Attachment monitoring system

• US 10,620,036 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toku Pneumatic Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Toku Pneumatic Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamada, Hideki, Hirokawa, Yasuo, Sakamoto, Shunichi, Takai, Junji, Obata, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kundu, Sujoy K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stifter, Jr., Terence E
• Application Number:
  US15/497,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20170314987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/32 working downwardly and towards the machine, e.g. with backhoes
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/966 of hammer-type tools arrangements for breaking-up hard ground E02F5/305; percussion -type rippers E02F5/323
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0883 Tanks, e.g. oil tank, urea tank, fuel tank for vehicles in general B60K15/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/163 Structures to protect drivers, e.g. cabins, doors for cabins; Falling object protection structure [FOPS]; Roll over protection structure [ROPS] for handrails mounted on cabins E02F9/0833 takes precedence; for vehicles in general B60R21/11, B60R21/13, for fork-lift trucks B66F9/07545
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2054 Fleet management
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2221 Control of flow rate; Load sensing arrangements E02F9/2203 take precedence over E02F9/2221
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2271 Actuators and supports therefor and protection therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2296 Systems with a variable displacement pump
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/264 Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/267 Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/06 Means for preventing overload or deleterious influence of the measured medium on the measuring device or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/00 Testing of machine parts

Abstract

An attachment monitoring system according to an embodiment includes a working machine, attachments, a measurement unit, a terminal device, and a server device. The working machine includes a working arm. Each of the attachments is attached to a leading end part of the working arm so as to be driven by a fluid pressure. The measurement unit is provided to measure at least one of a vibration and the fluid pressure when each of the attachments identified on the basis of individual identifying information is driven. The terminal device is provided in the working machine to acquire measured results of the measurement unit. The server device collects the measured results of the respective attachments from the terminal device, and analyzes operation states of the respective attachments on the basis of the collected measured results.

Claims

1. An attachment monitoring system comprising:

a working machine that includes a working arm movably supported by a body of the working machine;

a plurality of attachments each of which is attached to a leading end part of the working arm so as to be driven by a fluid pressure;

a measurement unit that is disposed on the working arm movably supported by the body of the working machine and connected to each of the attachments, the measurement unit being separately arranged from an attached attachment, the measurement unit configured to (i) identify each of the attachments based on individual identifying information and (ii) measure at least one of a vibration and the fluid pressure when each of the identified attachments is driven;

a terminal device that is provided in the working machine, the terminal device acquiring measured results of the measurement unit; and

a server device that collects the measured results of the respective attachments from the terminal device, and analyzes operation states of the respective attachments based on the collected measured results.

2. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit includes:

an acquisition unit that acquires the individual identifying information,

at least one of a vibration sensor that detects a vibration of the attached attachment and a fluid pressure sensor that detects the fluid pressure, and

a communication unit that transmits, to the terminal device, at least one of a detected result of the vibration sensor and a detected result of the fluid pressure sensor as one of the measured results.

3. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the server device estimates an operation state of each of the attachments based on at least one of the detected result of the vibration sensor and the detected result of the fluid pressure sensor of the corresponding attachment.

4. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein

the individual identifying information is held on the attachments,

the acquisition unit acquires the individual identifying information by using communication with the attached attachment, and

the communication unit transmits, to the terminal device, the one measured result corresponding to the individual identifying information acquired by the acquisition unit.

5. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the measurement unit further includes a buffer material that is provided to protect at least the communication unit.

6. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement unit is provided to measure a flow volume of the fluid that drives the attached attachment.

7. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the working machine includes a hydraulic excavator, and

the attached attachment includes a hydraulic breaker.

8. An attachment monitoring system comprising:

a working machine that includes a working arm;

a plurality of attachments each of which is attached to a leading end part of the working arm so as to be driven by a fluid pressure;

a measurement unit that is disposed on the working arm and connected to each of the attachments, the measurement unit being separately arranged from an attached attachment, the measurement unit configured to (i) identify each of the attachments based on individual identifying information and (ii) measure at least one of a vibration and the fluid pressure when each of the identified attachments is driven;

a terminal device that is provided in the working machine, the terminal device acquiring measured results of the measurement unit and

a server device that collects the measured results of the respective attachments from the terminal device, and analyzes operation states of the respective attachments based on the collected measured results,

wherein

the working machine includes;

a fluid pressure generating device that generates the fluid pressure, and

a first supply/discharge passage that is a supply/discharge passage of a fluid from the fluid pressure generating device,

wherein each of the attachments includes a second supply/discharge passage that is a supply/discharge passage of the fluid to the corresponding attachment, and

wherein the measurement unit is disposed between the first supply/discharge passage and each second supply/discharge passage such that the measurement unit is connected to both the first supply/discharge passage and each second supply/discharge passage to receive the fluid from the first supply/discharge passage and provide the received fluid to each second supply/discharge passage.

9. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein the measurement unit includes:

an acquisition unit that acquires the individual identifying information,

at least one of a vibration sensor that detects a vibration of the attached attachment and a fluid pressure sensor that detects the fluid pressure, and

a communication unit that transmits, to the terminal device, at least one of a detected result of the vibration sensor and a detected result of the fluid pressure sensor as one of the measured results.

10. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein the server device estimates an operation state of each of the attachments based on at least one of the detected result of the vibration sensor and the detected result of the fluid pressure sensor of the corresponding attachment.

11. The attachment monitoring system according to claim 9, wherein

the individual identifying information is held on the attachments,

the acquisition unit acquires the individual identifying information by using communication with the attached attachment, and

the communication unit transmits, to the terminal device, the one measured result corresponding to the individual identifying information acquired by the acquisition unit.