Road construction vehicle with material hopper with pivot function

Abstract

A road construction vehicle comprises a chassis and a material hopper for receiving paving material. The material hopper has two hopper parts opposite each other, which are configured to define a receiving space for the paving material. At least one of the hopper parts has a base part and a side part. The base part is attached to the chassis pivotable about a main pivot axis between an open position and a closed position. The side part is attached to the base part along a pivot end edge of the side part pivotable about a side part pivot axis. A free end edge of the side part opposite the pivot end edge is configured to be located below the side part pivot axis when the base part is in the closed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A road construction vehicle comprising:
 a chassis; and   a material hopper for receiving paving material;   wherein the material hopper has two opposite hopper parts which are configured to define a receiving space for the paving material;   wherein at least one of the hopper parts has a base part and a side part;   wherein the base part is attached to the chassis pivotable about a main pivot axis between an open position and a closed position;   wherein the side part is attached to the base part along a pivot end edge of the side part pivotable about a side part pivot axis; and   wherein a free end edge of the side part opposite the pivot end edge is configured to be located below the side part pivot axis when the base part is in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the side part comprises an intermediate part and an end part. 
     
     
         3 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part has a first surface and the end part has a second surface, wherein the first surface and the second surface are each configured to form part of an inner wall of the receiving space, and wherein the first surface and the second surface are configured to be inclined towards each other. 
     
     
         4 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part is attached to the base part pivotable about the side part pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the end part is attached to the intermediate part pivotable about an end part pivot axis. 
     
     
         6 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the intermediate part and the end part are rigidly connected to each other or integrally formed with each other. 
     
     
         7 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the road construction vehicle further comprises a coupling device which is configured to couple a pivot position of the base part about the main pivot axis and a pivot position of the side part about the side part pivot axis. 
     
     
         8 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 7 , wherein the coupling device is configured to effect an automatic pivoting of the side part about the side part pivot axis when the base part is pivoted about the main pivot axis. 
     
     
         9 . The road construction machine according to  claim 8 , wherein the coupling device is configured to effect the automatic pivoting of the side part in a same direction of rotation as the base part when the base part is pivoted about the main pivot axis. 
     
     
         10 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 7 , wherein the coupling device is configured to effect an automatic pivoting of the side part about the side part pivot axis by a second angle when the base part pivots about the main pivot axis by a first angle, wherein a value of the first angle and a value of the second angle differ from each other. 
     
     
         11 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 7 , wherein the coupling device is provided by control technology. 
     
     
         12 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 7 , wherein the coupling device comprises a mechanical coupling device. 
     
     
         13 . The road construction vehicle according to  claim 7 , wherein the coupling device comprises a coupling rod connecting the side part to the chassis. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating a road construction vehicle, comprising:
 pivoting at least one hopper part of a material hopper of the road construction vehicle with respect to a chassis of the road construction vehicle about a main pivot axis,   wherein the pivoting of the at least one hopper part about the main pivot axis is coupled with a pivoting movement in which a side part of the at least one hopper part is pivoted relative to a base part of the at least one hopper part about a side part pivot axis.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the pivoting of the at least one hopper part about the main pivot axis is mechanically coupled by a coupling device to the pivoting movement of the side part about the side part pivot axis. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the pivoting of the at least one hopper part about the main pivot axis takes place at least partially simultaneously with the pivoting movement of the side part about the side part pivot axis. 
     
     
         17 . A road construction vehicle comprising:
 a chassis; and   a material hopper with at least one hopper part which is connected via a main pivot axis to the chassis, wherein the at least one hopper part is foldable via two pivot axes in order to bring the road construction vehicle from a working configuration into a transport configuration with a reduced space requirement as compared to the working configuration.