# US 12,180,684 B2 · Pipe protection unit in work machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,684 B2 - Document ID: US12180684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/656,092 - Filed: 2022-03-23 - Published: 2022-10-20 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-16 - Assignees: Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tomonori Kidani; Ichiro Wada; Hiroki Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180684B2 ## CPC - E02F 9/2275: {Hoses and supports therefor and protection therefor} - E02F 3/965: {of metal-cutting or concrete-crushing implements (shearing devices B23D17/00; wrecking of buildings, e.g. tools therefor, E04G23/08)} - E02F: DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING (winning peat E21C49/00) ## Abstract A pipe protection unit includes: at least one inner low-pressure pipe which is a hydraulic pipe disposed along an attachment side surface which is one of a left side surface and a right side surface of a work attachment; at least one outer high-pressure pipe disposed along the attachment side surface at an outer position than the at least one inner low-pressure pipe, the at least one outer high-pressure pipe having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the at least one inner low-pressure pipe; and a cover plate which is a plate that is disposed along the attachment side surface so as to be interposed between the at least one inner low-pressure pipe and the at least one outer high-pressure pipe and is supported by the work attachment, the cover plate covering at least a part of the at least one inner low-pressure pipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pipe protection unit in a work machine including a base machine and a work attachment supported by the base machine, the pipe protection unit comprising: at least one inner low-pressure pipe which is a hydraulic pipe disposed along an attachment side surface which is one of a left side surface and a right side surface of the work attachment; at least one outer high-pressure pipe which is a hydraulic pipe disposed along the attachment side surface at an outer position than the at least one inner low-pressure pipe, the at least one outer high-pressure pipe having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the at least one inner low-pressure pipe; and a cover plate which is a plate that is disposed along the attachment side surface so as to be interposed between the at least one inner low-pressure pipe and the at least one outer high-pressure pipe and is supported by the work attachment, the cover plate covering at least a part of the at least one inner low-pressure pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The pipe protection unit according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure release connector configured to release a pressure inside the at least one outer high-pressure pipe and release a pressure inside the at least one inner low-pressure pipe, the pressure release connector being supported by the cover plate or a portion of the attachment side surface opposed to the cover plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The pipe protection unit according to claim 2, wherein the pressure release connector has a high-pressure pipe pressure release port for releasing the pressure inside the at least one outer high-pressure pipe and a low-pressure pipe pressure release port for releasing the pressure inside the at least one inner low-pressure pipe, and the pressure release connector is disposed at a position corresponding to a lower portion of the cover plate in a state where the work attachment is disposed to have a fallen attitude that is an attitude in which the work attachment extends along the ground. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The pipe protection unit according to claim 3, wherein the at least one outer high-pressure pipe includes a plurality of outer high-pressure pipes, and the high-pressure pipe pressure release port and the low-pressure pipe pressure release port are disposed below the outer high-pressure pipe located at a lowest position among the plurality of outer high-pressure pipes in a state where the work attachment is disposed to have the fallen attitude. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The pipe protection unit according to claim 2, wherein the cover plate has a plate outer surface which is an outer surface opposite to the attachment side surface and to which the pressure release connector is fixed, and the pressure release connector has an inner surface facing the attachment side surface, and an inner connection port which is a connection port formed on the inner surface and to which an inner end portion that is one end portion of the at least one inner low-pressure pipe is connected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The pipe protection unit according to claim 5, wherein the cover plate has a through hole formed in a region corresponding to the inner connection port. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The pipe protection unit according to claim 2, further comprising: at least one outer low-pressure pipe which is a hydraulic pipe connected to the at least one inner low-pressure pipe via the pressure release connector, the at least one outer low-pressure pipe having an outer end portion that is one end portion disposed at an outer position than the cover plate, wherein the pressure release connector further has an outer connection port which is a connection port disposed at the outer position than the cover plate and to which the outer end portion is connected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The pipe protection unit according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing portion for fixing the at least one outer high-pressure pipe to the cover plate, the fixing portion being attached to the cover plate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The pipe protection unit according to claim 8, further comprising at least one flexible high-pressure pipe connected to the at least one outer high-pressure pipe and having flexibility.