# US 12,179,614 B2 · Excavator

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- Number: US 12,179,614 B2
- Document ID: US12179614B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/655,829
- Filed: 2022-03-22
- Published: 2022-10-06
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-31
- Assignees: Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kaoru Nakada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179614B2

## CPC

- B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries}
- E02F 9/0866: {Engine compartment, e.g. heat exchangers, exhaust filters, cooling devices, silencers, mufflers, position of hydraulic pumps in the engine compartment}
- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 3/04: Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H)
- B60L 15/20: for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
- B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
- B60L 50/61: by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60L 53/60: Monitoring or controlling charging stations
- B60L 58/13: Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
- B60L 58/20: having different nominal voltages
- B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage
- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- E02F 3/32: working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
- E02F 9/0883: {Tanks, e.g. oil tank, urea tank, fuel tank (for vehicles in general B60K15/00)}
- E02F 9/0891: {Lids or bonnets or doors or details thereof (doors for cabins E02F9/163 takes precedence; for motor vehicles B62D25/10)}
- E02F 9/205: {Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence)}
- E02F 9/2091: {Control of energy storage means for electrical energy, e.g. battery or capacitors (energy recovery arrangements in hydraulic or pneumatic drives E02F9/2217)}
- E02F 9/2095: {Control of electric, electro-mechanical or mechanical equipment not otherwise provided for, e.g. ventilators, electro-driven fans (control of hydraulic driven equipment E02F9/22)}
- E02F 9/2228: {including an electronic controller}
- E02F 9/261: {Surveying the work-site to be treated}
- B60L 2200/40: Working vehicles
- B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters
- B60L 2260/26: Transition between different drive modes
- E02F 9/123: {Drives or control devices specially adapted therefor (E02F9/125 and E02F9/128 take precedence)}
- E02F 9/2221: {Control of flow rate; Load sensing arrangements (E02F9/2203 take precedence over E02F9/2221)}
- E02F 9/2285: {Pilot-operated systems}
- E02F 9/2292: {Systems with two or more pumps}
- E02F 9/2296: {Systems with a variable displacement pump}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An excavator includes a lower traveling body; an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body; an actuator configured to drive a driven part including the lower traveling body and the upper turning body; and a power storage device mounted in the upper turning body and configured to serve as an energy source for driving the actuator. The power storage device includes a plurality of power storage modules stacked in a vertical direction, each of the plurality of power storage modules including a power storage part and a housing configured to house the power storage part. The housings of power storage modules among the plurality of power storage modules that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction, are coupled to each other.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An excavator comprising:
a lower traveling body;
an upper turning body turnably mounted to the lower traveling body;
an actuator configured to drive a driven part including the lower traveling body and the upper turning body; and
a power storage device mounted in the upper turning body and configured to serve as an energy source for driving the actuator, the power storage device including a plurality of power storage modules stacked in a vertical direction, each of the plurality of power storage modules including a power storage part and a housing that houses the power storage part,
wherein the housing of each of the plurality of power storage modules includes
an accommodating part that accommodates the power storage part;
a lid that closes an opening of the accommodating part; and
a plurality of first bolts that fasten the lid to the accommodating part in the vertical direction, and
the power storage device further includes a plurality of second bolts that fasten the accommodating part of the housing of a first power storage module and the lid and the accommodating part of the housing of a second power storage module together, the first power storage module being stacked on the second power storage module in the plurality of power storage modules with the lid of the housing of the second power storage module being between the accommodating part of the housing of the first power storage module and the accommodating part of the housing of the second power storage module.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power storage modules includes an upper coupling structure configured to be compatible with a lower coupling structure of each of all other ones of the plurality of power storage modules.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of power storage modules includes a lower coupling structure configured to be compatible with an upper coupling structure of each of all other ones of the plurality of power storage modules.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power storage modules have substantially a same shape in a top view.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The excavator according to claim 4, wherein the housings of at least two of the plurality of power storage modules have substantially a same external shape.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein relevant devices of the power storage device are distributed among and housed in the housings of the plurality of power storage modules.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The excavator according to claim 6, wherein the relevant devices include at least one of a power storage control device configured to implement control relating to the power storage device, or a power relay device configured to relay power between the power storage device and a plurality of other devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of power storage modules each include
a hole provided on a side surface of the housing, the hole being configured to have a service plug detachably mounted therein, the service plug being configured to block a power path, and
a cover configured to cover the hole.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein
in the housing of each of the plurality of power storage modules, fastening holes configured to fasten the plurality of second bolts are provided between fastening holes to which two adjacent ones of the first bolts are fastened.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The excavator according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the first power storage module has recesses on a lower surface of the housing, the recesses being positioned at substantially same positions as the plurality of first bolts of the housing of the second power storage module.