Acoustical engine enclosure for earthmoving vehicles

Claim 2

An engine compartment enclosure for an earthmoving vehicle comprising two side portions, front and rear end portions, a hood member and bottom pan member, said side portions being generally inperforate except for panel means which consists of a plurality of sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means arranged in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to define air-flow passages therebetween for the transmission of cooling air between the interior of said engine enclosure and the exterior thereof, while substantially reducing the transmission of sound energy from the interior of the enclosure to the exterior, each said baffle means including an acoustic material batt and a relatively rigid structural support means for supporting said acoustic material batt.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said front end portion of said engine compartment enclosure contains a second panel means consisting of a plurality of elongated, sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to provide air-flow passageways therebetween, said air-flow passageways in said front end portion cooperating with said air-flow passages in said side portions to provide a circulating air-flow pattern between said passages and said passageways while reducing sound transmission from the interior to the exterior of said engine compartment enclosure.

Claim 4

The invention as claimed in claim 2 wherein said baffle means in said front end portion are each arranged at an angle oblique to the vertical plane passing longitudinally through the horizontal center line of the vehicle with which the engine compartment enclosure is associated.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 wherein said side panel means are pivotally mounted in said side portions to provide facile access to the interior of said engine compartment enclosure for servicing and maintenance purposes.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 wherein said hood member is substantially imperforate except for third panel means consisting of a plurality of elongated, sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to provide air-flow openings therebetween, said third panel means being pivotally mounted in said hood member to provide ready access to the interior of said engine compartment enclosure.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 wherein said sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means are readily removable from said panel means for facile cleaning and replacement pusposes.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 wherein said acoustic material batt of each said sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means includes an elongated central portion of flexible sound-energy absorbing material partially encased within said structural support means and wherein said support means includes a rigid frame partially comprised of imperforate sheet-metal and partially comprised of perforate material.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 7 wherein said imperforate, sheet-metal material portion of said rigid frame has a generally U-shaped, cross-sectional configuration which comprises two generally parallel leg portions connected by a transverse portion normal thereto, said perforate portion extending between said leg portions in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to said transverse portion and in holding contact with said elongated flexible central portion.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein said flexible, sound-energy absorbing material is at least partially covered by a loosely-fitted, thin, nonmetallic sheet material which prohibits contamination of said sound-energy absorbing material without substantially impairing its sound-energy absorption characteristics.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 1 wherein each said baffle means comprises two layers of flexible, sound-energy abosrbing material fixedly mounted upon either side of a flat, rigid plate member which provides structural support for said flexible, sound-energy absorbing material.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 1 wherein each said baffle means comprises an elongated central portion of flexible, sound-energy absorbing material substantially completely enclosed in rigid perforate metal material.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 1 wherein said plurality of parallel, spaced-apart baffle means are arranged at an angle oblique to the plane of said hood member.

Claim 14

An engine compartment enclosure for an earthmoving vehicle comprising two side portions, front and rear end portions, a hood member and a bottom pan member, said side portions being generally imperforate except for a panel means which consists of a plurality of sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means arranged in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to define air-flow passages therebetween for the transmission of cooling air between the interior of said engine enclosure and the exterior thereof, while substantially reducing the transmission of sound energy from the interior of the enclosure to the exterior thereof, said sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means including an elongated central portion of flexible sound energy absorbing material partially encased within rigid frame means partially comprised of imperforate sheet-metal material and partially comprised of perforate material, said imperforate sheet-metal material portion having a generally U-shaped, cross-sectional configuration which comprises two generally parallel leg portions which are connected by a transverse portion normal thereto, and said perforate portion extending between said leg portions in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to said transverse portion and in holding contact with said elongated flexible central portion, one of said leg portions of said U-shaped frame means being folded obliquely toward the other said leg portion to form a smoothly-tapered aerodynamic surface which provides low resistance to air flow between said plural baffle means.

Claim 15

An engine compartment enclosure for an earthmoving vehicle comprising two side portions, front and rear end portions, a hood member and a bottom pan member, said side portions being generally imperforate except for a panel means which consists of a plurality of sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means arranged in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to define air-flow passages therebetween for the transmission of cooling air between the interior of said engine enclosure and the exterior thereof, while substantially reducing the transmission of sound energy from the interior of the enclosure to the exterior thereof, said sound-attenuating acoustic baffle means including an elongated central portion of flexible sound energy absorbing material partially encased within rigid frame means partially comprised of imperforate sheet-metal material and partially comprised of perforate material, said imperforate sheet-metal material portion having a generally U-shaped, cross-sectional configuration which comprises two generally parallel leg portions which are connected by a transverse portion normal thereto, and said perforate portion extending between said leg portions in parallel, spaced-apart relationship to said transverse portion and in holding contact with said elongated flexible central portion, one of said leg portions of said U-shaped frame means being folded obliquely toward the other said leg portion to form a smoothly-tapered aerodynamic surface which provides low resistance to air flow between said plural baffle means.