FUEL CONSUMPTION DISPLAY APPARATUS FOR CRANE

• US 20120185159A1
• Filed: 01/11/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tadano Limited
• Original Assignee: Tadano Limited
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Hiroshi, Terata, Kimihiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/123
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/16 Applications of indicating, registering, or weighing devices in crane hooks B66C1/40; in safety gear B66C15/00; weighing-apparatus G01G; remote indicating in general G08
• CPC Class Codes: B66C 13/18 Control systems or devices exclusively for rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms B66D1/40
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence

Abstract

A fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane includes: standby state determining means for determining whether or not a crane is in a standby state; fuel consumption detecting means for detecting fuel consumption of the crane; standby accumulated fuel consumption calculating means for calculating standby accumulated fuel consumption by accumulating the fuel consumption after the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state: the standby duration calculating means for calculating standby duration by measuring a time period after the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state; and a monitor for displaying the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration. An operator of the crane can therefore recognize how much fuel is wasted, thus facilitating an operation for reducing fuel consumption.

Claims

1. A fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane comprising:

measuring means for measuring standby accumulated fuel consumption and standby duration in a standby state during a crane operable mode; and

a monitor for displaying the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration measured by the measuring means.

2. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 1, wherein the measuring means comprises:

standby state determining means for determining whether or not a crane is in the standby state during the crane operable mode;

fuel consumption detecting means for detecting fuel consumption of the crane;

standby accumulated fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the standby accumulated fuel consumption by accumulating the fuel consumption after the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state; and

standby duration calculating means for calculating the standby duration by measuring a time period after the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state, and the monitor comprises;

monitor control means for displaying, on the monitor, the standby accumulated fuel consumption input from the standby accumulated fuel consumption calculating means and the standby duration input from the standby duration calculating means.

3. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 1, wherein

the measuring means measures instantaneous fuel consumption and average fuel consumption in a crane operational state in addition to the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration, and

the monitor displays the instantaneous fuel consumption and the average fuel consumption in addition to the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration.

4. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 3, wherein the measuring means comprises:

fuel consumption detecting means for detecting fuel consumption of the crane;

instantaneous fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the instantaneous fuel consumption from the fuel consumption; and

average fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the average fuel consumption from an operational time and accumulated fuel consumption by measuring the operational time, namely a time period from the crane turning into the operational state up to the present, and by accumulating the fuel consumption after the crane turning into the operational state for calculating the accumulated fuel consumption, and the monitor comprises;

monitor control means for displaying, on the monitor, the instantaneous fuel consumption input from the instantaneous fuel consumption calculating means and the average fuel consumption input from the average fuel consumption calculating means.

5. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 4, wherein the measuring means comprises:

standby state determining means for determining whether or not a crane is in the standby state during the crane operable mode, and

the monitor control means displays the instantaneous fuel consumption and the average fuel consumption on the monitor as long as the standby state determining means determines the crane not to be in the standby state, and displays the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration on the monitor as long as the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state.

6. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 5, wherein

the monitor control means displays the instantaneous fuel consumption and the average fuel consumption on the monitor as long as the standby state determining means determines the crane not to be in the standby state, and displays the standby accumulated fuel consumption and the standby duration on the monitor after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state.

9. A crane comprising:

a fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8.

7. A fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane comprising:

measuring means for measuring standby fuel consumption, operational fuel consumption, average fuel consumption and a workload in a crane operable mode;

a fuel consumption table for storing the standby fuel consumption, the operational fuel consumption, the average fuel consumption and the workload measured by the measuring means as a history per a certain period of time; and

a monitor for displaying the history of the standby fuel consumption, the operational fuel consumption, the average fuel consumption and the workload stored in the fuel consumption table.

8. The fuel consumption display apparatus for a crane according to claim 7, wherein the measuring means comprises:

standby state determining means for determining whether or not a crane is in a standby state during the crane operable mode;

fuel consumption detecting means for detecting fuel consumption of the crane;

standby fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the standby fuel consumption by accumulating the fuel consumption as long as the standby state determining means determines the crane to be in the standby state from a measuring start time up to the present;

operational fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the operational fuel consumption by accumulating the fuel consumption as long as the standby state determining means determines the crane not to be in the standby state from the measuring start time up to the present;

average fuel consumption calculating means for calculating the average fuel consumption by measuring an operational time, namely a time period from the measuring start time up to the present, by adding the operational fuel consumption to the standby fuel consumption for calculating accumulated fuel consumption, and by dividing the operational time by the accumulated fuel consumption; and

workload calculating means for calculating a workload from the measuring start time up to the present.