CONSTRUCTION MACHINE

• US 20070096667A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kobelco Construction Machinery Company Limited (Kobe Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Kagoshima, Masayuki, KOMIYAMA, Masayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/98
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/506 specific to silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/008 for signaling silent vehicles, e.g. for warning that a hybrid or electric vehicle is approaching
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2075 of the hybrid type for vehicles in general B60W20/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/24 Safety devices , e.g. for preventing overload E02F9/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence

Abstract

In a hybrid construction machine, its display device displays, toward an operator, an artificial engine sound serving as load information according to a magnitude of a workload, instead of an engine sound. Furthermore, the display device issues an alarm sound to surrounding workers when performing an operation by only stored electrical power of an electrical energy storage device without using an engine. In this hybrid construction machine, in addition to the issuing of alarm from the display device during the operation without using the engine, the display device issues an advance notice sound for engine restart when at least one value out of the workload and a charge amount of the electrical energy storage device has become an advance notice set value close to a set value of engine restart.

Claims

1. A construction machine comprising:

an engine;

a power generator driven by the engine;

an electrical energy storage device that is charged by an output of the power generator, the electrical energy storage device compensating for a shortage of an output of the engine with respect to the workload while storing power generated by the power generator using a surplus of the output;

load detecting means for detecting the workload; and

display means that displays, toward an operator, load information according to a magnitude of the detected workload, instead of an engine sound.

2. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the display means issues a sound according to the magnitude of the workload as an artificial engine sound.

3. The construction machine according to claim 1, wherein the display means lights or flashes display lights having respective colors different in accordance with a magnitude of the workload.

7. The construction machine according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting means for making a selection between the activation and the deactivation of the display means.

4. A construction machine comprising:

an engine;

a power generator driven by the engine;

a motor driven by an output of the power generator;

an actuator operated by the motor;

an electrical energy storage device that stores surplus power out of the output of the power generator, the electrical energy storage device allowing an operation to be performed by only stored electrical power thereof without using the engine, with the engine stopped under preset engine stop conditions; and

display means adapted to issue an alarm when the engine stop conditions have been satisfied.

5. The construction machine according to claim 4, wherein the display means issues an advance notice sound.

6. The construction machine according to claim 4, wherein the construction machine detects a workload and a charge amount of the electrical energy storage device, and when the workload is not more than a set workload value and the charge amount is not less than a set charge amount value, the construction machine transfers to an operation state without using the engine by stopping the engine.

8. The construction machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

selecting means for making a selection between the activation and the deactivation of the display means.

9. A construction machine comprising:

an engine;

a power generator driven by the engine;

a motor driven by an output of the power generator;

an actuator operated by the motor;

an electrical energy storage device that stores surplus power out of the output of the power generator;

detecting means that detects at least one value out of a workload and a charge amount of the electrical energy storage device, as a factor in determining whether the engine is to be stopped or restarted, the detecting means being configured so that, when a value detected by the detecting means has reached an engine stop set value, the engine is automatically stopped and an operation is performed by only stored electrical power of the electrical energy storage device without using the engine, and that when the detected value has reached an engine restart set value, the engine is automatically restarted; and

display means adapted to perform an advance notice display of an engine restart when the detected value has become an advance notice set value close to the engine restart set value, after the engine has been automatically stopped.

10. The construction machine according to claim 9, wherein the display means is adapted to issue an advance notice sound as an advance notice display.

11. The construction machine according to claim 9, wherein the display means lights or flashes an advance notice light as an advance notice display.

12. The construction machine according to claim 9,

wherein the display means performs an alarm display notifying that an operation without using the engine is being performed during the stop of the engine;

and

wherein a sound formed by modifying the alarm display is used as an advance notice display of engine restart.

13. The construction machine according to claim 9, further comprising:

selecting means for making a selection between the activation and the deactivation of the display means.