arms.

18 . A method of integrating a hydraulic cooling system with a heavy-equipment machine, wherein the heavy-equipment machine includes a frame supported on the ground by a ground-drive assembly, a cab extending upward from the frame, and an attachment tool for performing work, wherein said method comprises the steps of:
(a) securing an attachment assembly to a roof of the cab of the heavy-equipment machine; (b) attaching a main housing to the attachment assembly, wherein the main housing includes a cooling element and one or more fans housed therein, wherein upon said attaching of step (b), the main housing extends rearward from the cab of the heavy-equipment machine; and (c) hydraulically connecting the hydraulic cooling system to a hydraulic system of the heavy-equipment machine.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein upon said attaching of step (b), no portion of the hydraulic cooling system extends more than five inches above a maximum height of the cab of the heavy-equipment machine.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said attaching of step (b) comprises rotatably attaching the main housing to the attachment assembly such that the hydraulic cooling system is configured to be transitioned from a normal operating configuration, in which the main housing extends rearward from the cab, to a maintenance configuration, in which the main housing extends upward from the cab.

Assignees

• Great Plains Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Carlson Jason
• Takemura Toshihiko

Classifications

• F01P3/18

  Arrangements or mounting of liquid-to-air heat-exchangers (such arrangements on cylinders or cylinder heads F01P3/04; relative to vehicles B60K11/04) · CPC title

• F15B21/042

  Controlling the temperature of the fluid · CPC title

• F01P2070/50

  mounting fans to heat-exchangers · CPC title

• E02F9/226 Primary

  Safety arrangements, e.g. hydraulic driven fans, preventing cavitation, leakage, overheating · CPC title

• F01P1/06

  Arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts · CPC title